Dianthus Therapeutics Strengthens Strategic Commercial Leadership With Appointment of John C. King as Chief Commercial Officer and Welcomes Sujay Kango, A Seasoned Commercial Leader, to Board of Directors

Rhea-AI Summary

Dianthus Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNTH) has announced two key leadership appointments to strengthen its commercial capabilities. John C. King joins as Chief Commercial Officer, bringing over 25 years of global commercial leadership experience, particularly in complement inhibitor therapies for neuromuscular and hematological rare diseases.

King's notable achievements include launching the first approved biologic and C5 complement inhibitor in the Myasthenia Gravis market at Alexion, and leading commercial strategy for Ra Pharma's first FDA-approved self-administered subcutaneous biologic for gMG, which led to Ra Pharma's $2.5 billion acquisition by UCB.

Additionally, Sujay Kango, with 26+ years of industry experience, joins the Board of Directors. Kango's experience includes serving as CEO of Tmunity Therapeutics (acquired by Gilead) and EVP/CCO of Acceleron Pharma (acquired by Merck for $11.5B). The company also announced that Tomas Kiselak will transition from the Board of Directors.

Positive

• Appointment of experienced CCO with successful track record in complement inhibitor commercialization
• Addition of board member with multiple billion-dollar M&A experience
• Phase 2 clinical trial data expected in H2 2025
• Development pipeline across three neuromuscular indications

Negative

• Board member transition could impact strategic continuity
• No immediate revenue generation as still in clinical stage
• Pending clinical trial results create uncertainty

Mr. King launched the first approved biologic and C5 complement inhibitor into the Myasthenia Gravis market and helped set the foundation for the multi-billion dollar C5 franchise of Alexion

Mr. King also led the commercial strategy behind the first FDA-approved, self-administered, subcutaneous biologic for gMG as the Chief Commercial Officer of Ra Pharma, acquired by UCB for $2.5 billion

Mr. Kango has >26 years of industry experience spanning senior executive, commercial and business development roles in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector

NEW YORK and WALTHAM, Mass., March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dianthus Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNTH), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to advancing the next generation of antibody complement therapeutics to treat severe autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of John C. King as Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. King brings more than 25 years of global commercial leadership experience within biotechnology, including complement inhibitor experience in neuromuscular and hematological rare diseases. In this newly created position, Mr. King will play a critical role in the Company’s corporate and commercial strategy.

“I’m excited to welcome John to the Dianthus executive team and I look forward to partnering with him as we move DNTH103 forward across three neuromuscular indications and prepare for our first top-line data in 2H’25 from our Phase 2 clinical trial in gMG,” said Marino Garcia, Chief Executive Officer of Dianthus Therapeutics. “John is a strong, strategic leader who played a key role in establishing the foundation for the blockbuster gMG market and the multi-billion dollar C5 complement inhibitor franchise at Alexion, which continues to grow as first-line gMG therapy today. John then took on the role of CCO of Ra Pharma as it was developing the first FDA-approved, self-administered, subcutaneous biologic for the gMG market, leading to Ra Pharma’s acquisition by UCB for $2.5 billion. This wealth of experience will be highly valued at Dianthus as we continue to build an exciting late-stage biotech company.”

“I strongly believe DNTH103 has the potential to be a highly differentiated, first-line therapy and provide meaningful benefits for patients suffering from classical pathway-driven diseases, including gMG, CIDP and MMN. DNTH103’s best-in-class target profile would provide a unique combination of potency, safety and convenience with a patient-friendly, infrequent, self-administered subcutaneous auto-injector,” said John C. King, Chief Commercial Officer of Dianthus Therapeutics. “This is a transformational time for Dianthus and I’m thrilled to join the executive team ahead of key data readouts starting with gMG later this year.”

Mr. King started his biotech career at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals working on Enbrel^® before he joined Alexion Pharmaceuticals, where he was Vice President, U.S. Neurology Business Unit responsible for building and leading the commercial team and strategy that launched Soliris^® (eculizumab) into the generalized Myasthenia Gravis market as the first approved biologic and complement inhibitor. At Alexion, he also served as Vice President, Head of Global Hematology Franchise, among other leadership roles. Mr. King then joined Ra Pharma as the Chief Commercial Officer where he played a crucial role as part of the executive team in developing the commercial strategy for its C5 complement inhibitor in gMG and in its acquisition by UCB for $2.5 billion. Most recently, he was the Chief Commercial Officer at Vor Bio where he led commercial planning and business development for engineered cell therapies for patients with blood cancer. Mr. King began his career at Ernst & Young LLP and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Logistics and a Master of Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University.

In addition, Sujay Kango has joined the Company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Kango is an experienced executive with more than 26 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector. His vast, results-oriented experience ranges from serving as both public and private company board member to being a C-suite executive of multi-billion dollar public companies. He previously served on the boards of MEI Pharma and Infinity Pharmaceuticals, and currently serves as a board member of Adanate, Inc. Mr. Kango was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tmunity Therapeutics, a clinical stage research and development CAR-T therapy company that was acquired by Gilead Sciences in February 2023 for an undisclosed amount. From 2018-2021, he served as the EVP, Chief Commercial Officer of Acceleron Pharma, which was acquired by Merck & Co. for over $11.5 billion. Mr. Kango has been responsible for over 5 blockbuster products and launches, including Reblozyl, Nexavar, Kyprolis, Peg-Intron, and Remicade. He earned a B.S. in Microbiology and an M.B.A. from McNeese State University.

Dianthus also announced that Tomas Kiselak will transition from the Board of Directors. Mr. Kiselak is a co-founder of Fairmount Funds and has served as a member of the Board since co-founding Dianthus.

About Dianthus Therapeutics
Dianthus Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to designing and delivering novel, best-in-class monoclonal antibodies with improved selectivity and potency. Based in New York City and Waltham, Mass., Dianthus is comprised of an experienced team of biotech and pharma executives who are leading the development of next-generation antibody complement therapeutics, aiming to deliver transformative medicines for people living with severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

To learn more, please visit www.dianthustx.com and follow us on LinkedIn. 

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, express or implied statements regarding future plans and prospects, including statements regarding the expectations or plans for discovery, preclinical studies, clinical trials and research and development programs, in particular with respect to DNTH103, and any developments or results in connection therewith, including the target product profile of DNTH103; the anticipated timing of the initiation and results from those studies and trials; expectations regarding the time period over which the Company’s capital resources are expected to be sufficient to fund its anticipated operations; and expectations regarding the market and potential opportunities for complement therapies, in particular with respect to DNTH103. The words “opportunity,” “potential,” “milestones,” “runway,” “will,” “anticipate,” “achieve,” “near-term,” “catalysts,” “pursue,” “pipeline,” “believe,” continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “ intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “predict,” “project,” “ should,” “strive,” “would,” “aim,” “target,” “commit,” and similar expressions (including the negatives of these terms or variations of them) generally identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that statement is not forward looking.

Actual results could differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, that preclinical testing of DNTH103 and data from clinical trials may not be predictive of the results or success of ongoing or later clinical trials, that the development of DNTH103 or the Company's other compounds may take longer and/or cost more than planned, that the Company may be unable to successfully complete the clinical development of the Company’s compounds, that the Company may be delayed in initiating, enrolling or completing its planned clinical trials, and that the Company's compounds may not receive regulatory approval or become commercially successful products. These and other risks and uncertainties are identified under the heading "Risk Factors" included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2023, and other filings that the Company has made and may make with the SEC in the future. Nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved.

The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date they are made and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the cautionary statements herein. Dianthus undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contact
Jennifer Davis Ruff
Dianthus Therapeutics
jdavisruff@dianthustx.com

FAQ

What experience does John C. King bring to Dianthus Therapeutics (DNTH)?

King brings 25+ years of commercial leadership experience, including launching the first C5 complement inhibitor for Myasthenia Gravis at Alexion and leading Ra Pharma's commercial strategy resulting in a $2.5B UCB acquisition.

When will Dianthus Therapeutics (DNTH) release top-line data for their gMG clinical trial?

Dianthus expects to release top-line data from their Phase 2 clinical trial in generalized Myasthenia Gravis (gMG) in the second half of 2025.

What is DNTH103's potential market positioning according to the new CCO?

DNTH103 aims to be a first-line therapy with best-in-class target profile, offering potency, safety, and convenience through infrequent, self-administered subcutaneous auto-injector delivery.

What are the key therapeutic areas DNTH103 is being developed for?

DNTH103 is being developed across three neuromuscular indications: generalized Myasthenia Gravis (gMG), CIDP, and MMN.

Who is the new Board member at Dianthus Therapeutics (DNTH) and what is their background?

Sujay Kango joins with 26+ years of experience, previously CEO of Tmunity Therapeutics and CCO of Acceleron Pharma, having led multiple blockbuster product launches including Reblozyl and Remicade.