Syndax Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing an innovative pipeline of cancer therapies, announced the appointment of Daphne Karydas as Chief Financial Officer, effective July 13, 2020. Karydas brings to Syndax nearly 20 years of financial experience in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Prior to this role, Daphne served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis and Strategy at Allergan, where she oversaw the company’s long-term financial and business strategy. She will succeed Richard P. Shea, who will be retiring from his role as Syndax’s Chief Financial Officer.
“It is my pleasure to welcome Daphne to the Syndax team at this exciting juncture for the Company, with key readouts expected in the fourth quarter of this year from both our SNDX-5613 and axatilimab programs,” said Briggs W. Morrison, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Syndax. “Her extensive experience in a range of financial-focused roles in the biopharmaceutical industry and proven skillset in developing and executing on long-term growth strategies will be invaluable as we continue to strive toward our goal of bringing novel therapies to patients in areas of high unmet need. I would like to thank Rick for his contributions and commitment to Syndax over the years, both in his role as Chief Financial Officer and as a prior member of the Board of Directors.”
“With a promising pipeline poised to address some of the most underserved therapeutic areas, I believe Syndax is well positioned to create tremendous value,” said Karydas. “I look forward to bringing my own unique perspective and industry acumen to this experienced leadership team and contributing to the Company’s mission of realizing a future in which people with cancer live longer and better than ever before.”
Karydas joined Allergan in 2017 as Senior Vice President of Global Investor Relations and Strategy, leading engagement with the investment community and business strategy development.
Prior to joining Allergan, Karydas served as Executive Director and Senior Healthcare Analyst at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Previously, she was a Portfolio Manager and Senior Healthcare Analyst at The Boston Company Asset Management, a BNY Mellon company. Earlier, Karydas was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs Asset Management focused on healthcare, as well as a member of Goldman Sachs’ healthcare investment banking team. Before joining Goldman Sachs, she was a Project Chemical Engineer at Merck & Co. where she focused on process development for novel vaccines.
Karydas received a B.A. and M.S. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
