Elevara Medicines Appoints Dr. Mai-Britt Zocca as CEO

Elevara Medicines, a clinical-stage biotech developing therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other chronic inflammatory diseases, has appointed Mai-Britt Zocca, PhD, as CEO.

Zocca succeeds founder and CEO Emma Tinsley and will lead the company into its next phase of growth, while Tinsley will remain on the Board as a Non-Executive Director.

“Mai-Britt is an exceptional biotechnology leader,” Tinsley remarked. “She combines deep scientific understanding with extensive operational and public company experience, and has successfully built organizations through exactly the stage Elevara is now entering. As we got to know Mai-Britt through the selection process, it became increasingly clear that she was the right person to lead the company into its next chapter. I am delighted to welcome her to Elevara.”

Experience

Before joining Elevara, Zocca founded and served as CEO of IO Biotech, a Nasdaq-listed clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel cancer vaccines. Under her leadership, the company advanced its pipeline from Phase 1 clinical development through multiple Phase 2 trials and into a pivotal global Phase 3 clinical trial. Prior to this, she founded and led a biotechnology venture focused on developing therapies by repurposing small molecules for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Zocca has also held multiple chief executive leadership roles within the life sciences sector, served on the boards of industry organizations including Danish Biotech and Danish Chamber of Commerce, and held senior positions supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and the growth of life science start-ups.

She holds an MSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in Medicine from the University of Copenhagen and National Cancer Institute, NIH, MD, U.S.