MOMA Therapeutics Appoints Marc Ballas, M.D., as Head of Clinical Development, and Adam Thomas as Chief People & Experience Officer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MOMA Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing a new generation of precision therapeutics via insights derived from the company’s KnowledgeBase platform, today announced the appointments of two seasoned industry executives to the company’s leadership team. Marc Ballas, M.D., joins as SVP, head of clinical development, and Adam Thomas joins as chief people and experience officer.

Dr. Ballas will oversee the company’s clinical function, with initial focus on the development of MOMA’s two lead precision oncology assets as they progress into the clinic in the near term. Mr. Thomas will be responsible for developing MOMA’s physical, digital and cultural employee experience including human resources, information technology, facilities and communications.

“This is an exciting time for MOMA as we proceed toward Investigational New Drug application filings with the FDA for our two lead assets that, once cleared, will complete our evolution into a clinical-stage company,” said Asit Parikh, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer of MOMA. “Marc and Adam both bring deep experience and strategic vision integral to shaping these critical areas of our business during this next stage. I am delighted to welcome them to the leadership team as we drive our projects toward direct impact for patients in need.”

“The caliber of talent and scientific rigor across the company drew me to this new role as we expand our work into the clinic,” added Dr. Ballas. “I am excited to collaborate with the team as we continue to prosecute our lead candidates, advance our rich portfolio and maximize the potential of our KnowledgeBase platform to deliver breakthrough precision medicines.”

“MOMA has one of the most vibrant company cultures I have experienced, guided by a common goal to deliver science with purpose,” commented Mr. Thomas. “I am thrilled to work with our talented team to uphold this authentic foundation and help MOMA grow and thrive in our new era as a clinical organization.”

Marc Ballas, M.D.

Dr. Ballas joins from Novocure where he most recently served as the Global Head of Clinical Development & Operations, overseeing the team accountable for full protocol design, management and delivery processes. Prior to Novocure, he held senior-level clinical roles at GSK, AstraZeneca and BMS. Dr. Ballas holds an M.P.H. from Columbia University and received his M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and his fellowship in Oncology Hematology with the National Institutes of Health.

Adam Thomas

Mr. Thomas brings more than 20 years of experience in human resources, with a focus on talent development and coaching, leading change, and building team and organizational effectiveness. Previously, Mr. Thomas was the Chief People Officer at Synlogic, Inc., where he led company talent and operations from pre-clinical through Phase 3 development. His previous industry experience includes senior leadership positions at Shire, Pfizer and SC Johnson. Mr. Thomas holds an L.L.B. in Law from University of Edinburgh, a Master’s degree in Human Resources from Bristol Business School and an M.B.A. from Boston University.

About MOMA Therapeutics

MOMA Therapeutics is committed to discovering the next generation of precision medicines by targeting highly dynamic proteins that underlie human disease. Bringing together seminal scientific advancements in biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology, chemistry, computation, and functional genomics, the company has established the KnowledgeBase platform to exploit a key vulnerability inherent to all dynamic proteins: their dependence on well-coordinated, stepwise changes in protein conformation. By focusing this platform on disease-causing targets, MOMA aims to develop high impact, precision medicines for patients with unmet medical needs. MOMA Therapeutics is a private company launched in 2020 with seasoned leadership, a highly specialized workforce with deep expertise in discovery and development, world-class scientific founders, and financed by leading biotech investors. In January 2024, MOMA announced a five-year discovery collaboration with Roche focused on critical cancer dependencies.