BRIEF—Christi Shaw to quit as CEO of Kite

Christi Shaw has decided to leave her post as head of Gilead Sciences’ Kite cell therapy unit, effective end of March.

Daniel O'Day, chairman and chief executive of Gilead, will work closely with Ms Shaw and the Kite leadership team over the next few weeks to ensure a smooth transition while a search is conducted for a new leader for Kite.

She joined Kite, which Gilead acquired for $11.9 billion in 2017, as CEO in 2019.

Under Ms Shaw's leadership, "Kite has become a global leader in cell therapy," commented Gilead’s chief executive Daniel O'Day. "Now, with an outstanding team in place, multiple approved indications and a growing pipeline, Kite is set to build on this positive momentum so it can help an increasing number of patients in the future," he added.

During Ms Shaw’s time leading Kite, the company has gone from treating a few hundred patients with CAR T-cell therapy to now nearly 13,000 globally with two products and five regulatory indications, including approvals in over 20 countries around the world, Gilead noted.