Michael Severino becomes CEO of Tessera Therapeutics

Biotech funder and incubator Flagship Pioneering and Tessera Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering GENE WRITING technology backed by Flagship, today announced that Michael Severino has joined Tessera as chief executive. Dr Severino, who was previously vice chairman and president of AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), also serves as a Flagship Pioneering CEO-partner.

Dr Severino brings more than two decades of biopharmaceutical leadership to Tessera, having led the strategy behind research, development, registration, and commercialization of more than a dozen Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies. In his roles at AbbVie as executive vice president of R&D, chief scientific officer and most recently vice chairman and president, he led efforts to build a strong pipeline and advance promising science for patients in the areas of hematologic oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. Prior to joining AbbVie, Dr Severino held several senior leadership roles at Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN), where he oversaw the company's global clinical research efforts. Prior to Amgen, he was senior director at Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) responsible for leading research in multiple areas, including clinical genomics, molecular profiling, and experimental medicine.

“Mike will play a critical role at Flagship as CEO-Partner and, through that position, take on the role as CEO of Tessera, a company revolutionizing genetic medicine,” said Noubar Afeyan, founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering and Tessera co-founder and board member. “Mike’s R&D expertise and years of experience leading innovative strategies for notable biopharmaceutical companies will help drive Tessera’s growth and the translation of its pioneering technology,” he note.