Leen Kawas is the former CEO of Athira Pharma, Inc. Kawas is also very successful as she is a biomedical scientist and has authored many articles on the subject. This article explains that Kawas was instrumental in bridging the bio-medical science field to pharmaceuticals. She has also advocated for health care reform, patient safety, and women’s rights.
Leen Kawas is most famous for her role in developing two very important cancer drugs, Erbitux and Tasigna, with Nektar Therapeutics, in which she served as CEO between 2005-2013. She has been an influential voice in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals since 1983 and received the 2007 PhRMA Women’s Leadership Award.
Kawas has held several leadership roles at many renowned pharma companies. She co-founded the first biotech company in Illinois named Bioventures Pharma Inc. She is also the founder and CEO of Athira Pharma Inc., listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. She also served as the president and CEO of Bioventures, which was acquired by Nektar Therapeutics.
In 2005, Kawas joined Nektar Therapeutics and quickly rose to the position of CEO. The company is a US-based biopharma company that focuses on developing cancer drugs such as Erbitux and Tasigna. She served in this position until 2013, when she became the Chairperson at “The Executive Board,” a consulting company in healthcare management.
Leen Kawas is a native of Illinois. She attended college at Indiana University. After her undergraduate studies, she participated in the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry at Northwestern University in Chicago, where she earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry. She joined Nektar Therapeutics in 2005 as its CEO and has been instrumental in its success. She has served on the Board of Directors for numerous companies, including the Board of the Biotech Industry Organization and the National Human Genome Research Institute.
Leen Kawas is a very avid writer in the field of biomedical sciences. She has published several papers and presented at many conferences on science and medicine. In addition to her intellectual pursuits, she is a member of several organizations advocating for women’s rights and health care reform.