Kaida BioPharma Appoints Co-Founder Dr. Stella K. Vnook as Chairperson of the Board
Appointment aligns Board leadership with Company’s transition to clinical-stage development and advancement of KAD-101 for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer
Company advancing KAD-101, a best-in-class, next-generation prolactin receptor antagonist, toward a Phase 1 clinical study
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, Jan. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kaida BioPharma (“Kaida” or the “Company”), Kaida BioPharma (“Kaida” or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing targeted anti-cancer therapies for hormone-driven cancers affecting women, today announced a leadership transition appointing Dr. Stella K. Vnook, Co-Founder of the Company, as Chairperson of the Board of Directors.
This appointment reflects Kaida’s deliberate strategy to align Board leadership with the Company’s next phase of growth as it advances into clinical development. Since co-founding Kaida, Dr. Vnook has played a central role in shaping the Company’s scientific vision, strategic direction, and clinical, regulatory, and commercial roadmap, including the advancement of KAD-101, a best-in-class, next-generation prolactin receptor antagonist for the treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.
Dr. Vnook’s appointment comes at a pivotal inflection point for Kaida as the Company prepares to enter the clinic with KAD-101—a novel therapeutic approach targeting a well-validated, hormone-driven survival pathway in ovarian cancer, a disease with limited treatment options and persistently poor outcomes.
“The depth and breadth of Stella’s large-pharma and biotechnology experience, strategic insight, and global network will be integral to Kaida’s success,” said Craig Pierson, Founder and member of the Board of Directors. “Her leadership has been foundational to Kaida’s progress to date, and she is uniquely positioned to guide the Company through its transition into a clinical-stage organization as it advances into clinical development.”
Dr. Vnook is an accomplished biotech founder, chief executive officer, and board advisor with more than 25 years of experience building, scaling, and transforming life sciences companies from inception through IPO or strategic exit.
Throughout her career, Dr. Vnook has led multiple venture-backed biotechnology companies across oncology, cell and gene therapy, women’s health, neurology, and regenerative medicine. She has successfully secured institutional financing, expanded global intellectual property portfolios, formed strategic partnerships, and guided companies through IPOs and acquisitions. Her executive leadership experience includes senior roles at Enveric Biosciences, NAKI Therapeutics, MaiCell Therapeutics, Purdue Pharma, Catalent Pharma Solutions, and Merck & Co., where she contributed to the launch and commercialization of globally recognized pharmaceutical brands.
“As a co-founder, I am deeply and personally committed to Kaida’s mission,” said Dr. Vnook. “This planned transition reflects the natural evolution of the Company as we advance into the clinic. I look forward to working closely with Craig, our Board, and the management team to build a company positioned for meaningful patient impact and long-term value creation in women’s health.”
Dr. Vnook holds a Doctorate in Economics and Public Health, an MBA in Marketing, and a pharmacy degree with oncology residency training. She is known for her ability to translate innovative science into disciplined, value-creating enterprises that address significant unmet medical needs.
At Kaida BioPharma, Dr. Vnook has played a foundational role in defining the Company’s women’s health strategy and advancing a pipeline designed to address large, underserved oncology markets with strong commercial potential. As Chairperson of the Board, she brings a rigorous, value-creation mindset to capital allocation, portfolio prioritization, and partnership strategy, informed by a track record of guiding companies through financings, IPOs, and strategic exits. Her leadership positions Kaida to efficiently advance its programs, attract high-quality investors and partners, and build a scalable platform focused on delivering differentiated therapies for women with cancer.
About Kaida BioPharma
Kaida BioPharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted therapies for hormone-driven gynecologic cancers. The Company is founded on compelling clinical and translational evidence supporting the therapeutic benefit of disrupting the prolactin (PRL)–prolactin receptor (PRLR) signaling axis, a well-documented growth and survival pathway in ovarian and other gynecologic malignancies.
Kaida’s lead product candidate, KAD-101, is a next-generation prolactin receptor antagonist designed to selectively and effectively block tumoral PRL/PRLR signaling, which has been shown in preclinical models to induce programmed cell death, including autophagy, in gynecologic tumors.
The Company collaborates closely with leading academic investigators, including Dr. John Langenheim at Thomas Jefferson University and Dr. Anil Sood at MD Anderson Cancer Center, both of whom have published extensively on prolactin biology and its role in tumor growth, progression, and therapeutic resistance.
Kaida is dedicated to delivering new hope for patients with treatment-resistant gynecologic cancers by developing innovative therapies that address critical unmet medical needs. For more information, please visit kaida-biopharma.com.
Investor Contact
Jenene Thomas
Chief Executive Officer
JTC Team, LLC
T: 908.824.0775
E: kaida@jtcir.com