Nurix Therapeutics Appoints Arati V. Rao, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer
Physician-scientist and oncology leader brings more than two decades of experience in academic medicine, global clinical development and regulatory submissions
BRISBANE, Calif., Nov. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nurix Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: NRIX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of targeted protein degradation medicines, today announced the appointment of Arati V. Rao, M.D., as chief medical officer. Dr. Rao brings more than 20 years of experience spanning academic hematology and oncology, early- and late-stage clinical development, and global regulatory submissions. She will lead Nurix's clinical development organization as the company advances its registrational program for bexobrutideg and its broader pipeline.
“Arati brings deep expertise in hematologic malignancies and a record of leading global development programs from clinical investigation through regulatory submission and approval," said Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Nurix. "As we advance bexobrutideg with Roche, her experience will be invaluable in executing our clinical strategy. Arati’s leadership across early- and late-stage development will also help us translate the next generation of Nurix's scientific advances into potential new medicines for patients.”
“Targeted protein degradation offers a compelling opportunity to develop new treatments for patients whose diseases remain inadequately controlled by existing therapies," said Dr. Rao. "Nurix has built a strong scientific foundation and a clinical pipeline with the potential to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives. I look forward to working with the Nurix team, our partners and clinical investigators to advance bexobrutideg and bring additional programs into and through clinical development.”
Dr. Rao joins Nurix from Pfizer, where she served as vice president, late-stage clinical development, and most recently as global franchise head for PF-08634404, a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody. At Pfizer, she led global, cross-functional development teams and held leadership roles overseeing thoracic oncology and hematology. Before Pfizer's acquisition of Seagen, she served as Seagen's vice president, early-stage clinical development, overseeing a portfolio of antibody-drug conjugates and immunotherapy programs, as well as external collaborations.
Dr. Rao previously served as the clinical development lead for U.S., European and other worldwide regulatory submissions for the CAR T cell therapy Tecartus (brexucabtagene autoleucel) at Kite-Gilead. Her efforts supported its 2020 FDA approval as the first CAR T-cell therapy for adults with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma.
Before entering industry, Dr. Rao was an associate professor of medicine at Duke University, where she provided patient care and led NIH-funded clinical and translational research in hematologic malignancies. She has served in leadership and committee roles with organizations including the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Dr. Rao earned her medical degree from B.J. Medical College in Pune, India, and completed her internal medicine residency and fellowships in hematology-oncology and geriatrics at Duke University.
About Nurix Therapeutics
Nurix Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of targeted protein degradation medicines, a new frontier in drug discovery aimed at improving treatment options for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. Nurix’s clinical-stage oncology pipeline includes bexobrutideg, a degrader of BTK being co-developed with Roche, and NX-1607, an inhibitor of Casitas B-lineage lymphoma proto-oncogene B (CBL-B), an E3 ligase that regulates activation of multiple immune cell types including T cells and NK cells. Nurix’s autoimmune disease pipeline includes bexobrutideg in collaboration with Roche and a clinical-stage degrader of IRAK4 in collaboration with Gilead. Nurix is also advancing multiple potentially first-in-class or best-in-class degraders and degrader antibody conjugates in its wholly owned preclinical pipeline and under collaboration agreements with Gilead Sciences, Inc., Sanofi S.A. and Pfizer Inc., within which Nurix retains certain options for co-development, co-commercialization and profit sharing in the United States for multiple drug candidates. Powered by an AI-integrated discovery engine capable of tackling virtually any protein class, and coupled with unparalleled ligase expertise, Nurix’s dedicated team has built a formidable advantage in translating the science of targeted protein degradation into clinical advancements. Nurix aims to establish degrader-based treatments at the forefront of patient care, writing medicine’s next chapter with a new script to outmatch disease. Nurix is headquartered in Brisbane, California. For additional information, visit www.nurixtx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. Any statements contained herein that do not describe historical facts, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the expected contributions Dr. Rao will bring to Nurix, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risks described under the heading “Risk Factors” in Nurix’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended August 31, 2026, and subsequent filings with the SEC. Any of these risks and uncertainties could materially and adversely affect Nurix’s business and results of operations, which could, in turn, have a significant and adverse impact on Nurix’s stock price. Nurix cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Nurix undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date they were made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Investors and Media
Kris Fortner
Nurix Therapeutics, Inc.
kfortner@nurixtx.com
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