Mai-Britt Zocca named CEO of autoimmune play Elevara

Autoimmune company Elevara Medicines Ltd. hired Mai-Britt Zocca to succeed Emma Tinsley as CEO. Zocca was CEO of cancer vaccine company IO Biotech Inc. London-based Elevara is repurposing a target better known from oncology, CDK4/6, into what it believes could become the first therapy for rheumatoid arthritis designed to address a non-immune driver of the disease. In October, the company raised $70 million in a series A led by Forbion and Sofinnova Partners, alongside founding investor Monograph Capital and Weatherden.

Marion Bernard is stepping down as chief investment officer of Northern Gritstone after more than four years as founder CIO. Northern Gritstone was set up as a VC firm to commercialize discoveries from universities in the North of England, and has partnerships with the Universities of Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool, with financing from pre-seed to series B and beyond...