Rigel Pharmaceuticals Names Alison L. Hannah as Chief Medical Officer

Rigel’s leadership is looking to Hannah’s extensive background in oncology to accelerate the development of its core assets. The company is currently focused on the Phase 1b study of R289, a dual inhibitor targeting IRAK1/4 for patients with relapsed or refractory lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. Raul Rodriguez, the company’s president and CEO, cited Hannah’s history of navigating complex regulatory pathways as a key asset for the firm’s upcoming milestones, which include selecting a Phase 2 dose for R289 by the end of this year.

Hannah joins the South San Francisco-based biotech with a long track record in clinical development. Her previous tenure includes serving as chief medical officer at CytomX Therapeutics and holding senior medical roles at SUGEN, where she contributed to the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors like sunitinib. Throughout her career, she has managed over 40 regulatory applications for first-in-human clinical testing. She remains a board member at the diagnostic firm Neogenomics, a position she has held since 2015.