Share
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
Mai-Britt Zocca
Elevara Medicines, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other chronic inflammatory diseases, has appointed Mai-Britt Zocca, Ph.D., as its Chief Executive Officer.
Dr. Zocca succeeds founder and CEO Emma Tinsley, who will remain on the company's Board of Directors as a Non-Executive Director.
Dr. Zocca is an accomplished biotechnology executive with extensive experience in company building, clinical development, and strategic leadership. Prior to joining Elevara, she founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of IO Biotech, a Nasdaq-listed clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel cancer vaccines. During her tenure, she led the advancement of the company's pipeline from Phase 1 studies through multiple Phase 2 trials and into a pivotal global Phase 3 clinical trial. Earlier in her career, she founded and led a biotechnology venture dedicated to repurposing small-molecule therapies for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Beyond her executive leadership roles, Dr. Zocca has served on the boards of Danish Biotech and the Danish Chamber of Commerce while supporting innovation and entrepreneurship across the life sciences sector. She holds an MSc in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Medicine from the University of Copenhagen and the National Cancer Institute, NIH.
As CEO, Dr. Zocca will lead Elevara through its next phase of growth, including the advancement of its lead candidate, ELV001, a first-in-class oral CDK4/6 inhibitor designed to target fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis. The company is currently evaluating ELV001 in the Phase 2b START-SYNERGY trial, following a US$70 million Series A financing completed in October 2025 to support its clinical development pipeline and expansion into additional inflammatory disease programs.
