Synopsis:
Nimbus Therapeutics CEO Abbas Kazimi walks Alok Tayi through the company’s evolving pipeline and playbook for choosing the right risks in a noisy biotech environment. From Werner helicase for MSI-high cancers to a highly selective SIK2 program and GLP-1–adjacent strategies focused on body composition, Abbas details how Nimbus balances rigor, speed, and capital efficiency.
He shares candid lessons from pausing and later resurrecting AMPK beta in partnership with Eli Lilly, the decision to remain modality-agnostic but small-molecule-centric, and the importance of knowing when not to chase the latest fad. Throughout, Abbas returns to a consistent theme: success at Nimbus comes from disciplined target selection, deep collaboration, and a culture that empowers teams to make hard calls in service of patients rather than headlines.
Biography:
Abbas Kazimi is the Chief Executive Officer of Nimbus Therapeutics. Previously, he served as Chief Business Officer, leading the company’s strategic and corporate development efforts while overseeing business operations. Since joining Nimbus in 2014, he has helped raise over $630 million in equity financing and led transactions totaling more than $8 billion.
Notably, Mr. Kazimi spearheaded the $6 billion sale of Nimbus’s TYK2 program to Takeda, the $1.2 billion sale of its NASH (ACC) program to Gilead, and multiple licensing deals exceeding $1.5 billion with partners such as Genentech, Celgene/Roche, and Eli Lilly. Under his leadership, Nimbus has advanced four programs into the clinic, returned over $4 billion to investors, and continues to expand its computational drug discovery and clinical development capabilities.
In 2025, Mr. Kazimi joined the board of Unnatural Products (UNP), a biotech company pioneering orally delivered macrocyclic peptides to tackle previously undruggable targets. He also serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for In Vivo magazine, a leading publication offering strategic insights and analysis of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medtech, and consumer health industries. Along with his family, he established the Kazimi Family Endowment for Data Science in Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. This endowment reflects their personal commitment to philanthropy and their vision for revolutionizing cancer treatment through data-driven innovation.
At the core of Mr. Kazimi’s leadership is a deep sense of purpose—one that seeks to change the trajectory of medical diagnoses where options are limited. The ability to give patients, prescribers, and families a new outlook on life is a powerful responsibility—and one he knows the biopharmaceutical sector has the ability to fulfill.
Before Nimbus, he was at Extera Partners, LLC (formerly PureTech Development, LLC), where he provided strategic advisory, supported fundraising, and executed numerous business development transactions. Earlier in his career, he was with JSB-Partners, LP, a specialized investment banking and advisory firm serving biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
Mr. Kazimi holds a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.S. from Harvard University.
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Synopsis:
Nimbus Therapeutics CEO Abbas Kazimi walks Alok Tayi through the company’s evolving pipeline and playbook for choosing the right risks in a noisy biotech environment. From Werner helicase for MSI-high cancers to a highly selective SIK2 program and GLP-1–adjacent strategies focused on body composition, Abbas details how Nimbus balances rigor, speed, and capital efficiency.
He shares candid lessons from pausing and later resurrecting AMPK beta in partnership with Eli Lilly, the decision to remain modality-agnostic but small-molecule-centric, and the importance of knowing when not to chase the latest fad. Throughout, Abbas returns to a consistent theme: success at Nimbus comes from disciplined target selection, deep collaboration, and a culture that empowers teams to make hard calls in service of patients rather than headlines.
Biography:
Abbas Kazimi is the Chief Executive Officer of Nimbus Therapeutics. Previously, he served as Chief Business Officer, leading the company’s strategic and corporate development efforts while overseeing business operations. Since joining Nimbus in 2014, he has helped raise over $630 million in equity financing and led transactions totaling more than $8 billion.
Notably, Mr. Kazimi spearheaded the $6 billion sale of Nimbus’s TYK2 program to Takeda, the $1.2 billion sale of its NASH (ACC) program to Gilead, and multiple licensing deals exceeding $1.5 billion with partners such as Genentech, Celgene/Roche, and Eli Lilly. Under his leadership, Nimbus has advanced four programs into the clinic, returned over $4 billion to investors, and continues to expand its computational drug discovery and clinical development capabilities.
In 2025, Mr. Kazimi joined the board of Unnatural Products (UNP), a biotech company pioneering orally delivered macrocyclic peptides to tackle previously undruggable targets. He also serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for In Vivo magazine, a leading publication offering strategic insights and analysis of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medtech, and consumer health industries. Along with his family, he established the Kazimi Family Endowment for Data Science in Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. This endowment reflects their personal commitment to philanthropy and their vision for revolutionizing cancer treatment through data-driven innovation.
At the core of Mr. Kazimi’s leadership is a deep sense of purpose—one that seeks to change the trajectory of medical diagnoses where options are limited. The ability to give patients, prescribers, and families a new outlook on life is a powerful responsibility—and one he knows the biopharmaceutical sector has the ability to fulfill.
Before Nimbus, he was at Extera Partners, LLC (formerly PureTech Development, LLC), where he provided strategic advisory, supported fundraising, and executed numerous business development transactions. Earlier in his career, he was with JSB-Partners, LP, a specialized investment banking and advisory firm serving biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
Mr. Kazimi holds a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.S. from Harvard University.
Syndax CEO Michael Metzger on Bold Leadership, Dual Drug Launches & Redefining Cancer Care
Biotech 2050 Podcast
27 minutes 29 seconds
1 month ago
Syndax CEO Michael Metzger on Bold Leadership, Dual Drug Launches & Redefining Cancer Care
Synopsis:
Few biotechs can pull off what Syndax Pharmaceuticals has achieved — two first-in-class oncology drug launches, built entirely through strategic in-licensing and disciplined execution.
In this episode, host Alok Tayi sits down with Michael Metzger, Chief Executive Officer of Syndax, to explore how the company identified breakthrough assets, advanced them through development, and successfully commercialized them within a span of just a few years.
Metzger unpacks Syndax’s distinctive model — leveraging external innovation, rapid clinical validation, and precision in go-to-market strategy — to create measurable patient and shareholder value. From the first menin inhibitor approved in acute leukemia to a novel CSF1R antibody reshaping GVHD and fibrosis care, Syndax’s portfolio embodies science that scales.
The conversation offers an insider’s perspective on risk management, deal-making, data-driven decision-making, and why speed to market has become the new differentiator in biotech. A must-listen for investors, executives, and founders navigating the complexities of growth in a capital-intensive industry.
Biography:
Michael A. Metzger is a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive with extensive leadership experience in company building, operations, and strategic transactions across the life sciences industry. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Syndax Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded oncology company, a role he assumed in 2022. Prior to this, Michael served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Syndax from 2015 and has been a member of the company’s Board of Directors since 2019.
Previously, Michael held leadership roles at Regado Biosciences, Inc, where he served as President and CEO and guided the company through a successful merger with Tobira Therapeutics. He also served as Executive Vice President and COO at Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., where he oversaw key strategic initiatives in ADC development for oncology. Earlier in his career, Michael held senior roles in business development and M&A at Forest Laboratories, LLC, contributing to its transformation ahead of its acquisition by Allergan plc. He also held leadership positions at Onconova Therapeutics, Inc., and was a Managing Director at MESA Partners, Inc., a healthcare-focused venture capital firm.
Michael has served on several public and private company boards, including CTI BioPharma Corp., acquired by SOBI AB in 2023, and continues to be active in guiding innovative biotech organizations.
Michael holds a B.A. from George Washington University and a M.B.A. in Finance from the NYU Stern School of Business.
Biotech 2050 Podcast
Synopsis:
Nimbus Therapeutics CEO Abbas Kazimi walks Alok Tayi through the company’s evolving pipeline and playbook for choosing the right risks in a noisy biotech environment. From Werner helicase for MSI-high cancers to a highly selective SIK2 program and GLP-1–adjacent strategies focused on body composition, Abbas details how Nimbus balances rigor, speed, and capital efficiency.
He shares candid lessons from pausing and later resurrecting AMPK beta in partnership with Eli Lilly, the decision to remain modality-agnostic but small-molecule-centric, and the importance of knowing when not to chase the latest fad. Throughout, Abbas returns to a consistent theme: success at Nimbus comes from disciplined target selection, deep collaboration, and a culture that empowers teams to make hard calls in service of patients rather than headlines.
Biography:
Abbas Kazimi is the Chief Executive Officer of Nimbus Therapeutics. Previously, he served as Chief Business Officer, leading the company’s strategic and corporate development efforts while overseeing business operations. Since joining Nimbus in 2014, he has helped raise over $630 million in equity financing and led transactions totaling more than $8 billion.
Notably, Mr. Kazimi spearheaded the $6 billion sale of Nimbus’s TYK2 program to Takeda, the $1.2 billion sale of its NASH (ACC) program to Gilead, and multiple licensing deals exceeding $1.5 billion with partners such as Genentech, Celgene/Roche, and Eli Lilly. Under his leadership, Nimbus has advanced four programs into the clinic, returned over $4 billion to investors, and continues to expand its computational drug discovery and clinical development capabilities.
In 2025, Mr. Kazimi joined the board of Unnatural Products (UNP), a biotech company pioneering orally delivered macrocyclic peptides to tackle previously undruggable targets. He also serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for In Vivo magazine, a leading publication offering strategic insights and analysis of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medtech, and consumer health industries. Along with his family, he established the Kazimi Family Endowment for Data Science in Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. This endowment reflects their personal commitment to philanthropy and their vision for revolutionizing cancer treatment through data-driven innovation.
At the core of Mr. Kazimi’s leadership is a deep sense of purpose—one that seeks to change the trajectory of medical diagnoses where options are limited. The ability to give patients, prescribers, and families a new outlook on life is a powerful responsibility—and one he knows the biopharmaceutical sector has the ability to fulfill.
Before Nimbus, he was at Extera Partners, LLC (formerly PureTech Development, LLC), where he provided strategic advisory, supported fundraising, and executed numerous business development transactions. Earlier in his career, he was with JSB-Partners, LP, a specialized investment banking and advisory firm serving biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
Mr. Kazimi holds a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.S. from Harvard University.
