Gilles Besin

Overview

Gilles Besin, Ph.D., was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Valerio Therapeutics effective July 1, 2026, following a planned governance transition. Besin brings over two decades of experience in drug discovery, immunology, and RNA-based medicine, with a proven track record of building and scaling biotechnology companies through major value-creating milestones. Valerio Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering next-generation precision-guided therapeutics.

Besin was selected for his expertise in RNA medicines, targeted delivery, and in vivo cell therapy. The board chair noted that Besin brings exactly the profile Valerio needs: deep RNA and targeted-delivery expertise, strong translational leadership, and direct experience in building high-value programs in strategically important fields.

Career History

• Chief Scientific Officer at Orbital Therapeutics (2022-2025) — an in vivo CAR-T company acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb in December 2025 for $1.5 billion
• Head of RNA and In Vivo CAR-T programs at Bristol Myers Squibb (2025-2026) following Orbital's acquisition
• Vice President and Head of Discovery Research at Affinivax (2020-2022), playing a key role in the company's $3.3 billion acquisition by GlaxoSmithKline
• Senior Director of Immunology at Moderna Therapeutics (2018-2020)
• Head of Immunology and R&D Operations Manager at In-Cell-Art (2012-2015), developing nanocarriers for macromolecular drugs

Education

Besin earned an Engineer's degree in biotechnology from ESBS and a Ph.D. in Immunology from the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology in Germany.

What Gilles Besin could bring to Valerio Therapeutics

With his demonstrated track record of scaling biotech companies and driving major acquisitions (Affinivax by GSK; Orbital by BMS), Besin is well-positioned to lead Valerio's strategic transformation. His deep expertise in RNA medicines and in vivo cell therapy directly aligns with Valerio's focus on precision-guided RNA therapeutics. His recent experience integrating acquired technologies post-BMS acquisition and leading the proposed Etherna Immunotherapies acquisition suggests he can successfully navigate complex platform integrations and accelerate clinical development programs to generate near-term value for stakeholders.