Pathos AI, a leading AI-enabled biotech company focused on transforming drug development in oncology, announced today the appointment of Iker Huerga as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member. The leadership change signals a new phase of growth as the company scales its AI-driven platform to accelerate clinical success in oncology drug development.
Huerga brings over two decades of experience at the intersection of artificial intelligence and oncology drug development. He most recently served as Chief Data Scientist for Oncology R&D at AstraZeneca and was formerly Executive Vice President at Tempus Labs. His entrepreneurial background includes founding three oncology companies, with two successful exits.
"I'm thrilled to join Pathos at this pivotal moment," said Huerga. "We're building the first true AI-enabled drug development platform—one that prioritizes clinical outcomes, precision in patient selection, and speed to patients. With our unique multimodal data and AI capabilities, we believe Pathos can dramatically accelerate oncology drug development and bring new life to promising compounds that have been overlooked or deprioritized."
Strategic Vision for AI-Enabled Drug Development
Under Huerga's leadership, Pathos will expand its mission to integrate multimodal data, advanced artificial intelligence, and clinical insight into a next-generation platform for oncology innovation. The company's approach aims to accelerate the path from molecule to medicine for cancer patients worldwide.
Pathos AI's platform leverages artificial intelligence to address key challenges in oncology drug development, including:
- Identifying promising drug candidates that may have been overlooked
- Improving precision in patient selection for clinical trials
- Accelerating clinical development timelines
- Enhancing the probability of clinical success
The company's technology integrates diverse data types and applies advanced AI algorithms to generate insights that can potentially reduce the time and cost associated with bringing new cancer therapies to market.
Leadership Transition
As part of the leadership transition, Ryan Fukushima, who served as interim CEO, will take on a new role as Advisor while remaining a Board Member. This change allows for continuity in strategic direction while bringing in Huerga's specialized expertise in AI and oncology drug development.
The Oncology Drug Development Landscape
The appointment comes at a critical time in oncology drug development. Despite significant advances in cancer research, the process of bringing new therapies to market remains lengthy, costly, and high-risk. According to industry data, oncology drugs have among the highest failure rates in clinical development, with only about 5% of cancer drugs that enter clinical trials ultimately receiving FDA approval.
AI-enabled approaches like those being developed by Pathos aim to address these challenges by improving target identification, drug design, and clinical trial execution. By leveraging machine learning algorithms trained on multimodal data, companies can potentially identify patterns and biomarkers that might otherwise be missed through traditional research methods.
About Pathos AI
Pathos is pioneering a new model for AI-enabled drug development that leverages multimodal data, advanced artificial intelligence, and deep clinical insight to bring new therapies to patients faster. With headquarters in New York, the company focuses on three core areas: artificial intelligence, clinical development, and clinical execution.
The company's commitment centers on improving patient outcomes by accelerating the path from molecule to medicine, particularly in oncology where unmet needs remain significant despite recent therapeutic advances.
