Ichnos Glenmark Innovation Appoints Mariana Cota Stirner as Chief Medical Officer to Advance Multispecific Antibody Pipeline
Key Insights
Ichnos Glenmark Innovation (search) (IGI) has appointed Mariana Cota Stirner, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer to lead clinical development of its multispecific antibody oncology pipeline.
Dr. Cota Stirner brings over 20 years of oncology and hematology clinical development experience, including prior leadership roles at AbbVie (search), Bristol Myers Squibb (search), and Novartis.
She was instrumental in securing multiple global regulatory approvals and spent a decade at CRO Nuvisan (search) designing and managing Phase I–III oncology trials.
Ichnos Glenmark Innovation (search), Inc. (IGI), a global clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing Multispecific™ antibodies in oncology, announced today the appointment of Mariana (Maya) Cota Stirner, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer. The announcement, made on June 23, 2026, marks a strategic addition to IGI's leadership as the company advances its pipeline of next-generation cancer therapeutics toward the clinic.
"Dr. Cota Stirner is a highly regarded physician-scientist known for her work on next-generation cancer medicines," said Lida Pacaud, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of IGI. "Earlier in our careers, I had the pleasure to partner with her on a transformative medicine for a hematological cancer. I am thrilled to collaborate with Dr. Cota Stirner again to advance IGI's next-generation therapeutic candidates and deliver meaningful new treatment options for hard-to-treat cancers."
A Career Spanning Two Decades in Oncology Drug Development
Dr. Cota Stirner brings more than 20 years of clinical development experience in oncology and hematology to her new role. Most recently, she served as fractional CMO and Head of Clinical Development at Azalea Therapeutics (search). Prior to that, she held the position of Vice President and Therapeutic Area Head of Hematology at AbbVie (search). Her career also includes pivotal roles at Bristol Myers Squibb (search) and Novartis, where she was instrumental in securing multiple global regulatory approvals.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Cota Stirner spent a decade at Nuvisan (search), a contract research organization, where she designed and managed Phase I through Phase III oncology trials across both solid tumors (search) and hematologic malignancies. She holds both an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Zagreb School of Medicine, where she also completed her oncology training.
Advancing the BEAT® Platform and Multispecific Pipeline
IGI is advancing a robust pipeline of novel, first-in-class Multispecifics™ aimed at addressing complex diseases through its proprietary BEAT® technology platform. The company is headquartered in New York, NY, and is focused on delivering breakthrough curative therapies for patients battling hematological malignancies (search) and solid tumors (search).
"Multispecific approaches represent one of the most compelling frontiers in oncology, and IGI is at the forefront of this space," said Dr. Cota Stirner. "Improving care for patients across different cancer types has been the driving force of my career. I'm proud to be joining IGI at such a pivotal time, as the company advances its first-in-class multispecific immune cells activator toward the clinic and expands a truly differentiated pipeline built on the strength of its BEAT® platform."
Dr. Cota Stirner's appointment comes at a critical juncture for IGI as the company prepares to transition its lead multispecific immune cell activator candidate into clinical development, reinforcing the organization's commitment to addressing hard-to-treat cancers with innovative biologic therapies.