Tango Therapeutics Names New CEO as Vopimetostat Advances to Pivotal Studies
Key Insights
Tango Therapeutics appointed Dr. Malte Peters as President and CEO, replacing founding CEO Dr. Barbara Weber who transitions to Executive Chair.
The leadership change comes as the company's lead PRMT5 inhibitor vopimetostat (search) prepares to enter registrational trials for pancreatic cancer in 2026.
Dr. Peters brings extensive late-stage clinical development experience, having previously led global regulatory approval of Monjuvi at MorphoSys AG.
Tango Therapeutics announced a leadership transition effective January 8, 2026, with Dr. Malte Peters assuming the role of President and Chief Executive Officer as the clinical-stage biotechnology company prepares to advance its lead precision cancer medicine into pivotal studies. Founding CEO Dr. Barbara Weber will transition to Executive Chair for 2026 before becoming non-executive chair in 2027.
The timing of the leadership change coincides with a critical inflection point for Tango's pipeline, particularly its PRMT5 inhibitor vopimetostat (search), which is advancing into its first registrational trial. Dr. Weber emphasized the strategic timing, stating, "With vopimetostat now advancing into its first registrational trial and actively enrolling potentially transformative combination studies, this is the right moment for Malte's leadership expertise and strategic vision to propel Tango into the next phase of growth."
New Leadership Brings Late-Stage Development Expertise
Dr. Peters joins the executive team with extensive experience in both early- and late-stage clinical development. As Chief Research and Development Officer at MorphoSys AG, he oversaw the global regulatory approval of Monjuvi in combination with lenalidomide for diffuse large B cell lymphoma. His career also includes leadership positions at Sandoz International (search) as Global Head of Clinical Development and key roles at Novartis in Oncology Translational Medicine.
"I am honored to join the executive team of Tango at such a pivotal time," said Dr. Peters. "The progress to date is a testament to Barbara's remarkable leadership and the dedication of the entire team. I value the trust placed in me and look forward to leading Tango as we build on this strong foundation to pursue our shared vision for the future."
Dr. Peters has served on Tango's Board of Directors since 2018, providing continuity and deep familiarity with the company's strategic direction. He earned his medical degree from the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, with medical training at universities in Italy and Germany.
Vopimetostat Pipeline Advances
The company's lead asset, vopimetostat (search), represents a next-generation precision cancer medicine targeting PRMT5. Dr. Weber highlighted the drug's potential, noting her confidence that "bringing his extensive late-stage development and regulatory expertise to our promising clinical-stage pipeline will be an important driver of our success as we move vopimetostat into pivotal studies and ultimately commercialization."
Tango renewed its clinical milestone guidance for 2026, outlining several key data readouts and trial initiations:
- Combination trial data for vopimetostat with daraxonrasib and vopimetostat with zoldonrasib from Revolution Medicines, with Phase 1/2 initial safety and efficacy data expected in 2026
- Vopimetostat monotherapy Phase 1/2 clinical data update in lung cancer during 2026
- Initiation of vopimetostat monotherapy pivotal study in second-line pancreatic cancer in 2026
- Initial safety and efficacy data from the TNG456 monotherapy Phase 1/2 trial in 2026
Board Strengthening
In addition to the CEO transition, Tango recently appointed Sung Lee to its Board of Directors. Lee brings over 20 years of finance leadership experience in biopharmaceutical and technology industries, currently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Cytokinetics (search). His previous CFO roles at Vir Biotechnology, MorphoSys, and Sangamo Therapeutics, along with 14 years at Gilead Sciences, provide valuable expertise as Tango advances toward late-stage development.
Dr. Weber praised Lee's appointment, stating his "proven track record in corporate strategy, investor relations and finance will be instrumental as we advance our lead program, vopimetostat (search), into registrational studies and continue to build and evolve our organization to support late-stage clinical development activities."
The leadership transitions position Tango Therapeutics to execute on its mission of delivering precision cancer medicines, with particular focus on advancing vopimetostat (search) through pivotal studies toward potential commercialization. The company's emphasis on MTAP (search)-deleted cancers and combination approaches with RAS (search) inhibitors represents a targeted strategy in precision oncology.