Pyxis Oncology has appointed Thomas Civik as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, effective September 4, 2026, as the clinical-stage biotechnology company approaches several milestones for its lead cancer therapy MICVO.
Civik had served as Interim CEO since February 2026 and has been a member of Pyxis Oncology’s Board since 2021.
As part of the leadership transition, John Flavin, Co-Founder and Founding Chairman, has become Lead Independent Director and will remain on the company’s Board.
Flavin has been involved with Pyxis Oncology since its founding and has helped oversee its development into a clinical-stage organization.
Civik brings extensive biotechnology and pharmaceutical leadership experience.
He most recently served as Chairman of ImCheck Therapeutics, which was acquired by Ipsen, and Repare Therapeutics, which was acquired by Xoma.
Civik previously served as President and CEO of Five Prime Therapeutics through its $1.9 billion acquisition by Amgen in April 2021.
Earlier, he was Chief Commercial Officer at Foundation Medicine and spent 17 years at Genentech, where his responsibilities included therapies such as Avastin, Tecentriq, Alecensa and Tarceva.
The leadership change comes as Pyxis advances micvotabart pelidotin, or MICVO, its first-in-concept antibody-drug conjugate targeting extradomain-B of fibronectin.
Pyxis expects updated data from its Phase 1 MICVO monotherapy study in second-line and later recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma during fall 2026.
The company also expects updated results from its Phase 1/2 study combining MICVO with Merck’s pembrolizumab in first-line recurrent or metastatic disease during the fourth quarter of 2026.
MICVO has received FDA Fast Track Designation for adult patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma whose disease has progressed following platinum-based chemotherapy and anti-PD-(L)1 therapy.
KEY QUOTES:
“Over the past several months, Tom has demonstrated the leadership, strategic focus and disciplined execution the Board believes are needed as Pyxis Oncology approaches key clinical milestones for MICVO,” said John Flavin, Lead Independent Director of Pyxis Oncology. “He brings a deep understanding of the Company, its science and its strategy, and during his time as Interim Chief Executive Officer, the Company has continued to advance MICVO, strengthen its financial position and remain focused on generating the clinical evidence needed to evaluate MICVO’s potential for patients. The Board has full confidence in Tom and is pleased to appoint him Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board.”
John Flavin, Lead Independent Director of Pyxis Oncology
“I am honored by the Board’s confidence and proud to continue leading Pyxis Oncology at such an important time for the Company,” said Thomas Civik, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. “I want to thank John for his tremendous leadership and commitment to Pyxis Oncology. His vision and guidance have helped shape the Company from its earliest days, and I am grateful that we will continue to benefit from his experience and perspective as Lead Independent Director.”
“Our extraordinary team at Pyxis Oncology has executed with speed, precision, and a deep commitment to finding new treatment options for difficult-to-treat cancers. With important clinical milestones ahead, our focus remains on generating the clinical evidence needed to evaluate MICVO’s potential to address the significant unmet need in head and neck cancer. I look forward to working alongside our talented team as we continue to execute on our strategy and deliver meaningful progress for patients while building long-term value for shareholders.”
Thomas Civik, CEO and Chairman of Pyxis Oncology
