Seasoned Life Sciences Executive Joins to Lead Operations and Scale Lahjavida’s Dye-Drug Conjugate Platform
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES, February 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Lahjavida Bio today announced that Stephen LaMond, PharmD, MBA, has joined the company as a fractional Chief Operating Officer. LaMond brings more than two decades of leadership experience across biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer health. Over his career, he has helped build and scale companies at critical moments, leading more than $3.5 billion in global business development and M&A transactions and raising over $300 million in capital to support clinical development and growth.
In his role as COO, LaMond will lead Lahjavida’s operations and execution across corporate, clinical, regulatory, and commercial strategy as the company continues to advance its Dye-Drug Conjugate platform in precision oncology.
“Stephen has an exceptional ability to connect strong science with real-world execution,” said Lyle Small, CEO of Lahjavida Bio. “He has built companies, guided teams through complex transactions, and helped promising technologies reach their next stage. We are excited to welcome him as we continue to grow Lahjavida.”
LaMond has held senior leadership roles including CEO, COO, and Head of Corporate and Business Development. At Peak Bio, formerly pH Pharma, an early-stage ADC company, he led the company’s Nasdaq SPAC listing, secured a $100 million equity line, and raised more than $200 million in institutional and private financing. Earlier in his career at Nektar Therapeutics, he led licensing transactions with Bayer and Novartis totaling more than $250 million, including a $50 million upfront and over $300 million in potential milestones and royalties. At Pfizer, he contributed to the $1.9 billion acquisition of Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, expanding the company’s infectious disease and oncology portfolio with two NDA-stage assets.
Beyond biopharma, LaMond also brings deep operational and commercial experience from leading the global acquisition and integration of Tria Beauty, a 510(k) consumer medical device company with operations across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. As Chief Operating Officer, he oversaw a $110 million international sales organization and led a transition to a global e-commerce and distributorship model, helping the company achieve its first EBITDA-positive year post-acquisition.
“Lahjavida is building something truly differentiated, a first and best in class platform opportunity” said LaMond. “The platform has the potential to meaningfully improve how cancer therapies are delivered and used. I am excited to join the team and help translate this innovation into scalable execution, strong partnerships, and long-term impact.”
LaMond holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and an MBA, both from the University of Michigan, and has extensive experience spanning oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, rare disease, medical devices, and global commercial operations.
To learn more about Lahjavida Bio and its Dye-Drug Conjugate platform, visit https://lahjavidabio.com.
About Lahjavida Bio
Lahjavida Bio is a biotechnology company developing a new generation of small-molecule Dye-Drug Conjugates (DDCs) designed to deliver potent cancer therapies directly to tumors while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Its first-in-class platform combines tumor-targeting dye chemistry, cleavable linkers, and clinically validated cytotoxic payloads to improve the precision, selectivity, and tolerability of cancer treatment.
Lahjavida’s DDCs leverage tumor-selective uptake mechanisms, including organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP) overexpression, to enable preferential accumulation and localized drug activation in cancer cells. The company is advancing its platform through preclinical development to address cancers with high unmet medical need.
For more information, visit https://lahjavidabio.com.
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Madelyn De Los Santos
Putnam Insights LLC
madelyn@putnaminsights.com
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