Serina Therapeutics Strategically Adds Karuna Therapeutics’ CMO Dr. Stephen Brannan: A Power Move for CNS Innovation & Beyond ( $SER $BMY $TAK $NVS $LLY )

In the ever-evolving world of neuroscience drug development, on May 22, Serina Therapeutics (NYSE American: SER) announced that they have added a formidable new player to its Board of Directors: Dr. Stephen Brannan, a name that resonates with both gravitas and a touch of clinical stardust. Announced from the biotech corridors of Huntsville, Alabama, this appointment is more than a routine board shuffle—it seems to be a strategic move that signals Serina’s ambitions for the future of long-acting CNS therapeutics.

STEPHEN BRANNAN, M.D.

A Maestro of Modern Neuropsychiatry

Dr. Brannan arrives with a CV that reads like a greatest hits album of neuropsychiatric drug development. With over three decades of experience, he has orchestrated clinical programs from their tentative first steps through to the regulatory finish line and beyond, into the bustling marketplace. Most recently, he was the Chief Medical Officer at Karuna Therapeutics, where he led the charge on KarXT—a treatment for schizophrenia that broke a 30-year drought in novel mechanisms for the condition. The success of KarXT didn’t just turn heads; it helped spark Karuna’s eye-popping $14 billion acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY) in 2024, a deal that sent ripples through the biotech sector.

Steve Ledger, Serina’s (SER) CEO

Steve Ledger, Serina’s CEO, summed up the mood:

“Steve brings a rare depth of clinical and strategic expertise in neuroscience drug development, and we’re pleased to welcome him to the Board. At Karuna, he helped shape the clinical path for KarXT, a first-in-class therapy that ultimately drove one of the largest CNS acquisitions in recent years. His experience designing thoughtful, data-driven trials and his understanding of patient and commercial needs are highly aligned with Serina’s focus on long-acting treatments for movement disorders and other CNS conditions. We look forward to his contributions as we advance our pipeline toward the clinic.”

A Track Record That Spans the Titans of Pharma

Before his Karuna chapter, Dr. Brannan held senior leadership posts at pharmaceutical giants including Takeda (TAK), Novartis (NVS), Cyberonics (now LivaNova), and Eli Lilly (LLY). His fingerprints are on clinical development programs targeting depression, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and treatment-resistant epilepsy—a veritable tour of the central nervous system’s most challenging frontiers. At Takeda, he was known for his ability to revive late-stage programs that others might have left for dead, a skill that should serve Serina well as it navigates the twists and turns of CNS drug development.

For those keeping score in the world of biotech leadership, Dr. Brannan is also a founding member of the CNS Summit Leadership Council and has served on the Executive Committee of the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology (ISCTM), helping set the gold standard for clinical trial design and methodology in the field.

Furthermore, here’s his bio from the Karuna website: Dr. Brannan is a neuroscience drug development expert who has held senior positions overseeing both clinical development and medical affairs with more than 15 years of industry experience. Previously, Dr. Brannan was the therapeutic head of Neuroscience at Takeda and vice president for clinical research and medical affairs at Forum Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Brannan has been active in the development of multiple important central nervous system treatments including Cymbalta, Exelon Patch, Trintellix, and VNS for treatment resistant depression while holding various senior roles at Forum, Takeda, Novartis, Cyberonics, and Eli Lilly. His experience includes drug development, registration, medical affairs, launch and lifecycle management across psychiatry and neurology. Dr. Brannan is a board certified and is a member of several scientific societies and groups, including ISCTM, ISCDD, AARR, IOM Neuroforum, and CNS Summit (founding member). Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Brannan worked on the faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) where he specialized in seeing mood and anxiety disorder patients, ran a clinical research unit, and did neuroimaging research at the Research Imaging Center. Dr. Brannan trained in psychiatry at UTHSCSA and holds a M.D. degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas (Southwestern Medical School). He has over 40 publications and routinely gives invited talks and presentation at industry conferences.

Serina’s Ambitions: The POZ Platform and Beyond

POZ is engineered to address the limitations of PEG (polyethylene glycol) and other biocompatible polymers – such as immunogenicity, where unlike PEG, POZ does not elicit an immune response or stimulate development of antibodies to the polymer itself.

Serina Therapeutics, for its part, does not seem to be content to play small ball. The company is advancing a pipeline of  drug candidates using its proprietary POZ Platform™—a technology designed to optimize the efficacy and safety of everything from small molecules to RNA-based therapeutics and antibody-drug conjugates With Dr. Brannan’s arrival, Serina also seems to doubling down on its mission to develop long-acting treatments for movement disorders and other CNS conditions, a space where patient needs are urgent and innovation is sorely needed. Their lead product candidate, SER-252 for advanced Parkinsons Disease, is anticipated to enter clinical trials in 2025.  

Looking Ahead

With Dr. Brannan on board, Serina Therapeutics looks poised to accelerate its clinical pipeline and potentially set new benchmarks in CNS drug development. If history is any guide, expect this partnership to be more than the sum of its parts—perhaps even the biotech equivalent of a chart-topping collaboration.

As the biotech world watches, one thing is certain: with a seasoned maestro now helping to conduct the clinical orchestra, Serina’s next act promises to be both sophisticated and, just maybe, a little bit dazzling.