Flare Taps Oncology Veteran Eck to Steer Novel Cancer Drug Pipeline

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – January 09, 2026 – In a significant move that underscores its clinical ambitions, Flare Therapeutics has appointed Dr. Stephen L. Eck, a distinguished veteran of oncology drug development, as its new Chief Medical Officer. The appointment brings a leader with over three decades of experience guiding cancer therapies from discovery to market to a biotechnology company pioneering treatments for previously "undruggable" targets.

Dr. Eck will now helm the clinical strategy for Flare’s promising pipeline, which includes novel therapies for urothelial and prostate cancers, as the company navigates the critical stages of human trials. This leadership change marks a pivotal moment for the Cambridge-based firm as it aims to translate its unique scientific platform into a new generation of precision medicines.

A Strategic Infusion of Experience

The appointment comes as Flare Therapeutics advances its two lead programs, FX-909 and FX-111, through key developmental milestones. Dr. Eck will be tasked with leading all aspects of clinical development, from trial design and execution to engagement with global regulatory bodies like the FDA. His arrival is timed with the planned retirement of the company's current CMO, Dr. Michael L. Meyers, who will depart at the end of January, ensuring a smooth leadership transition.

“Stephen has spent his career turning cutting-edge science into real treatment options for patients and his deep oncology expertise, from target discovery through late-stage development and approval, will be invaluable as we continue to advance and expand our pipeline,” said Doug Manion, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Flare Therapeutics. He also thanked the retiring Dr. Meyers for leaving "a strong foundation for our next chapter."

For a clinical-stage company like Flare, attracting a CMO of Dr. Eck's caliber is a powerful signal to investors and the broader industry. It suggests not only confidence in the underlying science but also a strategic commitment to navigating the complex and costly path of late-stage clinical development. His proven track record is seen as a de-risking factor for a pipeline built on a novel, and therefore inherently challenging, therapeutic approach.

An Architect of Modern Oncology

Dr. Eck’s extensive career is a map of modern oncology drug development. Before joining Flare, he was the Chief Medical Officer at MacroGenics, a company focused on antibody-based cancer therapeutics. His resume includes leadership roles at some of the most influential names in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

He previously served as CMO of Immatics US, a pioneer in TCR-based immunotherapies, and as President and CEO of Aravive Biologics. However, his most notable impact may have come during his tenure at larger pharmaceutical giants. As Vice President and Global Head of Oncology Medical Sciences at Astellas Pharma, Dr. Eck managed a portfolio that included some of the most successful cancer drugs on the market, such as enzalutamide (Xtandi®) for prostate cancer, erlotinib (Tarceva®) for lung cancer, and gilteritinib (Xospata®) for leukemia. This direct experience with blockbuster oncology assets provides him with a rare perspective on what it takes to achieve clinical and commercial success.

His journey also includes senior positions at Eli Lilly, where he was Vice President of Translational Medicine and Pharmacogenomics, and at Pfizer, where he led clinical oncology. Dr. Eck began his career in academia at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was the Director of the Cancer Gene Therapy Program, after initial work in cancer target discovery at Monsanto. This deep-rooted background in both foundational science and large-scale clinical execution makes him uniquely suited to Flare's mission.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been driven by the goal of bringing better therapies to people living with cancer,” Dr. Eck stated, highlighting his excitement to join a company with a "highly differentiated clinical-stage pipeline grounded in novel biology."

Targeting the 'Undruggable' in Cancer Therapy

At the heart of Flare Therapeutics' strategy is a focus on a notoriously difficult class of targets: transcription factors. These proteins act as master switches that control gene expression, and their dysregulation is a known driver of many cancers. For decades, they have been considered largely "undruggable" due to their complex structure and lack of conventional binding pockets for small molecules.

Flare aims to overcome this challenge with its proprietary discovery platform. The company's lead asset, FX-909, is a first-in-class oral inhibitor of PPARG, a master transcription factor that drives the luminal lineage of urothelial cancer. This type of bladder cancer has limited options once it becomes advanced or metastatic. FX-909 has already shown clinical proof-of-concept in an initial Phase 1A study and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1B trial to determine the optimal dose for a biomarker-selected patient population.

The second lead program, FX-111, takes aim at prostate cancer with a different but equally innovative approach. It is a potent and selective degrader of ARON, the transcriptionally active form of the androgen receptor. While many existing prostate cancer therapies target the androgen receptor, resistance often develops. By specifically targeting the active form of the receptor for degradation, FX-111 offers a potential way to overcome these resistance mechanisms and treat the disease across all stages. The program is currently in Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies, the final preclinical step before human trials can begin.

Navigating a Competitive and Promising Landscape

Dr. Eck will be steering these assets into highly competitive but opportunity-rich therapeutic areas. In urothelial cancer, the standard of care has evolved to include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted agents like FGFR inhibitors. However, a significant unmet need remains for patients whose tumors do not respond or develop resistance. FX-909's novel mechanism as a PPARG inhibitor could carve out a crucial niche for a genetically defined subset of patients, aligning with the broader industry trend toward precision oncology.

The prostate cancer landscape is similarly dynamic. Dr. Eck’s past experience managing Xtandi at Astellas gives him firsthand knowledge of the market and its challenges. While androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSIs) are a cornerstone of treatment, acquired resistance is nearly universal in the metastatic setting. This has spurred a race to develop next-generation therapies, with androgen receptor degraders emerging as a leading strategy. Companies like Arvinas have already advanced their AR degraders into the clinic, setting a competitive benchmark. Flare's FX-111 will need to demonstrate a differentiated profile, potentially in safety, efficacy, or its ability to overcome specific resistance mutations, to succeed.

The appointment of a leader who has successfully navigated these exact commercial and clinical waters before provides Flare with a significant strategic advantage. His deep understanding of the androgen receptor pathway and the clinical realities of prostate cancer treatment will be instrumental in designing a clinical program for FX-111 that maximizes its potential and addresses the most pressing needs of patients and physicians. His leadership signals that Flare is not just developing innovative science but is also building the seasoned team required to bring that science to the patients who need it most.