Founder and former CEO of Nasdaq listed IO Biotech, Dr Mai-Britt Zocca appointed CEO
Experienced chief executive with extensive operational and strategic experience in the international biotechnology sector
Emma Tinsley to step down as CEO and become a Non-Executive Director on the Board
London, UK – 14 July 2026 – Elevara Medicines (“Elevara”), a clinical-stage biotech developing therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (“RA”) and other chronic inflammatory diseases, today announced the appointment of Mai-Britt Zocca, PhD, as CEO, effective 1 July 2026. Dr Zocca succeeds founder and CEO Emma Tinsley and will lead the company into its next phase of growth. Emma will remain on the Board as a Non-Executive Director.
“Mai-Britt is an exceptional biotechnology leader,” said Emma Tinsley, outgoing CEO of Elevara. “She combines deep scientific understanding with extensive operational and public company experience, and has successfully built organisations through exactly the stage Elevara is now entering. As we got to know Mai-Britt through the selection process, it became increasingly clear that she was the right person to lead the company into its next chapter. I am delighted to welcome her to Elevara.”
Before joining Elevara, Dr. Zocca founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of IO Biotech, a Nasdaq-listed clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel cancer vaccines (since January 2015). Under her leadership, the company advanced its pipeline from Phase 1 clinical development through multiple Phase 2 trials and into a pivotal global Phase 3 clinical trial. Prior to this, she founded and led a biotechnology venture focused on developing therapies by repurposing small molecules for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr Zocca has also held multiple chief executive leadership roles within the life sciences sector, served on the boards of industry organisations including Danish Biotech and Danish Chamber of Commerce, and held senior positions supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and the growth of life science start-ups. Dr Zocca holds an MSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in Medicine from the University of Copenhagen and National Cancer Institute, NIH, MD, US.
In October 2025, Elevara raised a $70 million Series A led by Forbion and Sofinnova Partners, alongside founding investor Monograph Capital and Weatherden. The proceeds are funding the clinical development of Elevara’s lead candidate, ELV001, and supporting exploratory programmes in other chronic inflammatory conditions and women’s health. The Phase 2b START-SYNERGY trial started in March 2026 and will involve 180 patients with an inadequate response to methotrexate and TNF inhibitors. The primary endpoint is change in DAS28-CRP at week 12, a validated measure of RA disease activity.
Dr Zocca said: “What attracted me to Elevara was not only the differentiated science behind ELV001, but also the outstanding work that Emma and the team have already accomplished. ELV001 has the potential to become a cornerstone of the next treatment paradigm in rheumatoid arthritis, and I am excited to lead the company through this important stage of development.”
She added:“The confidence demonstrated by the company’s experienced investor base further strengthened my conviction that ELV001 represents a unique opportunity. Bringing together differentiated biology, an exceptional team, an innovative development model and the support of highly experienced investors provides a strong foundation for success. I am excited to work alongside the team, our investors and future partners to realise the full potential of ELV001 and deliver a meaningful new treatment option for patients living with rheumatoid arthritis.”
Over the past two decades, immune-targeted therapies have transformed the treatment of RA, yet many patients continue to experience persistent disease despite the availability of multiple therapeutic options. The next breakthrough in RA is unlikely to come from more of the same. Elevara is built on the premise that the future lies in combining immune modulation with therapies that directly address the tissue mechanisms sustaining chronic disease. ELV001 targets synovial fibroblasts and may complement today’s standard of care by addressing a distinct driver of chronic disease.
ELV001, a first-in-class oral CDK4/6 inhibitor, selectively targets fibroblast-like synoviocytes, a key driver of RA pathology, without affecting the immune system. Elevara aims to transform early line RA treatment by seeking clinical remission in combination with standard of care. ELV001 Phase 1 data demonstrated favourable safety and tolerability, along with encouraging early efficacy signals. The data also support the potential of ELV001 to act in combination with existing immune agents to achieve full remission.
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Photograph of Dr Zocca available on request
Notes to Editors
Elevara Medicines
Elevara is a clinical-stage company developing new therapeutics to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other chronic inflammatory conditions. The company’s lead program, ELV001, is a potent, selective and well-differentiated first-in-class oral CDK4/6 inhibitor that is currently recruiting patients in its Phase 2b START-SYNERGY clinical trial.
The ELV001 programme is being positioned as an add-on oral therapy for RA patients with an incomplete response to a TNF inhibitor, with the potential to prevent cycling between multiple immunosuppressive therapies.
The company was co-founded by Weatherden, a UK based clinical advisory group, with operational support and seed capital from Monograph Capital. Elevara raised a $70 million in a Series A in October 2025. Its investors include Sofinnova Partners, Forbion and Monograph Capital. For more information, visit www.elevara.com.
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