Seres Therapeutics names Richard Kender as interim CEO

Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MCRB) appointed Richard N. Kender as executive chair and interim chief executive officer, the company announced. Kender brings over 35 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, including his role as senior vice president of business development and corporate licensing at Merck & Co.

Kender has served on Seres' board of directors since September 2014. The previous co-CEOs, Tom DesRosier and Marella Thorell, will continue as chief legal officer and chief financial officer, respectively.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company is advancing live biotherapeutic programs focused on inflammatory and immune diseases. A clinical readout from an investigator-sponsored SER-155 study in immune checkpoint-related enterocolitis, conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, is expected in the second quarter of 2026.

SER-155 has received Breakthrough Therapy designation for preventing serious bloodstream infections in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant for blood cancers. The program is ready for Phase 2 trials pending funding.

In organizational changes, Matthew Henn, chief scientific officer, assumes the additional role of president, while Kelly Brady, senior vice president of clinical development, becomes chief operating officer.

As of December 31, 2025, Seres held approximately $45.8 million in cash and cash equivalents, including $12.2 million raised in the fourth quarter through its at-the-market equity offering program. The company expects to fund operations through the third quarter of 2026.

Seres continues developing SER-603, a live biotherapeutic candidate for inflammatory bowel disease designed to address gastrointestinal microbiome disruptions. The company is conducting activities to enable an investigational new drug application for SER-603.

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