Circle Pharma Appoints Anne E. Borgman, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer, Strengthening Leadership Team to Advance Next-Generation Macrocycle Oncology Pipeline
Circle Pharma, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing a new class of targeted macrocycle therapeutics designed to address some of the most historically intractable cancer drivers, today announced the appointment of Anne E. Borgman, M.D., as its new Chief Medical Officer. The appointment marks an important milestone for the company as it transitions deeper into clinical development and prepares its therapeutic candidates for broader global evaluation.
Dr. Borgman brings to Circle Pharma more than two decades of extensive leadership experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical drug development, particularly within oncology. Her background includes positions at multiple emerging and established life sciences companies, where she successfully led clinical strategy, development operations, and regulatory execution supporting the approvals of several oncology medicines in the United States and Europe. Her expertise spans early-stage, registrational, and commercial development programs and includes work with targeted therapies, precision oncology platforms, and innovative modalities.
With the oncology field rapidly evolving toward increasingly complex mechanisms and treatment modalities, Circle Pharma’s approach—built on a proprietary macrocycle design and engineering platform—seeks to address challenges that traditional small molecules and biologics cannot easily overcome. The company’s drug development efforts are grounded in the belief that many high-value intracellular oncology targets, historically considered undruggable, may now be accessible through its MXMO™ platform and its ability to design orally bioavailable macrocycles that achieve target engagement with precision.
A Strategic Leadership Addition
“Dr. Borgman joins Circle with an established track record of leading clinical development teams to successful oncology drug approvals in both the U.S. and EU. Her ability to translate strong science into meaningful therapies for patients is exceptional,” said David J. Earp, J.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Circle Pharma. “Her leadership and deep experience will be instrumental as we continue the clinical development of our first-in-class cyclin A/B RxL inhibitor, CID-078, advance our cyclin D1 inhibitor into the clinic, and prepare for the next stages of growth at Circle.”
Dr. Earp emphasized that Circle Pharma is entering a pivotal phase in its evolution—moving from platform validation and early clinical proof of concept toward more expansive trials and potential strategic collaborations. The appointment of a chief medical officer with deep experience in oncology, regulatory strategy, and commercial-readiness planning aligns with the company’s long-term vision to deliver a new therapeutic category capable of addressing key oncogenic pathways with precision.
Advancing a New Class of Cancer Therapeutics
Speaking on her appointment, Dr. Anne Borgman expressed her enthusiasm for joining Circle Pharma during its formative clinical development phase.
“Circle Pharma’s MXMO™ platform is opening the door to a promising new class of targeted macrocycle therapies, with the potential to address some of the most challenging and impactful cancer targets such as the cyclins,” said Dr. Borgman. “I’m thrilled to join this talented team and to help guide the clinical development of programs that could make a real difference for patients with few treatment options.”
Cyclins and their associated kinases are among the most important regulatory gatekeepers of cell cycle progression. Dysregulation of cyclins is implicated in the development and persistence of numerous cancers, yet direct pharmacologic intervention against many cyclin-mediated mechanisms has remained elusive due to structural complexity and intracellular accessibility barriers. Circle Pharma’s macrocyclic drug candidates are engineered to disrupt cyclin-dependent protein interactions, potentially offering a new therapeutic modality with broad implications across tumor types.
The company’s leading clinical asset, CID-078, a first-in-class selective cyclin A/B RxL inhibitor, has entered clinical evaluation and represents one of the most advanced macrocycle therapeutics targeting cell cycle dysregulation in oncology. Meanwhile, its cyclin D1 inhibitor program—now nearing clinical readiness—reflects the company’s continued expansion across high-value cancer pathways.
A Proven Leader in Oncology Drug Development
Prior to joining Circle Pharma, Dr. Borgman served as Chief Medical Officer of Sutro Biopharma, where she played a central role in advancing the company’s lead therapeutic candidate into pivotal trials in ovarian cancer and infant leukemia. At Sutro, she also helped steer the company’s clinical portfolio strategy and evaluate emerging research directions, positioning the organization for late-stage execution and future regulatory interactions.
Before Sutro, Dr. Borgman held a senior leadership role at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, serving as Vice President and Therapeutic Area Lead across oncology, hematology, and transplant programs. In this capacity, she oversaw the global development of four marketed oncology products—Defitelio®, VYXEOS®, ZEPZELCA®, and RYLAZE®—while also guiding programs in earlier research and development stages. Her leadership included lifecycle planning, label expansion initiatives, and cross-functional integration to support access and commercialization.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Borgman served as Vice President of Clinical Research & Development at Exelixis, where she played a key role in the global development program for cabozantinib, a widely used targeted therapy with approvals across multiple tumor types, including renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. There, she managed numerous Phase 3 trials and contributed to the program’s clinical positioning and regulatory progress.
Dr. Borgman also held strategic and operational roles at KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Talon Therapeutics (formerly Hana Biosciences), and Abbott Laboratories. At Abbott, she created foundational early development strategies for two now widely recognized oncology agents—venetoclax and veliparib—serving as global project head during their emerging clinical phases.
Beyond her work in industry, Dr. Borgman contributes to the advancement of the oncology ecosystem through governance roles. She currently serves on the board of directors at NextCure, Curis, and NiKang, all clinical-stage oncology companies advancing cutting-edge therapeutics.
Dr. Borgman earned her medical degree from the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, completed a pediatric residency at Baylor College of Medicine, and pursued a fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology and bone marrow transplantation at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She holds a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of Illinois.
Positioning for the Future
With Dr. Borgman now part of Circle Pharma’s executive leadership team, the company expects to accelerate its clinical development programs and strengthen its regulatory, strategic, and operational infrastructure. The leadership transition underscores Circle’s continued commitment not only to scientific excellence but also to clinical rigor and patient-focused advancement.
As the company scales, it will continue building capabilities to support potential registrational studies, global partnerships, and commercial planning—steps necessary to realize the full potential of macrocycle engineering in oncology.
Source Link: https://www.businesswire.com/
