Slate Medicines adds two drug industry veterans to its board
The Raleigh migraine drug developer named former Karuna Therapeutics CMO Stephen Brannan and former Pfizer executive John Young.
Slate Medicines, a Raleigh clinical-stage biotechnology company developing treatments for migraine and other headache disorders, announced on Oct. 20, 2026, that Stephen K. Brannan, MD, and John D. Young have joined its board of directors.
Brannan was chief medical officer of Karuna Therapeutics from 2017 until 2024, overseeing development of KarXT through Phase 3 trials in schizophrenia, the program that led to the approval of Cobenfy. He earlier held clinical and medical leadership roles at Forum Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, Novartis, Cyberonics and Eli Lilly, according to the release.
Young retired from Pfizer in 2022 after a 35-year career, most recently as group president and chief business officer and a member of the company's executive leadership team. He serves on the boards of Novartis AG and Johnson Controls International.
Slate's lead candidate is SLTE-1009, a clinical-stage anti-PACAP/VIP monoclonal antibody designed for infrequent subcutaneous dosing. "Their guidance will be invaluable as we advance SLTE-1009 as well as our portfolio and work to bring much-needed new treatment options to migraine patients who remain underserved by current therapies," CEO Gregory Oakes said in the release.
About this story
By Sotwire Desk. Written by Sotwire Desk from the sources below. Not a company attestation.
Sotwire Desk. Written by a named Sotwire editor from the sources cited below. Not a company attestation. Sotwire corrects errors publicly.
Key facts
- Slate Medicines
- Raleigh, NC
- Hires
- Desk reported
- Sotwire Desk
- Stephen K. Brannan, MD; John D. Young
- Oct. 20, 2026
- Chief medical officer, Karuna Therapeutics, 2017 to 2024
- Retired from Pfizer in 2022 as group president and chief business officer
- SLTE-1009, anti-PACAP/VIP monoclonal antibody
- Gregory Oakes
Key events
- Slate Medicines announced the board appointments
Sources
- Slate Medicines Strengthens Board of Directors with Appointment of Stephen K. Brannan, MD, and John D. Young · Slate Medicines via GlobeNewswire · accessed 2026-10-26
- Slate Medicines Strengthens Board of Directors with Appointment of Stephen K. Brannan, MD, and John D. Young · Slate Medicines · accessed 2026-10-26
- North Carolina Life Sciences News: Fortrea's $45 Million Acquisition, United Therapeutics FDA Approval & More · BioBuzz · accessed 2026-10-26