Protara Therapeutics (TARA) names William Conkling as Chief Commercial Officer

Protara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: TARA), a clinical-stage company developing transformative therapies for the treatment of cancer and rare diseases, today announced the appointment of William “Bill” Conkling as Chief Commercial Officer. He brings more than two decades of experience developing and commercializing novel cancer and rare disease therapeutics to Protara.

“It is a pleasure to welcome Bill, a deeply experienced and proven commercial leader,” said Jesse Shefferman, Chief Executive Officer of Protara Therapeutics. “With an impressive track record building commercial organizations and successfully launching oncology and rare disease products, his strategic insights will ensure the Company is well-positioned for its potential transition into a commercial-stage organization.”

“With a potentially best-in-class bladder cancer therapy and two de-risked rare disease programs, Protara has the opportunity to meaningfully impact patient outcomes,” said Mr. Conkling. “I look forward to working alongside the talented Protara team as we prepare for the next phase of growth.”

Mr. Conkling most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Rafael Holdings, Inc., a holding company with interests in clinical and early-stage pharmaceutical companies. Prior to assuming his role as Chief Executive Officer, he served as the company’s Chief Commercial and Business Officer where he was responsible for building the commercial organization and developing the go-to-market strategy for the company’s assets.

Prior to joining Rafael Holdings, Inc., Mr. Conkling served as Vice President of Commercial at Immunomedics (acquired by Gilead Sciences in October 2020), where he built and led the U.S. commercial organization for the launch of Trodelvy, a breakthrough treatment for patients with triple negative breast cancer. Prior to Immunomedics, he spent more than a decade at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, most recently as Vice President, Global Commercial Head for CAR-T, where he held key leadership roles in the development and commercialization of several oncology products, including Kymriah, the first CAR-T therapy approved in the U.S.

Mr. Conkling holds an MBA with distinction from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a BA in Economics from Fordham University.

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