Kazia Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: KZIA) appointed James Levine as Chief Financial Officer, effective June 1. The clinical-stage oncology company announced the executive change as it advances its cancer therapy pipeline.

Levine brings over 20 years of experience in investment banking and executive leadership at publicly traded biotechnology companies. He most recently served as CFO of Cardiff Oncology, a clinical-stage oncology company developing treatments for solid tumors.

Prior to Cardiff Oncology, Levine was CFO at Cidara Therapeutics, where he led financial structuring of a $568 million licensing collaboration with Mundipharma and a $780 million global partnership with Janssen Pharmaceuticals. He also served as CEO of Verenium Corporation, executing asset sales totaling approximately $200 million.

Earlier in his career, Levine spent 12 years at Goldman Sachs & Co. as Managing Director, advising pharmaceutical and biotech clients in the U.S. and Europe on financings, mergers and acquisitions. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

"James has built an impressive career leading financial strategy, strategic transactions and major pharmaceutical collaborations," said Dr. John Friend, CEO of Kazia Therapeutics. The company is advancing paxalisib, a brain penetrant inhibitor licensed from Genentech in 2016.

Kazia's lead asset paxalisib has received multiple FDA designations, including Orphan Drug Designation for glioblastoma and Fast Track Designation for both glioblastoma and solid tumor brain metastases. The company completed a Phase 2/3 study in glioblastoma in 2024 and is in discussions for a pivotal registrational study.

The Sydney-based company also develops EVT801, licensed from Evotec SE, and has preclinical programs NDL2 and MSETC targeting cancer treatment resistance mechanisms.