Leila Alland
ABEONA THERAPEUTICSAbout Leila Alland
Leila Alland, M.D., age 62, is an independent Class 2 director of Abeona Therapeutics since April 14, 2021. A pediatric hematologist-oncologist and physician-scientist, she has served as CMO across multiple oncology biotechs and currently advises biotech companies; she earned her M.D. from NYU and B.A. in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania . The Board has determined she is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| PMV Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq) | Chief Medical Officer | Dec 2019–2023 | Precision oncology leadership; advanced p53 mutant-targeted programs |
| Affimed | Chief Medical Officer | Mar 2018–Nov 2019 | Immuno-oncology development leadership |
| Tarveda Therapeutics | Chief Medical Officer | Jan 2016–Mar 2018 | Precision oncology programs |
| AstraZeneca; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Novartis; Schering-Plough | Leadership positions in oncology development | Various | Contributed to multiple successful drug approvals across early/late-stage |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Assistant Professor of Pediatrics | 1994–2000 | James S. McDonnell Foundation Scholar; pediatric heme/onc care and research |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radiopharm Theranostics | Director | Current | Board service in theranostics |
| Columbia Univ. Center for Radiological Research | Scientific Advisory Council | Current | Scientific advisory role |
| Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) | Scientific Reviewer | Current | Reviewer |
| Cytovia Therapeutics | Director | Since 2020 (prior disclosure) | Immune-oncology board role |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Compensation Committee member; Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee member (chairs are Alvino and Charles on Audit/Comp/NCGC respectively) .
- Independence: Board determined Dr. Alland is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Board leadership: Chairman separate from CEO; no Lead Independent Director .
- Attendance: Board met 14 times in 2024; each director attended ≥85% of Board/committee meetings for their service period; all members present at each Audit, Compensation, and NCGC meeting in 2024 .
Board attendance trend:
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Board meetings held | 11 | 14 |
| Director attendance threshold | ≥75% | ≥85% |
| Audit Committee meetings | 4; all members present | 4; all members present |
| Compensation Committee meetings | 4 | 1; all members present |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance meetings | 2 | 4; all members present |
Fixed Compensation
Compensation structure (directors):
- Annual board retainer: $50,000 cash; per-committee fee: $7,500 cash per committee; no additional chair fees except Chairman of the Board receives $30,000 .
Dr. Alland 2024 cash fees:
| Component | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Board retainer + committee fees earned | 68,750 |
| Note | Includes $3,750 pro-rated Audit Committee fee from July 5, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024 |
Performance Compensation
Director equity awards are restricted stock (time-based vesting), no disclosed performance metrics for directors; annual grants vest one year after grant date .
2024 equity awards for Dr. Alland:
| Grant Date | Type | Shares | Grant-Date Fair Value ($) | Price/Share ($) | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 8, 2024 | Restricted stock | 23,611 | 113,333 | 4.80 | One year from grant |
| Aug 26, 2024 | Restricted stock | 11,797 | 67,715 | 5.74 | One year from grant |
| Total 2024 equity | — | 35,408 | 181,048 | — | — |
Outstanding stock awards (as of Dec 31, 2024): 35,408 shares for each continuing director including Dr. Alland .
Plan guardrails (governance quality signals):
- Non-employee director annual limit: $500,000 aggregate cash+equity .
- Minimum vesting (≥1 year) with narrow exceptions; no dividends on unvested awards; no repricing; no single-trigger acceleration .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Public/Private | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radiopharm Theranostics | Director | Public | No ABEO-related transactions disclosed |
| Cytovia Therapeutics | Director (prior disclosure) | Private/venture-stage | No ABEO-related transactions disclosed |
No related party transactions reported for 2024 .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Pediatric hematology/oncology, immuno-oncology, precision oncology; leadership from early to late-stage development with multiple approvals .
- Scientific governance roles (Columbia advisory; CPRIT reviewer); academic awards and clinical background .
- Board-level experience across biopharma, relevant for Audit/Compensation/NCGC service .
Equity Ownership
Beneficial ownership (as of March 24, 2025):
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leila Alland, M.D. | 158,293 | <1% | 154,366 shares + 3,927 options exercisable within 60 days |
Policy restrictions (alignment safeguards):
- Directors/officers may not engage in short sales, hedging or other derivatives; may not hold stock in margin accounts or pledge shares as collateral .
Insider Trades
| Year | Form 4/Section 16 Notes (for Dr. Alland) | Company Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | No delinquent filings reported for Dr. Alland | Company noted one delinquent Form 4 for Mr. Alvino and two for Mr. O’Malley; none for Dr. Alland |
Say-On-Pay & Shareholder Feedback
2025 Annual Meeting voting results:
| Item | For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elect Directors (example: Wuchterl) | 26,856,990 | 546,976 | 31,169 | 7,020,555 |
| Advisory vote on NEO compensation | 25,777,223 | 1,552,881 | 105,031 | 7,020,555 |
| Auditor ratification (FY 2025) | 34,334,516 | 30,147 | 91,027 | — |
Compensation committee uses an independent consultant (Radford) annually to benchmark executive and director pay; company determined no consultant conflicts (2024) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep oncology development expertise; serves on all three key committees; strong meeting attendance; robust equity plan safeguards (no repricing, minimum vesting, clawbacks, no single-trigger) .
- Alignment: Meaningful personal shareholding and time-based RS grants; company policy bans hedging/pledging, enhancing alignment .
- Shareholder feedback: Say-on-pay received strong “For” support in 2025, signaling investor confidence in compensation governance .
- Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- No Lead Independent Director, which may reduce independent board leadership signaling .
- Equity program dilution: average burn rate 9.0% (2021–2023) and increased share reserve; monitor dilution and director grant levels relative to $500k cap .
- Committee meeting cadence: Compensation Committee met once in 2024; ensure robust oversight as company transitions to commercial stage .
Related Party Transactions
- None reported for 2024; all related party transactions require Audit Committee review/approval per policy .
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Composition: Mark J. Alvino (Chair), Leila Alland, M.D., Faith L. Charles; all independent non-employee directors .
- Consultant: Radford engaged for 2024; no conflicts identified .
- Governance principles: Annual independent reviews of executive and director compensation and best practices presentations to the committee .
Notes on Committee Assignments
| Committee | Members | Chair | Dr. Alland’s Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Alvino; Alland; Wuchterl | Alvino | Member |
| Compensation | Alvino; Alland; Charles | Alvino | Member |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Charles; Alland; Wuchterl | Charles | Member |