Krishnan Viswanadhan
AGIOS PHARMACEUTICALSAbout Krishnan Viswanadhan
Krishnan Viswanadhan, Pharm.D, is Agios Pharmaceuticals’ Chief Corporate Development & Strategy Officer (joined March 2025). He is 46 years old, a registered pharmacist, and holds a Pharm.D from Rutgers University and an MBA from Cornell University; prior roles include President/COO of Be Biopharma (2021–2025), SVP Global Cell Therapy at BMS overseeing Breyanzi (CD19 CAR-T) and Abecma (BCMA CAR-T), and VP Business Development/Global Alliances at Celgene . Company performance context: Agios reported $36.5M of 2024 net product revenue from PYRUKYND (vs. $26.8M in 2023), filed global thalassemia sNDAs with a U.S. PDUFA date of Sept. 7, 2025, and expects RISE UP phase 3 SCD topline by year-end 2025—key value drivers for strategy and incentive alignment .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Be Biopharma | President & COO | 2021–2025 | Led operations and strategy at a private engineered B cell therapy company . |
| Bristol Myers Squibb | SVP, Global Cell Therapy | 2019–2021 | Oversaw development, approval, and lifecycle management of Breyanzi (CD19 CAR-T) and Abecma (BCMA CAR-T) . |
| Celgene | VP, Business Development & Global Alliances | Prior to 2019 | Managed partnerships and equity investments portfolio . |
| Earlier roles | Regulatory strategy (large and small companies) | — | Regulatory strategy leadership across organizations . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Committees/Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo Therapeutics, Inc. (public) | Director | Audit; Nominating & Corporate Governance; R&D Committees | Current . |
| Multiply Labs (private) | Director | — | Current . |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Latest Disclosed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | Not disclosed in 2025 proxy for Dr. Viswanadhan | He joined in March 2025 and was not among 2024 NEOs disclosed (NEOs: CEO, CFO, CLO, CMO/Head of R&D, CCO) . |
| Target Bonus % | Not disclosed | Company caps annual bonus funding at 150% of target; NEO framework shown below . |
| Actual Bonus (Last Year) | Not disclosed | 2024 company performance factor was 125% for NEOs, illustrating pay-for-performance design . |
Performance Compensation
Annual incentive design (company-wide NEO framework) and results for 2024—relevant to executive incentive alignment:
| 2024 Corporate Goals | Weighting | Achievement | Weighted Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation for hemolytic anemia franchise (launch readiness, ex-U.S. partners, PYRUKYND revenue) | 35% | 105% | 37% . |
| Advance PYRUKYND (thalassemia sNDA filing; RISE UP last-patient-in) | 35% | 150% | 53% . |
| Advance/diversify pipeline | 15% | 100% | 15% . |
| Financial strength/strategy/organization/culture | 15% | 135% | 20% . |
| Total | 100% | — | 125% (company performance factor) . |
Equity incentives and vesting (company standard for executives):
- Stock options: 4-year vest (25% at 1 year, monthly over 36 months thereafter); strike = FMV at grant .
- RSUs: 3-year vest (one-third annually) .
- PSUs: Milestone-based vesting tied to regulatory, clinical, and commercial goals (e.g., 2024 program: SCD phase 3 success and 110% thalassemia revenue in first 12 months post-approval; 2025 program includes tebapivat LR-MDS phase 3 start, AG-946 SCD phase 2 success, and adding/progressing non-PK activator assets) .
Inducement equity at hire (context): In March 2025, Agios used the Nasdaq inducement grant exception to grant options, RSUs, and PSUs to a newly hired executive officer—timing that aligns with Dr. Viswanadhan’s start date (the company did not name the recipient in the proxy) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Policy/Status | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Stock ownership guidelines | Executives must own stock worth at least 1x base salary within five years; Dr. Viswanadhan is within the five-year phase-in (not yet required to meet threshold as of 3/31/25) . | Builds alignment; compliance phase-in in progress. |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited: no hedging, short sales, derivatives; no margin purchases or pledging (limited exceptions) . | Reduces misalignment and forced sales risk. |
| Clawback policy | Dodd-Frank 10D-1-compliant clawback adopted Oct 2, 2023 covering incentive-based comp (including stock price/TSR metrics) . | Enhances accountability. |
| Beneficial ownership | Individual line for Dr. Viswanadhan not disclosed in 2025 proxy; group total for all execs/directors provided separately . | Individual share count not available. |
| 10b5-1 plans (Q3 2025) | No director/officer adoptions or terminations of 10b5-1 or non-10b5-1 trading plans during Q3 2025 . | Limited evidence of pre-arranged selling in Q3 2025. |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Severance (non-CIC) | If terminated without cause/for good reason outside CIC window: 12 months’ base salary + 100% target bonus (lump sum) + up to 12 months COBRA contribution; new-hire time-based equity (options/RSUs) vests an additional 12 months . | |
| Severance (CIC; double-trigger within 18 months) | 12 months’ base salary + 100% target bonus (lump sum) + up to 12 months COBRA; all time-based equity fully vests; performance awards per plan/award terms (CEO has 24 months/200% terms; others 12 months/100%) . | |
| Non-compete / Non-solicit | 1-year non-compete and non-solicit post-termination; confidentiality/IP assignment obligations apply . | |
| Anti-repricing / Governance | No option repricing without stockholder approval; no discounted options; no evergreen; director comp cap; strong governance in 2023 Stock Incentive Plan . |
Vesting Schedules (Company Standard)
| Instrument | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Options | 25% after 1 year; remainder monthly over 36 months; FMV strike at grant . | |
| RSUs | One-third annually over 3 years . | |
| PSUs | Vest on achievement of specified clinical/regulatory/commercial milestones (e.g., SCD and thalassemia milestones for 2024–2026; tebapivat LR-MDS and AG-946 SCD milestones for 2025–2028) . |
Performance & Track Record
- BMS/Celgene: Led global cell therapy development/LLCM for Breyanzi and Abecma at BMS; prior BD/alliances leadership at Celgene—direct experience with high-impact approvals and partnerships .
- Agios 2024 execution (pre-joining): Positive phase 3 thalassemia data, global filings (PDUFA Sept. 7, 2025), RISE UP phase 3 fully enrolled with topline expected by YE 2025, and PYRUKYND revenue growth to $36.5M, underpinning performance culture (125% bonus factor) and upcoming catalysts relevant to his strategy remit .
Related Party Transactions and Governance Signals
- Related party transactions: None since Jan 1, 2024 involving directors/executives/5% holders (including family/affiliates) .
- Say-on-Pay support: 94% approval for 2023 NEO compensation at 2024 meeting, indicating strong investor support for pay design .
- Anti-hedging/pledging and clawback policies reduce governance risk .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and incentives: Executive pay mix heavily variable with options/RSUs/PSUs; 2024–2026 PSU milestones (thalassemia approval/commercial ramp; SCD success) and 2025–2028 milestones (tebapivat LR-MDS, AG-946 SCD, pipeline adds) align compensation with clinical/regulatory and revenue inflections—favorable for value creation if milestones are met .
- Retention and selling pressure: Severance protections, no hedging/pledging, ownership guidelines, and no report of 10b5-1 plan changes in Q3 2025 collectively mitigate near-term forced selling/retention risks; however, specific award sizes for Dr. Viswanadhan are not disclosed yet, limiting precision on his individual exposure .
- Execution risk: Near-term catalysts (PDUFA Sept. 7, 2025; RISE UP YE25) and strategic BD latitude (role scope) place material execution weight on his remit. Prior CAR-T commercialization experience and BD track record are positives for Agios’ corporate development strategy and potential partnerships .