David Raben
About David Raben
David Raben, M.D., is Chief Medical Officer at Bicara Therapeutics (BCAX), a board‑certified radiation oncologist who joined as a consultant in May 2023 and was appointed CMO in July 2023; he is 61 years old as of April 14, 2025 . Prior to Bicara, he led late‑stage product development at Amgen (Nov 2021–May 2023), including the recently FDA‑approved tarlatamab program in SCLC, and previously led late‑stage development for lung/skin/HNC at Genentech (Sep 2019–Jun 2021); he was Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Colorado Health (1998–2019) . His education includes a BA (Duke, 1985), M.D. (Wake Forest, 1990), and residency at Johns Hopkins (1994) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bicara Therapeutics | Chief Medical Officer | Jul 2023–Present | Leads clinical strategy and development; joined as consultant in May 2023 |
| Amgen | VP, Late-Stage Product Development | Nov 2021–May 2023 | Led the tarlatamab (SCLC) program through FDA approval |
| Genentech | VP, Late-Stage Product Dev. (lung, skin, HNC) | Sep 2019–Jun 2021 | Oversaw late-stage development in key oncology indications |
| University of Colorado Health | Professor, Radiation Oncology | May 1998–Sep 2019 | Academic and clinical leadership in oncology |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed in SEC filings | — | — | No public company board roles identified for Raben in the company’s filings |
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base salary (most recent disclosed) | Not disclosed for Raben; BCAX (as an EGC) only disclosed 2024 compensation for CEO, COO, and CFO as named executive officers . |
| Target bonus % | Not disclosed for Raben . |
| Actual annual bonus | Not disclosed for Raben . |
| Perquisites | Company states perquisites are not a significant component of executive compensation . |
Performance Compensation
- No executive‑specific performance metric weights/targets or payouts were disclosed for Raben (he was not a named executive officer in 2024) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Beneficial ownership snapshots
| As-of date | Common shares owned | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2024 (Form 3) | 35,497 | Initial statement of beneficial ownership at IPO |
| Apr 14, 2025 (Proxy reference) | 35,497 | Footnote in group total also identifies Raben’s holdings (plus options within 60 days) |
- Company had 54,536,218 shares outstanding as of April 14, 2025 (context for ownership levels) .
Outstanding option grants (Form 3 detail)
| Grant description | Underlying shares | Exercise price ($) | Expiration | Vesting schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option grant (vested 25% on 7/24/2024; remainder quarterly) | 150,870 | 3.79 | 08/08/2033 | 25% on 07/24/2024; remaining 75% in 12 equal quarterly installments, subject to service |
| Option grant (16 quarterly installments from 08/08/2023) | 70,319 | 3.79 | 08/08/2033 | Vests in 16 equal quarterly installments from 08/08/2023, subject to service |
| Option grant (16 quarterly installments from 12/14/2023) | 134,892 | 5.45 | 12/14/2033 | Vests in 16 equal quarterly installments from 12/14/2023, subject to service |
| Option grant (16 quarterly installments from 08/06/2024) | 216,368 | 9.24 | 08/06/2024 | Vests in 16 equal quarterly installments from 08/06/2024, subject to service |
- Aggregate Option Holdings (Form 3): 572,449 underlying shares across the four grants (sum of rows) .
- As of Apr 14, 2025, 157,122 of Raben’s options were exercisable within 60 days (identified in proxy group footnote) .
Trading plans, hedging/pledging, and clawback
| Item | Terms |
|---|---|
| 10b5‑1 trading plan adoption | Adopted Feb 12, 2025; plan contemplates potential sales “up to 104,000 shares,” in effect until the earlier of June 24, 2026 or plan completion/termination . |
| Insider trading policy | Prohibits derivative transactions of company stock and purchases of derivative securities providing economic equivalent of ownership; addresses compliance and risks of margin/pledged securities (policy discussion) . |
| Clawback policy | Company maintains an SEC/Nasdaq‑compliant compensation recovery (clawback) policy covering current and former executive officers following a required financial restatement . |
Employment Terms
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employment status | At‑will executive officer (general company practice); specific employment agreement terms were not disclosed for Raben in the proxy . |
| Non‑compete/Non‑solicit | The proxy describes standard restrictive covenants for NEOs; there was no Raben‑specific agreement disclosed . |
| Severance/Change‑in‑control terms | Not disclosed for Raben; detailed severance and CIC economics were provided only for CEO/COO/CFO . |
Investment Implications
- Compensation transparency is limited for Raben (not a 2024 NEO), reducing visibility into his pay‑for‑performance alignment; company‑level policies include a clawback and restrictions on derivatives, which are shareholder‑friendly .
- Option overhang and quarterly vesting cadence can create steady potential share supply; Raben’s Form 3 shows four sizable option grants vesting in equal quarterly installments beginning 2023–2024; he also adopted a 10b5‑1 plan to sell up to 104,000 shares through June 2026, indicating potential selling pressure managed via a structured plan .
- Skin‑in‑the‑game is present but modest in common shares (35,497); options within 60 days of exercisability were 157,122 as of April 14, 2025, providing leverage to upside but also future supply as tranches vest .
- Track record mitigates execution risk: leadership of an FDA‑approved SCLC program (tarlatamab) at Amgen and late‑stage oncology development at Genentech/Amgen support credibility in Bicara’s oncology pipeline execution .
Notes on data gaps: Raben‑specific base salary, target bonus, and incentive metric details were not disclosed (company limited NEO disclosures to CEO/COO/CFO for 2024) . Policy disclosures (clawback, trading/derivatives) apply at the company level and include executive officers .