Anish Patel
About Anish Patel
Anish Patel, Pharm.D., is Chief Operating Officer of Enliven Therapeutics (ELVN); he has served as COO since the February 23, 2023 merger closing and previously co‑founded Former Enliven, serving as its COO from June 2019 until the merger . He is 45 years old as of March 3, 2025, and holds a B.S. in Microbiology and Chemistry (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) and a Pharm.D. (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) . His background includes Head of Medical Affairs at Stemcentrx (Aug 2016–Apr 2019) and Senior Director of Field Medical/Marketing at Pharmacyclics (Apr 2013–Jul 2016) . As a co‑founder and COO, he “brings development, medical affairs, and commercial experience,” complementing a leadership team with deep small‑molecule oncology expertise .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enliven Therapeutics, Inc. | Chief Operating Officer | Feb 23, 2023 – Present | Executive operations leadership post‑merger . |
| Former Enliven Therapeutics, Inc. | Co‑founder; Chief Operating Officer | Jun 2019 – Feb 23, 2023 | Co‑founder; development, medical affairs, commercial experience . |
| Stemcentrx (AbbVie subsidiary) | Head of Medical Affairs | Aug 2016 – Apr 2019 | Led medical affairs . |
| Pharmacyclics (AbbVie company) | Senior Director, Field Medical/Marketing | Apr 2013 – Jul 2016 | Field medical/marketing leadership . |
External Roles
No external public company board roles for Mr. Patel are disclosed in the executive officer biographies reviewed in the company’s proxy filings .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base Salary | $550,000 per year as of Feb 1, 2023 (per Confirmatory Employment Letter) . |
| Target Bonus % | 50% of annual base salary; actual bonus based on Board‑determined performance objectives . |
| Employment Status | At‑will; no specific term . |
| Equity Eligibility | Eligible for compensatory equity awards (stock options or RSUs) as determined by the Board . |
| Agreement Status | Confirmatory Employment Letter amended/restated; counter‑signed Feb 29, 2024 . |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Metric/Design | Target | Payout Basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Bonus | Corporate performance objectives set by the Board | 50% of base salary | Paid upon achievement as determined by the Board; must be employed through payment date | Terms per Patel’s Confirmatory Employment Letter; specific annual metrics/weightings not disclosed . |
| Long‑Term Incentive (Equity) | Stock options/RSUs (company-wide practice) | Not disclosed for Patel | Time‑based vesting typical for executive option awards (NEO examples in 2023/2024) | Company granted time‑vested options to NEOs in 2023/2024; Patel is equity‑eligible but his specific grants are not disclosed . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Topic | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership | 2025 proxy ownership table lists directors and NEOs; Mr. Patel (COO) is not a named executive officer in 2024 and thus not individually listed in that table . |
| Hedging/Pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging of company stock by Covered Persons and related persons . |
| Clawback | Compensation recovery policy adopted Aug 2023; requires clawback of excess incentive-based compensation following certain accounting restatements (applies to officers) . |
| Lock‑Up (June 2025 Offering) | Executed lock‑up agreement in connection with June 2025 public offering; Exhibit B lists “Executive Officers” including “Anish Patel” and “The Patel/Dong Family Trust Dated August 24, 2017” among signatories . |
| Equity Plan Context | As of 12/31/2024: 7.41M options outstanding (WAEP $13.55), 3.42M exercisable; RSUs unvested 76,145; company uses option/RSU programs; not specific to Patel . |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Key Terms |
|---|---|
| Start Date/Role | COO of Enliven since Feb 23, 2023; co‑founder and COO of Former Enliven from Jun 2019 . |
| At‑Will | Employment is at‑will . |
| Severance (Non‑CIC) | If terminated without cause or resigns for Good Reason outside CIC window: salary continuation for 9 months and up to 9 months of COBRA premium payments (executive officers) . |
| Change‑in‑Control (Double Trigger) | If terminated without cause or resigns for Good Reason within 3 months prior to or 12 months following a CIC: lump sum equal to 12 months of base salary + 100% of target bonus; up to 12 months of COBRA premiums; 100% acceleration of unvested equity (performance awards vest at target unless otherwise specified) . |
| Good Reason (Definition Excerpt) | Includes material reduction in duties/authority, >10% base salary reduction (with carve‑outs), material relocation >35 miles (with remote‑work clause), or failure of successor to assume obligations; with notice/cure requirements . |
| Dispute Resolution | Employment disputes subject to dispute resolution provisions per the Confidentiality Agreement . |
| Successor Assumption | Successors must assume the employment agreement . |
| Equity Plan Mechanics (Context) | Options generally have ≤10‑year term; exercise and vesting per award agreements and plan rules (plan mechanics excerpt) . |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and incentives: Patel’s 50% target bonus and equity eligibility create at‑risk pay tied to corporate objectives; company awarded time‑vested stock options to NEOs in 2023/2024, indicating equity remains a core incentive, though Patel’s specific equity awards are not disclosed . Hedging/pledging prohibitions and a formal clawback policy strengthen alignment and reduce governance risk .
- Retention/transaction dynamics: Double‑trigger CIC benefits (12 months salary + 100% target bonus and full vesting) and non‑CIC severance (9 months salary + COBRA) provide meaningful retention protections typical for clinical‑stage biotech leadership; they also set clear economics in strategic scenarios . Successor‑assumption and dispute‑resolution provisions further clarify continuity and enforcement .
- Liquidity/selling pressure: Participation in the June 2025 lock‑up (including the Patel/Dong Family Trust) constrained near‑term selling post‑offering, lowering immediate insider selling pressure signals around that financing window .
- Disclosure limitations: As COO, Patel was not a 2024 named executive officer, so granular annual pay outcomes, equity grant details, and beneficial ownership percentages are not itemized in the proxy files, reducing transparency relative to CEO/CSO/CMO disclosures .