Darrin Beaupre
About Darrin Beaupre
Darrin M. Beaupre, M.D., Ph.D., age 58, has served as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of IDEAYA Biosciences since November 2022. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D. in Cancer Biology at the University of Texas at Houston and MD Anderson Cancer Center, with prior M.S. and B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Lowell, and has led early oncology development across Amgen, Pharmacyclics, and Pfizer before serving as CMO at Biosplice Therapeutics . During his tenure, IDEAYA’s shareholder returns have been strong, with cumulative TSR values reported of 129.79 (2022), 254.14 (2023), and 183.57 (2024), and year-end 2024 liquidity of $1,082.2 million; IDEAYA emphasizes clinical and corporate development milestones over traditional financial metrics for executive bonuses . Recent program readouts under his clinical leadership include first-line metastatic uveal melanoma OS of 21.1 months, PFS of 7.0 months, ORR 34%, DCR 90%, and primary uveal melanoma neoadjuvant data supporting FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biosplice Therapeutics, Inc. | Chief Medical Officer | Nov 2020–Nov 2022 | Led clinical strategy at biopharma CMO level |
| Pfizer Inc. | SVP, Early Oncology Development & Clinical Research | Feb 2017–Nov 2020 | Directed early oncology development and clinical research |
| Pharmacyclics, Inc. | Head of Early Development & Immunotherapy (various leadership roles) | Oct 2012–Feb 2017 | Led early dev and immunotherapy initiatives |
| Amgen Inc. | Medical Director | Oct 2006–Oct 2012 | Medical leadership in oncology programs |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute | Faculty (taught medicine) | Not disclosed | Academic teaching in oncology |
| University of Miami | Faculty (taught medicine) | Not disclosed | Academic teaching in medicine |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $52,487 | $473,000 | $501,500 |
| Target Bonus % | — | — | 40% |
| Actual Bonus Paid ($) | — | $189,200 | $228,100 |
| Option Awards (Grant-Date Fair Value $) | $2,380,122 | $1,143,774 | $5,315,424 |
| Perquisites & Other ($) | $150 | $3,377 | $15,600 |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual/Payout | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Bonus (2024) | Corporate performance objectives (clinical/preclinical 70%; corporate development 30%); plus individual assessment (for NEOs) | 70% corporate / 30% individual (for NEOs) | $200,600 target (40% of $501,500 base) | $228,100 paid; corporate and individual achievements both assessed at 100% | Cash paid per annual plan; Committee retains discretion >100% achievement |
| Stock Options (2024 grant) | Option award | — | 160,000 options | $5,315,424 grant-date fair value | Exercise $46.22; 25% vests at 1-year from 1/1/2024, then monthly; expires 3/1/2034 |
The bonus program explicitly prioritizes clinical and preclinical progress (70%) with corporate development objectives (30%), consistent with IDEAYA’s pipeline-focused strategy .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 119,646 (options exercisable within 60 days of Mar 31, 2025) |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | ~0.14% (119,646 / 87,565,252) |
| Shares owned directly | 0 (no direct outstanding shares disclosed in table) |
| Options exercisable | 119,646 (within 60 days as of Mar 31, 2025) |
| Options unexercisable (12/31/2024) | 293,138 total: 86,255 (11/21/2022 grant) + 46,883 (2/24/2023 grant) + 160,000 (3/1/2024 grant) |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Prohibited by policy; no pledging permitted for insiders |
| Hedging policy | Hedging transactions prohibited for insiders |
| Stock ownership guidelines (executives) | Not disclosed in proxy |
Employment Terms
| Term | Details |
|---|---|
| Employment start date | November 2022 (CMO) |
| 2024 Base salary | $501,500 |
| Target bonus % | 40% of base |
| Severance (no CIC) | $376,125 cash (75% of base), up to 9 months healthcare $41,036 |
| Severance (with CIC, double trigger) | $501,500 cash (1× base) + $200,600 target bonus, up to 12 months healthcare $54,715, full equity acceleration valued at $2,259,000 (as of 12/31/2024) |
| CIC trigger type | Double trigger (termination without cause or for good reason within CIC window) |
| Clawback policy | Recovery of erroneously awarded compensation upon accounting restatement for material noncompliance |
| Anti-hedging/pledging | Company prohibits hedging and pledging (incl. margin accounts) for directors/officers/employees |
| Tax gross-ups | No 280G/4999 excise tax gross-ups provided to executives |
Option Awards – Grant and Vesting Detail (as of 12/31/2024)
| Vesting Commencement | Exercisable | Unexercisable | Exercise Price | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/21/2022 | 93,745 | 86,255 | $17.48 | 11/21/2032 |
| 2/24/2023 | 43,117 | 46,883 | $17.04 | 2/24/2033 |
| 3/1/2024 | — | 160,000 | $46.22 | 3/1/2034 |
Standard vesting: 25% at 1-year anniversary of vesting commencement date; remaining 75% monthly over 36 months, subject to continued service .
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Pay mix remains highly equity-oriented via options; no RSUs/PSUs disclosed for NEOs in 2024 (“none of our named executive officers held stock awards in 2024”) .
- Year-over-year: 2024 base rose ~6% to $501,500, target bonus unchanged at 40%, with a materially larger 2024 option grant (160,000 options; $5.3M grant-date value) vs 2023 ($1.14M), reflecting retention and alignment with increased program scope and liquidity .
- No tax gross-ups and robust clawback/anti-hedging/pledging policies reinforce governance alignment .
| Component ($) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | $52,487 | $473,000 | $501,500 |
| Bonus (Non-Equity Incentive) | — | $189,200 | $228,100 |
| Option Awards (Grant-Date FV) | $2,380,122 | $1,143,774 | $5,315,424 |
Performance & Track Record
- First-line metastatic uveal melanoma (OptimUM-01 combo darovasertib + crizotinib): median OS 21.1 months, median PFS 7.0 months; confirmed ORR 34%, mDOR 9.0 months; DCR 90%; tolerability manageable; commentary from CMO underscores potential for accelerated approval path via ongoing OptimUM-02 .
- Primary uveal melanoma (OptimUM-09 neoadjuvant darovasertib): 83% ocular tumor shrinkage; 54% ≥20% shrinkage; eye preservation rates up to 95% in those achieving ≥20% shrinkage; reduced predicted radiation dose in 70% of PB-eligible patients; FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation in neoadjuvant EN-eligible setting .
- Regulatory and trial design: CMO detailed six-month neoadjuvant treatment approach and FDA engagement for registration trial (OptimUM-10), focusing endpoints tied to vision preservation and tumor shrinkage .
Compensation Peer Group and Governance
- Peer group set with Aon advising; oncology/pre-commercial biopharma peers across hubs, market caps $500M–$5B and headcount 40–400; used 25th/50th/75th percentile benchmarks to calibrate grants .
- Compensation Committee: Stein (Chair), Mackey, Rosen, Yarno; independent status and charter oversight .
- Say-on-pay approval ~91% for 2024, indicating strong shareholder support .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Hedging/pledging prohibited for insiders; mitigates misalignment risk .
- Clawback policy tied to restatements; no excise tax gross-ups; no disclosed option repricing; grant timing avoids MNPI windows .
- Section 16 compliance reported as fully compliant for 2024 .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Beaupre’s compensation is predominantly option-based with long-dated expirations (to 2034) and standard vesting; low direct share ownership (beneficially ~0.14% via options exercisable within 60 days) suggests leverage to future value creation but modest immediate “skin-in-the-game” in common shares .
- Retention: Double-trigger CIC protections with full equity acceleration and sizable unvested option overhang support retention through key registrational milestones but imply meaningful change-of-control economics ($2.26M equity acceleration value at 12/31/2024) .
- Trading signals: No option exercises reported by Beaupre in 2024 (vs other executives), reducing near-term insider selling pressure from him; however, substantial scheduled monthly vesting through 2026–2027 may add potential exercise supply over time contingent on share price and personal decisions .
- Execution: Bonus framework tied to clinical/preclinical outcomes and corporate development continues to align incentives with pipeline advancement; recent UM datasets and FDA interactions under his leadership are positive for de-risking programs and potential value catalysts .