Jeffrey Stein
About Jeffrey L. Stein, Ph.D.
Independent director of IDEAYA Biosciences since October 2015; age 70 as of March 31, 2025. He is President & CEO of Cidara Therapeutics (since 2014), with prior roles as CEO of Trius Therapeutics (2007–2013), venture partner at Sofinnova Ventures (2005–2010), and co‑founder/CSO of Quorex Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer in 2005). Education: Ph.D. in Marine Biology (UC San Diego); postdoc in bacterial genetics at Caltech (Alexander Hollaender Distinguished Fellow); B.S./M.S. in Biology/Marine Biology (Cal State Long Beach) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. | President & CEO | 2014–present | Executive leadership; not a board role disclosed in IDYA proxy |
| Trius Therapeutics, Inc. | President & CEO | 2007–2013 (acquired by Cubist) | Led through acquisition |
| Sofinnova Ventures | Venture Partner | 2005–2010 | VC investing in biotech |
| Quorex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Co‑founder & Chief Scientific Officer | 1999–2005 (acquired by Pfizer) | Scientific leadership/founder |
| Diversa, Inc.; The Agouron Institute | Principal Scientist | n/d | R&D roles |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Director (prior) | n/d | Prior public company directorship; none current disclosed in IDYA proxy |
Board Governance
- Board class/tenure/term: Class III director; has served since 2015; nominated for re‑election at 2025 Annual Meeting to a term expiring at the 2028 Annual Meeting .
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than CEO (Hata) are independent; Stein is independent. Audit Committee members meet heightened SEC/Nasdaq independence standards .
- Committee assignments: Chair, Compensation Committee; Member, Audit Committee. Not on Nominating & Corporate Governance .
- Committee charters: All committees operate under written charters available on the company website .
- Attendance/engagement: In 2024 the Board met 5x; Audit 4x; Compensation 5x; Nominating 2x. Each Board member attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board leadership: Non‑executive Chair is Terry J. Rosen, Ph.D., who presides over executive sessions of independent directors .
- Risk oversight: Audit oversees major financial risks and related party transactions; Compensation monitors incentive‑related risk; Nominating oversees governance effectiveness .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Year | Fees Earned (Cash) | Equity Grant (Options, ASC 718 $) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $65,000 | $407,668 | $472,668 |
Narrative and structure:
- 2024 cash program: $40,000 annual retainer; Audit member +$10,000; Compensation chair +$15,000; Nominating member +$5,000; Audit chair +$20,000; Board chair +$30,000 .
- Program change: Effective Jan 1, 2025, annual retainer increased to $45,000; Board chair retainer to $35,000, aligning with market practices .
Performance Compensation (Director Equity)
| Grant Year | Grant Type | Grant Date | Shares/Options | Exercise Price | Fair Value (ASC 718) | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Annual Stock Option | 2024‑05‑31 | 16,200 | $36.55 (exercise) | $407,668 | Vests on earlier of 1‑yr anniversary or next annual meeting; continued service required |
| 2025 | Stock Option Award | 2025‑06‑24 | 20,000 | $21.78 (exercise) | n/d | Plan‑standard; details per award agreement |
Program terms:
- Initial director grant: 32,400 options; vests monthly over 3 years .
- Annual director grant: 16,200 options; vests as noted above .
- No performance metrics disclosed for director equity (time‑based vesting; no TSR/operational hurdles) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed for Stein in IDYA proxy |
| Prior public company boards | Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (prior service) |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | None disclosed; no relationships requiring Item 404 disclosure among Compensation Committee members in 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Biotech operating and founding experience (Cidara CEO; Trius CEO; Quorex co‑founder/CSO), plus venture investing (Sofinnova) .
- Scientific credentials (Ph.D., postdoctoral fellowship, prior principal scientist roles) .
- Not designated as the Audit Committee financial expert; that designation is held by Scott W. Morrison, CPA (inactive) .
Equity Ownership
| As of Date | Common Shares Owned | Options Exercisable ≤60 Days | Total Beneficial Ownership | % Outstanding | Options Outstanding at FY‑End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, 2025 | 4,281 | 65,538 | 69,819 | <1% (indicated “*”) | 81,738 (Dec 31, 2024) |
Policies affecting alignment and risk:
- Anti‑hedging/pledging: Directors and officers are prohibited from hedging and from pledging IDEAYA securities (including margin accounts) .
- Related‑party review: Audit Committee reviews/approves related‑party transactions ≥$120,000; no Stein‑related Item 404 transactions disclosed .
Insider Trades (Form 4)
| Transaction Date | Type | Security | Quantity | Exercise/Price | Source (SEC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025‑06‑24 | Award | Stock Option (right to buy) | 20,000 | $21.78 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1676725/000161071725000264/0001610717-25-000264-index.htm |
| 2024‑05‑31 | Award | Stock Option (right to buy) | 16,200 | $36.55 | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1676725/000161071724000276/0001610717-24-000276-index.htm |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep biotech operating and scientific experience; chairs Compensation Committee and sits on Audit Committee; all committees composed entirely of independent directors under SEC/Nasdaq rules; strong anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging policy; audit committee role in related‑party oversight; attendance at/above the 75% threshold with full Board/committee meeting cadence disclosed .
- Pay/Alignment: Director pay is heavily equity‑oriented via stock options; 2024 package: $65,000 cash and $407,668 in options; program amended to raise base retainers effective 2025, citing market alignment .
- Ownership: Beneficial ownership is <1% of outstanding shares (69,819 shares including options exercisable within 60 days), indicating economic exposure but not a concentrated stake; policy prohibits pledging/hedging, supporting alignment .
- Conflicts/Interlocks: No Compensation Committee interlocks or Item 404 relationships disclosed for committee members in 2024; Audit Committee reviews any related‑party transactions .
- Engagement/Time commitments: He is a sitting public‑company CEO (Cidara); IDEAYA reports each director met the ≥75% attendance threshold and attended the 2024 annual meeting, indicating baseline engagement .
- Compensation risk controls: Compensation Committee (chaired by Stein) reviews and recommends changes to the Policy for Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation (clawback) and oversees CEO/executive pay; company maintains an executive compensation clawback policy consistent with SEC rules .
RED FLAGS observed in filings: None material. No pledging permitted; no director‑related Item 404 transactions disclosed; no Compensation Committee interlocks; no option repricing disclosed .