Sourav Kundu
About Sourav Kundu
Sourav Kundu, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President, Development & Manufacturing at NextCure (since July 2021) and is age 65 as of the 2025 proxy . He previously led Biologics R&D — CMC at Teva Pharmaceuticals (2012–2021), directed Process Development at Amgen (2004–2012), and held senior management roles at Aventis Behring (1998–2004). He holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Wayne State University and conducted postdoctoral training at the Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University School of Medicine . Company-level pay-versus-performance visuals were provided in 2025 (TSR and Net Income), though no individual TSR or revenue/EBITDA metrics were disclosed for Kundu .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextCure | SVP, Development & Manufacturing | Jul 2021–present | Development & Manufacturing leadership supporting pipeline execution |
| Teva Pharmaceuticals | VP, Biologics R&D — CMC | 2012–2021 | CMC leadership for biologics R&D |
| Amgen | Director, Process Development | 2004–2012 | Process development leadership |
| Aventis Behring | Senior Manager | 1998–2004 | Senior management responsibilities |
External Roles
- No public-company directorships disclosed; Kundu is listed among executive officers and does not appear in director lists in the proxy ownership tables .
Performance Compensation
Company-wide annual cash incentives are tied to corporate objectives; for 2024, weightings and outcomes were as follows (context for executive incentives across the company):
| Metric Category | Weighting (%) | 2024 Achievement (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-clinical & clinical progress (NC410, LNCB74) | 60 | 100 | Met program progress goals |
| Other program progress | 5 | 100 | Met goals |
| Business development & financial targets | 25 | 25 | Partial achievement |
| Human resources | 10 | 100 | Met goals |
- Based on these outcomes, 2024 incentive payments were set at 81.25% of target; NEO payouts equaled 40.6% (CEO), 32.5% (CSO), and 32.5% (COO) of base salary .
- The company uses stock options as long-term incentives; in January 2024, NEO grants vested 25% at the first anniversary and then monthly over 36 months, while March 2024 grants vested 100% at one year, subject to continued service .
Equity Award Vesting Practices (Company)
| Award Type | Grant Timing | Vesting Terms | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual NEO option grants | Jan 2024 | 25% after 1 year, then 1/36 monthly | Continuous service required |
| Pipeline reprioritization NEO grants | Mar 2024 | 100% after 1 year | Continuous service required |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Policy/Practice | Details | Applicability |
|---|---|---|
| Stock ownership guidelines | Within 5 years: CEO 5x salary; CFO/CMO/CSO 3x; other executive officers 2x of base salary in stock + vested in-the-money options (value definition per policy) | Applies to executive officers (Kundu falls under “other executive officers”) |
| Hedging prohibition | Hedging/monetization transactions prohibited without advance approval from COO or General Counsel | Directors, officers, employees, agents |
| Clawback policy | Recoup erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation after certain restatements; applies to compensation received on/after Oct 2, 2023 | Executive officers |
| 401(k) match | Company provides matching contributions up to 3% | Employees including executives |
Employment Terms
- Employment agreements are disclosed for the CEO, CSO, and COO, with severance and change-in-control terms; Kundu is not listed among executives with employment agreements in the 2025 proxy .
- Typical equity vesting mechanics (one-year cliff, monthly thereafter; some awards single-year cliff) serve as retention levers across executives receiving options .
- Standard benefits include participation in the 401(k) plan with up to 3% match .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Kundu is covered by executive stock ownership guidelines (2x base salary for “other executive officers”) and the company prohibits hedging and enforces a clawback policy—this framework supports pay-for-performance and limits misalignment risks even though individual award details for Kundu are not disclosed .
- Retention: Company-wide option vesting (one-year cliff plus multi-year monthly vesting) and targeted one-year grants during pipeline reprioritization indicate retention-focused incentives; while Kundu’s specific grants are not disclosed, these practices likely underpin retention in his critical Development & Manufacturing remit .
- Transparency gap: Kundu was not a named executive officer (NEO) in 2024–2025 proxies; as a result, base salary, bonus, equity grant sizes, and ownership breakdowns for him are not reported—limiting precision on compensation alignment and potential insider-selling pressure from vesting schedules (monitor future 8-K/DEF 14A disclosures and Form 4 filings) .
- Execution capability: His deep CMC/process development background across Teva, Amgen, and Aventis Behring is a positive indicator for manufacturing and scale-up execution in biologics programs—an operational lever tightly linked to value creation in clinical-stage biopharma .