Uwe Klein
About Uwe Klein
Uwe Klein, Ph.D., is Septerna’s Senior Vice President, Biological Sciences, serving since August 2021. He is 60 years old (as of April 21, 2025) and brings over 25 years of small‑molecule discovery experience with deep GPCR biology expertise, having held senior biology leadership roles at MyoKardia (acquired by BMS), Bristol‑Myers Squibb, Numerate (acquired by Valo Health), and Theravance; he holds B.S./M.S. in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Goethe University Frankfurt, a Bioinformatics certificate from UC Santa Cruz, and completed post‑doctoral fellowships at UCSF and Stanford . Company‑level executive compensation disclosures emphasize a pay‑for‑performance philosophy; however, TSR/revenue/EBITDA metrics tied specifically to Dr. Klein are not disclosed in the proxy (Septerna reports NEO details only) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Septerna | SVP, Biological Sciences | Aug 2021–present | Leads biological sciences with GPCR expertise |
| MyoKardia (acquired by BMS) | Vice President, Biology | Oct 2019–Nov 2020 | Led biology at a cardiovascular biotech; company acquired by BMS |
| Bristol‑Myers Squibb | Vice President, Biology | Nov 2020–Mar 2021 | Continued biology leadership post‑acquisition |
| Numerate (acquired by Valo Health) | Vice President, Biology | Oct 2014–Sep 2019 | Led biology at ML‑driven drug design company |
| Theravance | Senior Director, Molecular & Cellular Biology | Sep 1998–Oct 2014 | Molecular/cellular biology leadership over 16 years |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not disclosed in company filings for Dr. Klein | — | — | Executive officer profile lists role at Septerna; no external public company board service disclosed |
Fixed Compensation
Septerna discloses detailed compensation for named executive officers (NEOs) only; Dr. Klein is an executive officer but not a 2024 NEO, so his specific salary, target bonus, and actual bonus are not reported.
| Item | 2024 Disclosure for Uwe Klein | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | Not disclosed (NEO‑only detail reported) | |
| Target bonus % | Not disclosed (NEO‑only detail reported) | |
| Actual bonus | Not disclosed (NEO‑only detail reported) | |
| Perquisites | Company states perqs are not significant; NEO totals < $10k; specific for Klein not disclosed |
Policy context:
- Annual salary reviews/adjustments based on responsibilities, performance, experience; bonuses tied to corporate objectives determined by the board .
- Compensation committee targets market‑competitive mix and retained Pearl Meyer as external consultant in 2024 .
Performance Compensation
Company framework (2024):
- Corporate goals (program, platform, finance/business development) assessed at 133% of target for NEO bonuses; specific weighting and individual executive outcomes for Dr. Klein are not disclosed .
| Metric Category | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Company achieved 133% of overall target (NEO program) | NEO payouts disclosed; Klein not disclosed | Annual cash bonus program |
| Platform | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Company achieved 133% of overall target (NEO program) | NEO payouts disclosed; Klein not disclosed | Annual cash bonus program |
| Finance/BD | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Company achieved 133% of overall target (NEO program) | NEO payouts disclosed; Klein not disclosed | Annual cash bonus program |
Equity award structures (company‑wide, illustrative):
- Time‑based awards vest in 48 equal monthly installments over four years from vest commencement date .
- Alternative structure: 25% cliff at first anniversary, remaining 75% in 36 equal monthly installments .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | Not disclosed for Uwe Klein in proxy tables; NEOs/directors aggregated are reported | |
| Options: exercisable/unexercisable | Not disclosed for Uwe Klein | |
| Vested vs unvested | Not disclosed for Uwe Klein | |
| Pledging/hedging | Insider trading policy addresses risks of pledging/margin; expressly prohibits short sales and derivative/hedging transactions by officers/directors/employees; Rule 10b5‑1 plans permitted under policy | |
| Equity grant timing | Grants follow scheduled policy; effective typically on fifth trading day of the month post approval; company states it does not time grants around material nonpublic information | |
| Equity plan capacity | 2,938,982 options outstanding; 4,113,317 shares available for issuance at 12/31/24 (excludes 2,221,125 automatic increase on 1/1/25) |
Vesting and acceleration:
- Change‑in‑control (CIC) Severance Plan provides full accelerated vesting of time‑based equity awards for eligible participants upon qualifying CIC termination; performance‑based awards follow award‑agreement terms .
Clawback and trading controls:
- Compensation recovery (clawback) policy compliant with SEC/Nasdaq for restatements; recovery of incentive‑based compensation within 3 years preceding restatement if overpaid versus restated measures .
- Rule 10b5‑1 trading plans allowed when not in possession of MNPI; sales under plans may occur around significant events .
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employment start date | August 2021 (SVP Biological Sciences) | |
| Role tenure | Executive officer since 2021 | |
| Employment agreement | Specific offer/employment letter for Dr. Klein not disclosed | |
| Severance Plan | Company adopted Executive Severance Plan at IPO; eligibility includes NEOs and certain other executives. Benefits vary by tier: outside CIC—CEO 12 months base/benefits; Tier 2 9 months; Tier 3 6 months; in CIC—CEO 18 months base + 1.5x target bonus + benefits; Tier 2 12 months + 1.0x target bonus; Tier 3 9 months + 0.75x target bonus; plus full time‑based equity vesting. Klein’s tier not disclosed. | |
| Non‑compete/non‑solicit | Company references standard confidentiality/IP assignment/non‑solicit agreements for certain executives (examples provided for NEOs); specific terms for Klein not disclosed | |
| Auto‑renewal/garden leave | Not disclosed |
Performance & Track Record
- Experience/credentials: 25+ years in small‑molecule drug discovery; GPCR expertise with leadership at MyoKardia/BMS/Numerate/Theravance; advanced academic/post‑doctoral training .
- Company milestones (context): 2025 updates highlight well‑capitalized runway into at least 2029 and significant partnership economics (e.g., $195.0m upfront from Novo Nordisk in July 2025 and $12.5m milestone from Vertex in August 2025), reflecting execution of platform strategy; these are company outcomes, not individually attributed to Klein in filings .
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Committee composition excludes interlocks with company officers; compensation philosophy targets market competitiveness and pay‑for‑performance; Pearl Meyer engaged in 2024 as external advisor .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Legal proceedings: No material legal proceedings involving executive officers reported .
- Hedging/derivatives: Prohibited under insider trading policy; mitigates alignment risks from hedging; pledging/margin risks recognized in policy text (no explicit prohibition stated in excerpt) .
- Option timing: Company policy avoids grant timing around material nonpublic information; grants scheduled per equity award policy .
- CIC incentives: Time‑based equity accelerates on qualifying CIC termination for eligible participants; could create sale‑event incentives depending on award mix .
Investment Implications
- Transparency gap: As an executive officer but not a 2024 NEO, Klein’s specific compensation, equity holdings, and bonus outcomes are not disclosed—limiting precision in pay‑for‑performance alignment and ownership analysis .
- Alignment controls: Prohibition of hedging/derivatives and structured 10b5‑1 plans reduce misalignment and trading‑timing risks; equity grant timing policy avoids opportunistic grant practices, supporting governance quality .
- Retention dynamics: Standard four‑year vesting and potential CIC acceleration for eligible executives support retention pre‑CIC but can create sale‑event alignment; without Klein’s tier and award mix disclosed, investor assessment should monitor future proxies and Form 4s for ownership/vesting pressure signals .
- Execution upside: Klein’s deep GPCR biology background aligns with Septerna’s platform strategy; company‑level milestones (capital runway, partner economics) indicate operating execution, but attribution to individual executives is not specified in filings—investors should track pipeline progress and R&D committee oversight evolution for incremental insights .