Emil Kuriakose
About Emil Kuriakose
Emil Kuriakose, M.D., is Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Terns Pharmaceuticals, having served as CMO, Oncology since May 2023 and as company-wide CMO since March 2024; he was 45 years old as of April 14, 2025 . Dr. Kuriakose trained in hematology/oncology at Weill Cornell, completed research at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and served as an attending physician at UT Southwestern; he holds an M.D. from SUNY Stony Brook and a B.S. in Neuroscience from NYU . During his tenure, Terns reported positive early Phase 1 CARDINAL data for TERN-701 (CML) and commenced Phase 2 FALCON for TERN-601 (oral GLP-1) in 2025, indicating clinical execution progress under R&D leadership .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calithera Biosciences | Chief Medical Officer | Nov 2021 – Mar 2023 | Led oncology clinical development; progressed programs through clinical stages |
| Calithera Biosciences | VP & Head of Clinical Development; Sr. Director Clinical Development | Jan 2019 – Nov 2021 | Built and led clinical development function in oncology |
| Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research / Novartis Oncology | Global Clinical Program Lead; Medical Director | Not disclosed | Led global clinical programs; oncology development leadership |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center | Residency; Attending Physician | Not disclosed | Clinical training and practice; foundation for translational leadership |
| Weill Cornell Medical College / Memorial Sloan Kettering | Hem/Onc Fellow; Research Fellow | Not disclosed | Specialized oncology training and research experience |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed for Dr. Kuriakose .
Fixed Compensation
Key components specific to Dr. Kuriakose were not disclosed in the company’s 2024 and 2025 proxy statements; he was not listed among named executive officers. Company-wide elements (for context) include 401(k) matching (100% of first 4% up to $13,800 in 2024; $13,200 in 2023) and standard health and welfare benefits .
| Component | 2024 | 2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | — | — | Not disclosed for Dr. Kuriakose |
| Target Bonus % | — | — | Not disclosed for Dr. Kuriakose |
| Benefits (401k, health) | 401(k) match up to $13,800 | — | Standard employee eligibility |
Performance Compensation
Company-level annual performance bonus design is used broadly, with targets set by the board, but individual metrics and outcomes for Dr. Kuriakose were not disclosed .
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Initial Beneficial Ownership | Form 3 filed Mar 19, 2024 |
| Insider Transactions | Sold 4,481 shares at $5.71 on Jan 2, 2025; holdings reported 54,269 after filing |
| Insider Transactions | Sold 952 shares at $2.49 on Apr 1, 2025; holdings reported 53,317 after filing |
| Ownership as % of Shares Outstanding | ~0.06% based on 53,317 shares vs. 87,336,770 outstanding as of Apr 14, 2025 |
| Vested vs. Unvested Breakdown | Not disclosed for Dr. Kuriakose |
| Shares Pledged as Collateral | No pledging disclosures found |
| Hedging/Hedging Policy | Company states it does not have a hedging policy at this time |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | Not disclosed |
Notes on vesting norms (company-wide, contextual):
- Options generally vest 25% at 12 months, then monthly over 36 months; RSUs vest 25% at 12 months, then quarterly over 12 quarters (standard under plans) .
Employment Terms
- Change-in-control (CIC) equity acceleration policy (double-trigger): 100% acceleration of outstanding equity if terminated without “cause” or resigns for “good reason” within 3 months prior to or 12 months post-CIC; performance-based awards deemed achieved at target if not determinable at termination .
- Clawback: Compensation Recovery Policy adopted Oct 2023; recovery of erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation upon accounting restatement per SEC/Nasdaq rules .
- Insider Trading Policy: Adopted and filed; designed to promote compliance with laws and Nasdaq standards .
| Term | Provision |
|---|---|
| CIC Equity Vesting | Double-trigger full acceleration; performance awards at target if undeterminable |
| Clawback | Recovery upon required restatement; SEC/Nasdaq compliant |
| Non-compete / Non-solicit | Not disclosed for Dr. Kuriakose |
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Dr. Kuriakose holds a modest equity stake (~0.06% as of early Q2’25) and has executed small sales in 2025; insider activity appears routine and not indicative of heavy selling pressure .
- Retention/Change-in-Control: Company-wide double-trigger CIC equity acceleration and clawback policy support retention and governance; absence of a formal hedging policy reduces transparency on potential hedging, though no pledging is disclosed .
- Execution Track Record: Positive early clinical signals in TERN-701 and advancement of TERN-601 under his tenure suggest operational momentum in R&D; continued readouts through 4Q25 will be key performance catalysts .
- Data gaps: Specific salary/bonus/award granularity for the CMO is not disclosed (not a named executive officer), limiting precision in pay-for-performance analysis; monitor future proxies and Forms 4 for evolving ownership and award vesting .