--- title: "Valion names Dean Zikria interim CEO and changes board chair" url: "https://aibio.space/news/valion-names-dean-zikria-interim-ceo-changes-board-chair/" publisher: "aibio.space (Biotech Investor Relations News)" date: "2026-09-23" section: "Company Updates" tickers: "NASDAQ:VBIO" source: "https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1787740/000168316826007300/valion_ex9901.htm" summary: "Board member Dean Zikria becomes interim chief executive officer, Thomas Jensen takes the board chair, and Lisa Wolf keeps her roles." --- By the aibio.space news desk. Sources - [Valion Bio, Inc. 8-K (2026-09-23)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1787740/000168316826007300/valion_ex9901.htm) - [Valion Bio, Inc. financial data (SEC XBRL)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1787740/000143774926010343/) [VBIO](https://aibio.space/companies/valion-bio/) 2026-09-23 # Valion names Dean Zikria interim CEO and changes board chair Tickers [VBIO](https://aibio.space/companies/valion-bio/) Board member Dean Zikria becomes interim chief executive officer, Thomas Jensen takes the board chair, and Lisa Wolf keeps her roles. ## Key facts - **Company**: Valion Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: VBIO) - **News type**: Company Updates - **Primary source**: [Valion Bio, Inc. 8-K (2026-09-23)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1787740/000168316826007300/valion_ex9901.htm) *Laboratory flasks filled with white solution. CC0, via rawpixel. The picture shows the field, not the companies named.* Valion Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: [VBIO](https://aibio.space/companies/valion-bio/)) announced on September 23, 2026 that Dean Zikria, a current member of its board, has been appointed interim chief executive officer. The company also announced board leadership changes. Thomas Jensen was appointed chair of the board and chair of its Compensation Committee, succeeding Sheryle Bolton, who stepped down from the board and its committees. Jared Malbin was appointed chair of the Audit Committee. The release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to a [Form 8-K](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1787740/000168316826007300/valion_ex9901.htm). The company says the changes are meant to strengthen organizational alignment and support focused execution as Valion advances Entolimod and its other development programs. ## The new interim chief executive Zikria's career began at Columbia University Medical Center, where he co-invented novel therapeutics studied for potential applications in traumatic brain injury, hemorrhagic shock and battlefield medicine. He later spent seven years at Pfizer, where he held strategy and business development roles within its $7 billion U.S. cardiovascular business. That portfolio included LIPITOR, then the world's best-selling drug. The release says he remains an advisor and selection committee member for the UC Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator, where he evaluates new therapeutic technologies and advises early-stage companies on R&D strategy, financing, leadership and commercialization. In the new role, Zikria will oversee Valion's strategic priorities, including accelerating the clinical advancement of Entolimod and pursuing commercial and government partnerships. He said: "I am honored to assume this expanded role at an important point in Valion's evolution." He said his immediate priorities are to work closely with the management team to maintain momentum, sharpen execution and concentrate resources on Entolimod and the opportunities the company believes offer the greatest potential to create lasting value. The release also says Lisa Wolf will continue to serve as Valion's President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. She will lead the company's financial and operational functions and report to Zikria. ## The board changes Jensen, who now chairs the board, thanked Bolton for her leadership, service and contributions. He said the transitions establish clear accountability and strengthen alignment between the board and management as the company enters an important stage of its development. The release says the board is focused on disciplined capital allocation, operational execution and long-term shareholder value. ## About Valion Bio Valion develops biologics that activate innate immune pathways for cytoprotection and modulate immune responses in conditions driven by radiation, disease and immune dysregulation. Its lead candidate, Entolimod, is being developed as a potential medical countermeasure for Acute Radiation Syndrome. The product candidate was evaluated in animal models under the FDA's Animal Rule, which allows the agency to approve new drugs and biological products based on animal efficacy studies when human clinical trials are not ethical or feasible. Entolimod is a novel Toll-like Receptor 5 agonist, and it has received Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations from the FDA. The company's pipeline includes potential programs in neutropenia and immune dysfunction. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Velocity Bioworks, provides development and manufacturing services to Valion to support its internal pipeline, with the objective of increasing manufacturing control and strengthening domestic supply-chain security. ## Financial position The company's SEC financial data show the following. Valion Bio reported revenue of $780,000 for 2024. Its net loss was $8.9 million for 2025, against $5.7 million for 2024. Cash used in operations was $7.0 million for 2025, compared with $5.7 million for 2024. Research and development expense was $3.1 million for 2025, compared with $1.3 million for 2024. Cash and cash equivalents were $2.0 million at the end of 2024. At June 30, 2026, cash and cash equivalents were $2.1 million, according to the quarterly report. ## The risks ahead Zikria holds the chief executive role on an interim basis, and the chair of the board has stepped down, so leadership is in transition. The release does not set dates for the milestones it mentions. Cash and cash equivalents were $2.1 million at June 30, 2026, against cash used in operations of $7.0 million for 2025 and a net loss of $8.9 million. The company says it will concentrate resources on Entolimod, and refers readers to the risk factors in its annual report for the year ended December 31, 2025. [Report an error](https://aibio.space/reputation/#correction) ## Companies in this story VBIO Valion Bio, Inc. 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Cite as: aibio.space, "Valion names Dean Zikria interim CEO and changes board chair", 2026-09-23, https://aibio.space/news/valion-names-dean-zikria-interim-ceo-changes-board-chair/