Posted: 28 November 2025
Cartherics Pty Ltd has announced that Dr Ian Nisbet has been appointed Chief Executive Officer as part of a planned leadership transition designed to support the company’s next phase of growth. The announcement followed the decision for Prof Alan Trounson AO to move into the role of Deputy Chair of the Board, where his strategic insight will continue to guide the organisation.
“I feel privileged to take over the role of Cartherics CEO from Alan Trounson, who has provided visionary leadership to the company through its founding and early growth,” Dr Nisbet said, noting his commitment to advancing Cartherics towards clinical-stage development.
Dr Nisbet, a co-founder of Cartherics, had previously served as Chief Operating Officer for six years. His four decades of experience across product development, commercial strategy and executive leadership in Australia and the United States positions him strongly to lead the company. His background includes senior roles at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, CSL and ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals, and he has overseen development teams responsible for two US FDA-approved oncology medicines, VELCADE® and SYNRIBO®. He has also served as CEO of Meditech Research and Xenome, and acted as a director or advisor for multiple biotechnology companies.
Prior to his tenure at Cartherics, Dr Nisbet had been a principal at Afandin Pty Ltd, bringing extensive experience in oncology and translational product development.
The leadership changes were made as Cartherics continued to progress its pipeline of off-the-shelf immune cell therapies for high-impact women’s diseases, including ovarian cancer and endometriosis.
Prof Trounson said he supported the transition, stating that Dr Nisbet brought “sound experience in the delivery of the business of Cartherics”, enabling him to shift focus to Board-level guidance.
Chairman Prof Bryan Williams noted that the move represented a key strategic step as the company prepared to manufacture its novel CAR-iNK cell products ahead of clinical evaluation, while continuing to draw on Prof Trounson’s extensive international expertise.
