Jean-Paul Kress

CEO at MorphoSys

Speaker

As CEO, Jean-Paul Kress leads MorphoSys in its mission – More life for people with cancer – by focusing on translating scientific innovation into medicines that can redefine how cancer is treated.

Since becoming CEO in 2019, Jean-Paul has led a strategic and cultural transformation to build a focused global biopharmaceutical company. As part of this evolution, Jean-Paul championed the company’s acquisition of Constellation Pharmaceuticals in 2021. This landmark achievement for the company enriched MorphoSys’ pipeline with promising investigational medicines – most importantly a potential breakthrough therapy to treat myelofibrosis. Today, MorphoSys is pursuing multiple opportunities to deliver safer and more effective medicines for people living with blood cancers and solid tumors.

Prior to joining MorphoSys, Jean-Paul was the CEO of Syntimmune, where he sharpened the company’s focus on late-stage clinical development, resulting in its acquisition by Alexion. He has held several senior leadership roles at other pharmaceutical companies, including Biogen, Sanofi, Gilead and AbbVie.

Jean-Paul also served as Chair of the Board of Directors at ERYTECH Pharma, where he ushered in the company’s merger with Pherecydes. Prior to that, he was a member of Sarepta Therapeutics’ Board of Directors.

Jean-Paul received his M.D. from Faculté Necker-Enfants Malades in Paris and graduate and post-graduate degrees in biochemistry and in molecular and cellular pharmacology from Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris.