Kenai Therapeutics Appoints Blake Arnold, CFA, as Chief Business Officer

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kenai Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering next generation approaches to cure neurological conditions, today announced the appointment of Blake Arnold, CFA, as Chief Business Officer. In this role, Mr. Arnold will lead Kenai's business development, financing, strategic partnerships, and corporate development initiatives to support the company's clinical and pipeline growth.

"Blake is an exceptional addition to Kenai's leadership team," said Nick Manusos, Chief Executive Officer of Kenai Therapeutics. "He has a proven track record of successfully executing strategic transactions, and deep expertise in biotechnology and cell and gene therapy. His breadth of experience will be invaluable in guiding how we build and scale Kenai's platform at this pivotal stage."

Mr. Arnold brings nearly two decades of experience in biopharmaceuticals and life sciences, spanning business development, corporate strategy, equity research, and venture capital. Most recently, Mr. Arnold served as Vice President of M&A Transactions at Novartis AG, where he led the execution of strategic acquisitions. Mr. Arnold also advanced through roles of increasing responsibility at Novartis Gene Therapies (formerly AveXis, Inc.), ultimately serving as Head of Portfolio Innovation, New Products, and Business Development & Licensing, where he drove the pipeline growth strategy for the Gene Therapies business.

Prior to joining Novartis, Mr. Arnold served in global business development and corporate venture capital roles at Baxter International, supporting deal origination, due diligence, and transaction execution. He began his career at Robert W. Baird & Co. as an equity research analyst covering the biotechnology sector.

Mr. Arnold holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

About Kenai Therapeutics

Kenai Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering next generation approaches to cure neurological conditions. By leveraging a proprietary, Nobel Prize-winning iPSC platform, Kenai is developing off-the-shelf, allogeneic neuron replacement and gene-modified cell therapies designed to be disease-modifying. Kenai's lead candidate, RNDP-001, is in Phase 1 clinical development for moderate to moderate-severe forms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The company's additional programs target inherited and genetically driven subtypes of Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions, with the goal of delivering long-lasting restoration of function. Kenai's exclusive manufacturing partnership with FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc. enables scalable, cryopreserved production of high-potency cell therapies. Founded in 2022, Kenai is backed by leading life science investors and is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information, visit www.kenaitx.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

SOURCE Kenai Therapeutics/BIOCOM