Vividion Therapeutics Appoints Sam Whiting, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer
- Dr. Whiting brings extensive experience in medical oncology spanning patient care, early drug discovery, and late-stage global development activities
- His leadership will deepen the company’s clinical expertise to support progress of its portfolio of innovative investigational therapies for cancers and immune disorders
- Dr. Whiting joins from Tempest Therapeutics where he orchestrated successful clinical trials of multiple investigative small molecules for cancer
San Diego, CA, August 13, 2025 — Vividion Therapeutics, Inc. (Vividion), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, and a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG, today announced the appointment of Sam Whiting, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Whiting is an accomplished medical oncologist who brings to Vividion more than two decades of experience spanning patient care, early drug discovery, and late-stage global clinical development. Vividion utilizes innovative discovery technologies to unlock difficult-to-drug targets with strong disease-links, and to develop small molecule precision therapeutics for devastating cancers and immune disorders.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sam as our Chief Medical Officer at a pivotal time for Vividion, with four chemoproteomics‑powered small‑molecule candidates already in the clinic and a discovery engine that is rapidly unlocking previously undrugged drivers of cancer and immune disorders,” said Aleksandra Rizo, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Vividion Therapeutics. “His deep knowledge of the cancer care paradigm and clinical development will be invaluable as we advance our growing pipeline of precision medicines in oncology and immunology. Just as important, Sam has a proven talent for translating breakthrough science into well‑designed trials that efficiently generate actionable data. We look forward to Sam joining Vividion’s executive team and to the momentum his leadership will bring to our next stage of growth.”
Dr. Whiting was most recently Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development at Tempest Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on oncology. During his tenure he headed discovery research and clinical development, including advancement of drugs in both cancer and pre-cancer indications in Phase 1, Phase 2 and global Phase 3 settings. Before Tempest, Dr. Whiting served in positions of increasing responsibility at several biotechnology companies developing small molecule, vaccine, and immuno-oncology agents. Prior to joining industry, Dr. Whiting served as Assistant Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Washington, Assistant Member of Clinical Research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and Clinical Head of Gastrointestinal Oncology at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Dr. Whiting received an M.D. and Ph.D. in microbiology at the University of Washington and a B.S. in chemistry from Lewis and Clark College.
“Patients with cancer or immunological diseases have a critical need for transformative therapies that meaningfully improve lives,” said Dr. Whiting. “The potential for Vividion’s chemoproteomics platform to identify and advance groundbreaking therapies, including for important targets that are currently undrugged, is tremendously exciting to me. The recent initiation of Vividion’s fourth clinical program marks another important milestone for the company, and I look forward to continuing the momentum of bringing Vividion’s promising portfolio of therapies to patients in need.”
About Vividion
Vividion Therapeutics, Inc., a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing novel discovery technologies to unlock difficult-to-drug targets with strong disease-links, and to develop small molecule precision therapeutics for devastating cancers and immune disorders. The company’s platform has enabled it to identify hundreds of previously unknown functional pockets on well-validated protein targets implicated in a wide range of diseases, while simultaneously identifying compounds from its proprietary covalent chemistry library that interact in a highly selective manner with those pockets. The company is leveraging its proprietary chemoproteomic platform to advance a diversified pipeline of highly selective small molecule therapeutics targeting high-value, traditionally undruggable targets in oncology and immunology. For more information, please visit www.vividion.com.
Vividion Media Contact:
Laurie Sherman, phone +1 858 630 8246
Email: media@vividion.com