Andy Pasternak appointed chief strategy officer, bringing extensive leadership in biopharmaceutical business development and company growth

Clinical data readouts expected in 2026 across all three late-stage programs, marking a significant step forward in addressing unmet cardiovascular needs in dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertension, and calcific aortic valve stenosis

Kardigan™, a heart health company modernizing cardiovascular (CV) drug development, today announced its upcoming corporate presentation at the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (“JPM 2026”) on Monday, January 12 at 8:00 a.m. PT. The presentation marks an important milestone for Kardigan as it enters 2026 with multiple clinical data readouts expected across its late-stage portfolio of personalized CV medicines in specific types of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertension, and calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS).

“2025 was a landmark year for Kardigan, beginning with the public introduction of our vision to build the cardiovascular company of the future and ending with a powerful foundation for what we expect to achieve in 2026 and beyond. Over the course of the past year, we acquired Prolaio™, a leading CV clinical intelligence company, initiated three late-stage clinical trials in diseases where no treatments exist, and expanded our shareholder base with several leading biotech investors,” said Tassos Gianakakos, co-founder, chief executive officer, and chair of Kardigan. “As we continue to execute our vision, I’m proud to welcome Andy to the Kardigan Executive Committee as our chief strategy officer. His leadership in the biopharmaceutical industry driving growth at companies like Horizon Therapeutics aligns perfectly with Kardigan’s goal of becoming the leader in discovering, developing, and delivering meaningful new treatments for cardiovascular disease.”

Throughout 2025, Kardigan achieved several key milestones that set the stage for a promising year ahead. Following its launch in January with $300 million in Series A funding, the company went on to secure another $254 million in Series B funding in October from leading long-term, growth-oriented investors. Earlier in the year, the company acquired Prolaio, and introduced its pipeline and strategy to develop danicamtiv¹ for genetic DCM, tonlamarsen² for acute severe hypertension (ASH), and ataciguat³ for CAVS. Positive phase 2 data for danicamtiv and ataciguat were presented at the HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting 2025 and American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2025, respectively.

To build the CV company of the future, Kardigan is applying Cardiac Intelligence – the integration of precision medicine, real-world data, and proven CV leadership ��� to a field long constrained by slow, costly, and imprecise drug development. This proprietary approach targets the root causes of disease and positions Kardigan to develop first-in-class medicines for patients with specific types of DCM, ASH, and CAVS, where no treatments exist. Kardigan has also incorporated Prolaio’s continuous remote monitoring and data-driven insights to enable smaller, faster, and more capital-efficient trials in well-defined patient populations, with the goal of increasing the probability of success and accelerating time to registration. With clinical trials for these advanced programs now underway, Kardigan is positioned to deliver three medicines to patients over the next four years.

“I’m honored to join the Kardigan team, whose deep scientific expertise and bold vision have the potential to redefine cardiovascular care,” said Pasternak, chief strategy officer of Kardigan. “The opportunity to contribute to a company that prioritizes both innovation and patient impact is truly inspiring. I look forward to building on Kardigan’s vision to create a long-term and enduring company that delivers meaningful solutions for those affected by heart disease for decades to come.”

Andy Pasternak, a biopharmaceutical executive with decades of leadership in corporate strategy, business development, commercial development, and portfolio and pipeline management, joins the Kardigan Executive Committee as chief strategy officer, reporting to Tassos Gianakakos. Pasternak will be responsible for corporate and product strategy, business development, and portfolio management in this role. Pasternak’s appointment reflects Kardigan's long-term growth strategy for advancing innovative therapies to patients and shaping the future of CV care. His expertise will be instrumental in guiding the company's strategic direction as it enters a year of execution marked by multiple clinical data readouts.

Pasternak most recently served as senior advisor at Bain & Company after leading corporate strategy, business development, commercial development / new product planning, and portfolio management as executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Horizon Therapeutics. Pasternak also chairs the Board of Directors at Context Therapeutics, is an adjunct lecturer in the Healthcare Program at the Kellogg School of Management, and holds degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Chicago.

About Kardigan

Kardigan is a patient-driven heart health company that is modernizing cardiovascular drug development to deliver medicines that move patients beyond symptom management to functional cures. By matching critical disease drivers with treatment responders identified in clinical trials, Kardigan is developing a portfolio of medicines that modify the underlying cardiovascular disease pathophysiology to get patients closer to the cures they deserve. The company is based in South San Francisco, California and Princeton, New Jersey. To learn more, visit Kardigan.bio.

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