Jean-Paul Kress, M.D., has spent the last 20 years leading transformative change across biotech and pharmaceutical companies, leveraging his experience as a trained physician to create meaningful progress for patients.

As the CEO of MorphoSys, Jean-Paul leads the company in its mission – More life for people with cancer – and has spearheaded its strategic and cultural transformation into a global biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing novel cancer medicines.

Since becoming CEO in 2019, Jean-Paul championed two pivotal transactions: the acquisition of Constellation Pharmaceuticals in 2021, which enriched MorphoSys’ pipeline with promising investigational medicines, and the company’s planned acquisition by Novartis in 2024, which will help maximize the potential of these medicines on a global scale. Under Jean-Paul’s leadership, MorphoSys released positive results for its Phase 3 study of pelabresib six months ahead of schedule, demonstrating the potential to shift the treatment paradigm for this debilitating blood cancer with significant unmet treatment needs.

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.