Nizel Pradhan
Haystack Oncology (“Haystack”), an oncology company that applies the next generation of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection technology to optimize minimal residual disease (MRD) testing and better inform decisions around therapy, today announced the appointment of Joel Kaufman as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Kaufman joins Haystack with over a decade of experience spanning business development, investment banking and finance. Mr. Kaufman will lead Haystack’s financial operations and implement strategic initiatives to support the commercialization of the company’s best-in-class MRD assay.
“Joel’s experience and acumen in the business of clincial diagnostics and biopharma will be invaluable to Haystack at this exciting time of growth and corporate development,” said Dan Edelstein, President and CEO of Haystack Oncology. “In the coming year, we will commercialize Haystack’s best-in-class MRD assay, which has the potential to dramatically improve the accuracy of treatment decisions for patients with solid tumors. As CFO, Joel will play an instrumental role in our preparation for this milestone and in our overall business development iniatives.”
Mr. Kaufman has overseen financial and business operations for multiple life sciences companies. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Finance & Corporate Development at Sema4, an AI-focused precision medicine company. Previously, Mr. Kaufman spent nearly four years in multiple roles, culminating in Chief Business Officer, at Navidea Biopharmaceuticals. He also served as an Equity Research Analyst at Goldman Sachs covering the Life Science Tools, Diagnostics, and Medical Technology sectors. Mr. Kaufman holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.
“I am proud to join the stellar team at Haystack Oncology, as we work together to realize our important mission to provide better MRD testing to improve patient outcomes and enable superior clinical management and therapeutic development,” said Mr. Kaufman. “Haystack has demonstrated the potential to make a major impact on treatment optimization for patients living with solid tumors, and I am excited to join the company at this pivotal stage.”
Haystack emerged from stealth last month with a $56 million Series A raise led by Catalio Capital Management. The company plans to commercialize its best-in-class diagnostic test in 2023 for use in solid tumors. Haystack also recently announced plans to move into a 20,000-square-foot facility at the City Garage Science & Technology Center in South Baltimore to scale up testing services to meet their commercial goals.
About Haystack Oncology
Haystack Oncology uses the next generation of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection technology to see through the noise and uncover the lowest levels of ctDNA in blood to report residual, recurrent, or resistant disease. Founded in 2021 by cancer genomics pioneers Bert Vogelstein, Ken Kinzler, and Nick Papadopoulos of Johns Hopkins University, Haystack’s team of liquid biopsy experts have developed a tumor-informed MRD test that is best positioned to deliver the right treatment to the right person at the right time. Haystack is based in Baltimore, MD, USA, and has research facilities in Hamburg, Germany. Learn more at haystackoncology.com.
