Dr. Mehdi Shahidi joined the Board of Directors of Lakefront Biotherapeutics as a Non-Executive Independent Director in November 2026. Dr. Shahidi is a physician-scientist and an accomplished drug development and R&D leader with over 20 years of biopharma experience spanning translational research, clinical development, regulatory and successful introduction of innovative medicines to patients worldwide. His career combines senior leadership in global pharmaceutical R&D with entrepreneurial, venture capital, and board-level experience. He is currently Head of Development and Chief Medical Officer at Ottimo Pharma, Venture Partner at Medicxi and a founder of Petalion Therapeutics. Previously, Dr. Shahidi served as SVP, Global Head of Medicine and CMO at Boehringer Ingelheim, where he led a large, global organization with a broad therapeutic mandate. During his tenure, he provided strategic and scientific oversight across a diverse portfolio of drug development programs, from early clinical development through multiple successful global regulatory approvals across various therapeutic areas.
Dr. Shahidi previously served on the Supervisory Board of CureVac through its acquisition by BioNTech, as well as on the Innovation Committees of EFPIA and TransCelerate and the PhRMA R&D Leadership Forum. A clinical oncologist and GMC-registered specialist in pharmaceutical medicine, Dr. Shahidi completed his oncology training at the Royal Marsden Hospital and conducted clinical research at the Institute of Cancer Research, London.
