Arvinas Announces Retirement of Chief Executive Officer and Succession Plan
– John Houston, Ph.D., Chairperson, CEO and President at Arvinas, Announces Plans to Retire as CEO Upon Appointment of Successor –
– Dr. Houston to Remain Chairperson of Arvinas Board of Directors –
– Arvinas Board of Directors to Lead Search for CEO Replacement –
NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arvinas, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARVN), a clinical-stage biotechnology company working to develop a new class of drugs based on targeted protein degradation, today announced that John Houston, Ph.D., Chairperson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President at Arvinas, has informed the Board of Directors of his plans to retire from his role as President and CEO following a search for, and the appointment of, the Company’s new CEO. The Arvinas Board of Directors has begun a search for a new CEO, and Dr. Houston will remain Chairperson of Arvinas’ Board of Directors upon retiring as President and CEO.
“On behalf of the Arvinas Board of Directors, I sincerely thank John for his exceptional leadership and significant contributions to Arvinas over the past 8 years and his commitment to a smooth transition as we identify his successor,” said Briggs Morrison, M.D., Arvinas Board Member and Lead Independent Director. “John has guided Arvinas through a substantial number of ‘firsts’ for PROTACs in the industry, from the first to enter the clinic to the first positive pivotal Phase 3 trial and the first new drug application. John and Arvinas have turned targeted protein degradation into a well-known modality across several therapeutic areas. Due to his efforts, the Company is well positioned to benefit many patients in the years to come. As we undertake the process of identifying a new CEO, the Board is committed to conducting a thoughtful search to ensure continued strong leadership. We look forward to continuing our work with John in his capacity as Chairperson.”
With more than 35 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, Dr. Houston joined Arvinas in January 2017 as President of Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer responsible for leading the discovery, translational, and early clinical development research efforts. In September 2017, Dr. Houston was appointed President and CEO, and in 2023 he was named Arvinas’ Chairperson.
During his tenure as CEO, Dr. Houston has been instrumental in Arvinas’ success moving six programs into the clinic, reporting the results of the first positive pivotal Phase 3 trial for a PROTAC, and reporting for the first time that an orally administered PROTAC can achieve pharmacodynamic activity in the central nervous system.
“It has been an honor to lead Arvinas alongside incredibly talented colleagues and a supportive Board of Directors,” said Dr. Houston. “I look forward to remaining a part of Arvinas as Chairperson and I’m confident in the Company’s ability to improve the lives of patients with serious diseases through our revolutionary PROTAC protein degradation platform. From initiating the first oral PROTAC degrader in clinical trials to delivering positive topline results, it is evident that Arvinas has and will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
About Arvinas
Arvinas (Nasdaq: ARVN) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to improving the lives of patients suffering from debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Through its PROTAC protein degrader platform, Arvinas is pioneering the development of protein degradation therapies designed to harness the body’s natural protein disposal system to selectively and efficiently degrade and remove disease-causing proteins. Arvinas is currently progressing multiple investigational drugs through clinical development programs, including vepdegestrant, targeting the estrogen receptor for patients with locally advanced or metastatic ER+/HER2- breast cancer; ARV-393, targeting BCL6 for relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma; ARV-102, targeting LRRK2 for neurodegenerative disorders; and ARV-806, targeting KRAS G12D for mutated cancers, including pancreatic and colorectal cancers. Arvinas is headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information about Arvinas, visit and connect on and .
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding: John Houston, Ph.D.’s retirement from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and his continuing role as chairperson of the Arvinas Board of Directors, statements regarding Arvinas’ search for and succession plan for the CEO position of Arvinas; Arvinas being well positioned to benefit many patients in the years to come; and the belief that Arvinas will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release, including statements regarding Arvinas’ strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenues, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “target,” “goal,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “look forward,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Arvinas may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements Arvinas makes as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: risks related to the ability to identify and attract a qualified candidate to serve as Arvinas’ next CEO; and other important factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of Arvinas’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, Arvinas’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, and subsequent other reports on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Arvinas’ current views with respect to future events, and Arvinas assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Arvinas’ views as of any date subsequent to the date of this release.
Contacts:
Investors:
Jeff Boyle
+1 (347) 247-5089
Media:
Kirsten Owens
+1 (203) 584-0307
