Cue Biopharma names James Ahlers as chief financial officer

Cue Biopharma, Inc. disclosed in an 8-K that on August 3, 2026, the company's Board of Directors appointed James Ahlers as Chief Financial Officer, effective as of July 30, 2026¹. In the role, Ahlers will serve as the company's principal financial officer.¹

According to the filing, Ahlers most recently served as a consulting Chief Financial Officer and strategic advisor to emerging life sciences companies, working across public and private financings, IPO readiness, SEC reporting and compliance, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, investor relations, and finance-function scaling.¹ His recent engagements included Danforth Advisors, LLC from January 2022 to July 2026, Intensity Therapeutics, Inc. as CFO/Advisory to Public and Private from January 2022 to June 2023, and RenovoRx, Inc. in finance roles from 2022 to 2024, along with work for Arsenal Biosciences, Inc. and RegCell Co., Ltd.¹ Earlier in his career, he spent nearly two decades as CFO of Intarcia Therapeutics, where he completed preferred stock offerings raising more than $1 billion, over $150 million in debt financings, and more than $600 million in structured financings.¹ He also held senior finance roles at Titan Pharmaceuticals and Ansan Pharmaceuticals, which became a Titan subsidiary.¹

Under his employment agreement dated July 28, 2026, Ahlers will receive an annualized base salary of $450,000¹ and is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus targeted at up to 45% of base salary.¹ The company also granted him stock options to purchase 51,00 shares and a restricted stock unit award for 25,500 shares under its 2026 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan, with the option's exercise price set at $30.40, the stock's closing price on the effective date.¹ Both grants vest in equal quarterly installments over four years.¹

The agreement also outlines severance terms, including nine months of base salary plus a prorated target bonus and continued health coverage payments for up to nine months if Ahlers is terminated without cause or resigns for good reason.¹