# Aetna Trombley

> Aetna Wun Trombley is a chemist-turned-biotechnology operator who has served as president and CEO of Lycia Therapeutics since April 2020. After a Ph.D. in chemistry at MIT and roles at McKinsey, XenoPort, Novartis and NGM Biopharmaceuticals, she took charge of turning Lycia's LYTAC research into an operating company. Her tenure has combined team building, strategic partnerships and four financing rounds totaling $301.6 million, most recently a $75 million Series D announced in June 2026.

- **Role:** President and Chief Executive Officer at Lycia Therapeutics
- **Organizations:** Lycia Therapeutics, TCG Labs-Soleil, Carmot Therapeutics, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Novartis, XenoPort, McKinsey & Company
- **Education:** B.S. in Chemistry, University of California, San Diego, Ph.D. in Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Helped establish multiple strategic partnerships at NGM Biopharmaceuticals., Contributed to NGM Biopharmaceuticals' successful 2019 initial public offering., Joined Lycia Therapeutics as president and CEO at its 2020 launch from Versant Ventures with a $50 million commitment.

## Career timeline

- **2005-2008** — Worked at McKinsey & Company, advising pharmaceutical and medical-device clients on strategic, commercial and operational issues.
- **2008-2010** — Served as Associate Director, Business Development at XenoPort, with responsibility for strategic and portfolio planning and out-licensing projects.
- **2010-2011** — Served as chief of staff or strategic assistant to the CEO of Novartis in Basel, working on corporate initiatives across the company's healthcare businesses.
- **2011-2015** — Led business development at NGM Biopharmaceuticals.
- **2015-2018** — Served as Chief Operating Officer of NGM Biopharmaceuticals.
- **2016-2024** — Served as an independent director of Carmot Therapeutics until its acquisition by Roche.
- **2018-2020** — Served as President and Chief Operating Officer of NGM Biopharmaceuticals; helped establish strategic partnerships and supported its 2019 IPO.
- **2020-present** — Serves as President and CEO and a director of Lycia Therapeutics.
- **2023-present** — Serves as a strategic board member of TCG Labs-Soleil.

## Achievements

- Helped establish multiple strategic partnerships at NGM Biopharmaceuticals.
- Contributed to NGM Biopharmaceuticals' successful 2019 initial public offering.
- Joined Lycia Therapeutics as president and CEO at its 2020 launch from Versant Ventures with a $50 million commitment.
- Led Lycia as it entered a multi-year research collaboration with Eli Lilly in 2021.
- Led Lycia through Series B, C and D financings that, together with its launch financing, total $301.6 million.
- Served on Carmot Therapeutics' board from 2016 until Roche completed its acquisition in 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Lycia completed a $75 million Series D financing; Trombley said the capital and expanded leadership team positioned the company to execute on its clinical programs and pursue Phase 1 proof-of-concept.
- **2026-06** — Appeared as a speaker at the BIO International Convention 2026 in San Diego.
- **2025-06** — Joined Pearl Huang and Angie You on the ElevAAte Biotech podcast to discuss career journeys, cultural expectations and leading with authenticity.
- **2025-02** — Lycia appointed Chin Lee as chief medical officer and disclosed its lead immunology pipeline programs; Trombley emphasized the importance of the right people in company building.
- **2024-05** — Lycia completed a $106.6 million Series C financing to advance its extracellular protein degrader pipeline toward the clinic.

## Links

- Website: https://lyciatx.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aetna-wun-trombley

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/aetna-trombley
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-17