# Jason Cole

> Jason F. Cole is the founding CEO and board member of Zag Bio, a Cambridge, Massachusetts biotech that launched in October 2025 with $80 million to develop thymus-targeted medicines for autoimmune diseases, starting with Type 1 diabetes. A lawyer by training with a J.D. from Columbia and an A.B. in Government from Dartmouth, Cole has spent more than two decades in biotech operations and finance. At bluebird bio he helped grow the company from roughly 100 to 1,200 employees, raised over $3.7 billion in equity financings, and helped deliver multiple first-in-class gene and cell therapies to patients. He most recently led SalioGen Therapeutics as CEO and Board Chair, and serves as Vice Chair of the MassBio board.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer and Board Member at Zag Bio
- **Organizations:** Zag Bio, SalioGen Therapeutics, bluebird bio, Zalicus, CombinatorRx, MassBio
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** J.D., Columbia University, A.B. in Government, Dartmouth College
- **Known for:** Founding CEO of Zag Bio, launched October 2025 with $80M Series A financing, At bluebird bio, helped grow the company from roughly 100 to 1,200 employees across the U.S. and Europe, Executed equity financings with gross proceeds exceeding $3.7 billion

## Career timeline

- **early career** — Executive leadership roles at CombinatorRx and Zalicus
- **bluebird bio** — Chief Operating and Legal Officer, then Chief Business Officer, then Chief Strategy & Financial Officer; helped scale the company from ~100 to ~1,200 employees and raised over $3.7B in equity
- **2023** — Appointed Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board at SalioGen Therapeutics
- **2025-10** — Named founding Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Zag Bio at its $80M launch

## Achievements

- Founding CEO of Zag Bio, launched October 2025 with $80M Series A financing
- At bluebird bio, helped grow the company from roughly 100 to 1,200 employees across the U.S. and Europe
- Executed equity financings with gross proceeds exceeding $3.7 billion
- Negotiated multi-hundred-million-dollar oncology partnerships with Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb and Regeneron
- Helped deliver first-in-class gene and cell therapies including ZYNTEGLO, SKYSONA and ABECMA, plus a BLA for lovo-cel for sickle cell disease
- Vice Chair of the MassBio Board of Directors
- CEO and Board Chair of SalioGen Therapeutics

## Latest updates

- **2025-10** — Named founding CEO and Board Member of Zag Bio as the company launched with $80M in financing co-led by Polaris Partners and the T1D Fund.

## Links

- Website: https://zagbio.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-cole-3243507

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jason-cole
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-12