# Steven Basta

> Steven Basta is the President and CEO of Phathom Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: PHAT), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on gastrointestinal disorders. He joined in April 2025 to lead the commercialization of VOQUEZNA (vonoprazan), a next-generation potassium-competitive acid blocker for GERD and H. pylori. With more than 25 years of biopharma and medical device leadership spanning BioForm Medical, Merz Aesthetics, AlterG, Menlo Therapeutics, Mahana Therapeutics, and SaNOtize, Basta brings a track record of building and launching products in highly competitive markets. He trained as a biomedical engineer at Johns Hopkins and later earned his MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School.

- **Role:** President and Chief Executive Officer at Phathom Pharmaceuticals
- **Organizations:** Phathom Pharmaceuticals, DermBiont, Inc., VYNE Therapeutics
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA in Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, MBA (Master of Management), Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University
- **Known for:** Led BioForm Medical to become the third-largest dermal filler company globally, Built Merz Aesthetics into the third-largest minimally invasive aesthetics firm with operations in 16 countries, Oversaw launch of the first FDA-cleared digital therapeutic app for irritable bowel syndrome at Mahana Therapeutics

## Career timeline

- **pre-1996** — Investment banking associate at Dillon, Read & Co. Inc.
- **mid-1990s** — VP of Business Development and CFO at Creative BioMolecules, Inc. (protein therapies and drug-device combinations)
- **late 1990s** — Executive Director of Product Development at The Immune Response Corporation
- **late 1990s-early 2000s** — President and CEO at Gliatech, Inc. (medical devices)
- **2002-2010** — CEO at BioForm Medical - built it into the third-largest dermal filler company globally; company acquired by Merz
- **2010-2011** — CEO at Merz Aesthetics - guided Merz to become the third-largest minimally invasive aesthetics firm with operations across 16 countries
- **2011-2015** — CEO at AlterG, Inc. (anti-gravity treadmill medical device company)
- **2015-2020** — President and CEO at Menlo Therapeutics (dermatology-focused biotech; became VYNE Therapeutics)
- **2019** — Chairman of the Board at Viveve, Inc.
- **2020-present** — Director at DermBiont, Inc.
- **2020-2022** — CEO at Mahana Therapeutics - launched the first FDA-cleared digital therapeutic app for irritable bowel syndrome
- **2023-2025** — CEO at SaNOtize Research and Development Corp. - launched novel nitric oxide-based topical infection products in the US
- **2025-present** — President and CEO at Phathom Pharmaceuticals - leading commercialization of VOQUEZNA (vonoprazan)

## Achievements

- Led BioForm Medical to become the third-largest dermal filler company globally
- Built Merz Aesthetics into the third-largest minimally invasive aesthetics firm with operations in 16 countries
- Oversaw launch of the first FDA-cleared digital therapeutic app for irritable bowel syndrome at Mahana Therapeutics
- Launched novel nitric oxide-based topical anti-infective products in the US at SaNOtize
- As CEO of Phathom, achieved Q1 2026 net revenue of $58.3M - more than double the $28.5M from Q1 2025
- Drove VOQUEZNA to 45% new-to-brand market share among top 300 GI prescribers
- Achieved a 97/100 CEO approval rating, placing in the top 5% of similarly-sized company CEOs
- More than 1.35 million VOQUEZNA prescriptions filled through April 17, 2026
- Expanded Phathom sales force to more than 290 representatives for gastroenterology focus

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Phathom reported Q1 2026 net revenue of $58.3M, more than doubling the year-ago period, with VOQUEZNA achieving ~45% new-to-brand share among top GI prescribers
- **2026-02** — Basta presented at Guggenheim Summit, reiterating Phathom's GI-focus strategy and targeting operating profitability in the second half of 2026
- **2025-10** — Phathom highlighted VOQUEZNA at the American College of Gastroenterology 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting
- **2025-04** — Steven Basta appointed President and CEO of Phathom Pharmaceuticals, succeeding Terrie Curran
- **2025-04** — Phathom filed for Phase 2 study of VOQUEZNA in Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), dosing first patient

## Links

- Website: https://phathompharma.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-basta-a9195036
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/phathompharma

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/steven-basta
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-14