Mike Hirschmann

I have spent the last 30 years commercializing oncology and hematology therapies—the last seven of them in cell therapy, where the playbook was still being written. Today, as Chief Commercial Officer at Orca Bio, I am building the inaugural commercial organization for Orca-T, the first allogeneic T-cell therapy in transplant oncology. We are navigating a new modality and new market dynamics, but the work remains focused on the same fundamental question every cell therapy launch must answer: how do you turn a high-precision clinical breakthrough into a commercial franchise that actually reaches patients at scale? My approach is shaped by the years I spent at Legend Biotech. When I joined in 2018, Carvykti was a molecule. By 2025, it was the fastest-growing CAR-T franchise in the U.S., a $963M business with a 60-person commercial organization built from a blank canvas. Along the way, we activated more than 100 authorized treatment centers, managed a complex co-commercialization partnership with J&J, and navigated supply-constrained launch dynamics that don’t appear in any textbook. That experience is what I bring to Orca Bio as we focus on the intersection of innovative science and real-world access. This includes everything from site activation strategies that bridge transplant centers and community oncology to building reimbursement architecture for therapies the current payer system wasn’t designed for. I believe in aligning manufacturing and commercial readiness so that innovation moves effectively from development to the bedside. Ultimately, I am a believer in building teams that can execute amid uncertainty without losing sight of the patient in every decision. If you are focused on advancing commercial innovation and strengthening the treatment ecosystem, I’m always glad to compare notes.