Cibus Appoints New CEO
Cibus Appoints Agricultural Biotech Leader Craig Wichner as New CEO to Drive Growth
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Cibus, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBUS) appointed Craig Wichner as Chief Executive Officer on June 8, 2026, ending a 15-month interim leadership period and signaling a hard turn toward commercial execution. Wichner, the founder of farmland investment firm Farmland LP, steps in as the San Diego-based gene-editing company races to convert its technology into royalty revenue before its cash runs out. Yahoo Finance reported the move is designed to "accelerate growth and value creation."
Dr. Peter Beetham, who served as Interim CEO since March 2025, returns to his permanent roles as President and Chief Operating Officer. Both Wichner and Beetham resigned from the Cibus Board of Directors as part of the leadership reshuffle, according to Benzinga.
Wichner Brings Farmland Finance Muscle to Biotech
Wichner built Farmland LP into a major U.S. farmland investment manager, overseeing more than $350 million in assets and 19,000 acres. His background is in capital discipline and large-scale farm operations — not lab science. Board Chairman Mark Finn said Craig's experience "will be invaluable as we execute our capital strategy to drive longer-term value creation," according to Markets Financial Content.
Wichner wasted no time framing his priorities. "My immediate focus is execution: getting Cibus' improved traits into customers' hands, converting our near-term commercialization targets into revenue, and maintaining the capital discipline to get there," he said, per CA Yahoo Finance. That last phrase — capital discipline — carries real weight. Cibus posted a net loss of $21.2 million in Q1 2026 alone and holds just $30.3 million in cash.
Beetham Raised $62 Million and Advanced the Trait Machine
Beetham's 15-month run as Interim CEO was not idle. He raised over $62 million in new investment and pushed Cibus' flagship Trait Machine™ technology closer to market. The Trait Machine is a semi-automated gene-editing system that modifies plant DNA without adding foreign genes — meaning regulators in the U.S. and Canada do not classify the resulting crops as GMOs.
In May 2026, Cibus hit a key milestone: it transferred gene-edited herbicide-tolerant rice traits to Latin American partner Interoc for testing and production. The company sees 5 to 7 million addressable acres in that region, with potential royalties estimated at $200 million annually, according to Yahoo Finance.
Cash Runway Ends in Early 2027 as U.S. Launch Slips to 2029
Cibus faces a tight clock. Its cash is expected to run out in late Q1 2027 if no new capital arrives. The U.S. rice launch was already pushed back from 2028 to 2029 due to partner registration delays. That leaves Wichner roughly nine months to either raise funds or hit revenue milestones, according to Yahoo Finance.
The company has raised about $37.3 million through two equity offerings so far in 2026 and is targeting annual cash use of $30 million or less. Its debt-to-equity ratio stands at a steep 12.28. CBUS stock fell roughly 4.65% to $1.23 on the day of Wichner's appointment, reflecting ongoing investor concern, per Benzinga.
Regulatory Clouds Gather Over Gene-Editing Industry
Cibus markets its crops as "indistinguishable from nature" to sidestep GMO labels and regulations. That strategy faces new pressure. A UK High Court ruling on June 4, 2026 found the government "failed to fully investigate the consequences" of deregulating gene-edited organisms. The decision could force stricter labeling rules that directly undercut Cibus' positioning in Europe.
Critics go further. Groups like the Non-GMO Project call Cibus' technology "GMO 2.0" and argue market uptake of gene-edited crops remains "virtually non-existent" despite rapid deregulation. For Wichner, turning that skepticism around — while the cash clock ticks — is now job one, according to Markets Financial Content.
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