Adaptive Biotechnologies Appoints Veteran Molecular Diagnostics Executive Michael Pellini, MD, to Board of Directors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Adaptive Biotechnologies, a leader in next-generation sequencing (NGS) of T- and B-cell receptors of the adaptive immune system, announced today the addition of Dr. Michael Pellini to its Board of Directors. As the former CEO and current Chairman of the Board of Directors of Foundation Medicine, Dr. Pellini led the development and commercialization of a suite of molecular information products and services to aid in the diagnosis and management of advanced cancer, and to optimize the discovery and development of novel oncology therapies. He brings substantial knowledge in life sciences and clinical diagnostics to Adaptive as it turns to more broadly commercializing its technologies. Dr. Pellini’s industry experience will benefit Adaptive as it accelerates the growth of its diagnostic franchise, including the clonoSEQ^® Assay for measuring Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) in blood cancers, as well as the recently announced machine learning partnership with Microsoft Research to map the human immunome.

“Mike is a recognized leader in the development, operation and growth of diagnostic, molecular information and precision medicine companies, which have had a significant impact on human health and the understanding of disease,” said Chad Robins, founder and CEO of Adaptive. “In addition to Mike’s broad, practical knowledge of the regulatory and reimbursement landscape for clinical diagnostics, his genuine approach to leading both people and organizations is a great cultural fit for Adaptive. We are honored to have him on our team.”

“Adaptive’s mission to harness the natural properties of the immune system and, thereby, more precisely diagnose disease and guide therapy, represents one of the most compelling opportunities to impact human health on a global scale,” said Mike Pellini. “I look forward to working with the management team and fellow Board members and to contributing in any way possible to the continued growth of the Adaptive diagnostics business, especially as it continues to innovate, drives market adoption of its critical tools for immunity-based medicine and realizes the potential of its novel partnership with Microsoft.”

Michael Pellini, M.D., is a Managing Partner of Section 32, a tech and life-science-based venture capital fund and Chairman of the Board of Foundation Medicine, Inc. (NASDAQ: FMI), where he served as Chief Executive Officer from 2011 to 2017. He was President and COO of Clarient, Inc. (“Clarient”), which was acquired by GE Healthcare in 2010. He also currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Tango Therapeutics, Singular Genomics, the Personalized Medicine Coalition, and the Mission Hospital Foundation. As a physician with more than 20 years of executive experience with companies at the forefront of clinical diagnostics and genomics, Dr. Pellini brings a breadth of understanding in personalized medicine, with a particular interest and focus in cancer. Dr. Pellini is a member of the President’s Leadership Council at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, as well as the Advisory Board for Mission Hospital’s Cancer Institute (Provident/St. Joseph Health).

About Adaptive Biotechnologies^®

Adaptive Biotechnologies is a pioneer and leader in combining high-throughput sequencing and expert bioinformatics to profile T-cell and B-cell receptors. Adaptive is bringing the accuracy and sensitivity of its immunosequencing platform into laboratories around the world to drive groundbreaking research in cancer and other immune-mediated diseases. Adaptive’s mission is to translate immunosequencing discoveries into clinical diagnostics and therapeutics to improve patient care. For more information, please visit adaptivebiotech.com.

The clonoSEQ Assay is sold as a CLIA certified laboratory service. The assay is not currently approved or cleared by the FDA.

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