London, UK – 13 October 2010: The Board of Cell Medica is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Thomas Hecht has as a non-executive director. Cell Medica is a cellular therapeutics company which develops, manufactures and markets cellular immunotherapy products for the treatment of infectious disease and cancer.
Thomas brings a unique mix of clinical, industrial and early-stage life sciences company experience to the Board of Cell Medica. His clinical background in haematology/oncology and internal medicine fits well with Cell Medica’s Cytovir immune reconstitution therapy aimed at treating infections in bone marrow transplant patients, and also the Company’s pipeline products under development for lymphoma and leukaemia applications. With his experience as part of the team which built the European operations of Amgen, Thomas will help guide the launch of Cell Medica’s pan-European marketing strategy for Cytovir.
Nigel Burns, Chairman of Cell Medica, said, “In view of his professional experience and clinical background, Thomas will add significantly to Cell Medica’s Board capabilities at an important time in the Company’s development. Thomas helped build Amgen’s haematology product sales in Europe and our lead Cytovir cell product is aimed at essentially the same clinical market. He is a seasoned board member with an excellent track record in helping early stage biotech companies to achieve significant growth and successful exits.”
About Dr. Thomas Hecht
Thomas started his career in the department for bone marrow transplantation at the City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte, California and subsequently initiated the programme for bone marrow transplantation at the University of Freiburg in 1986. He then joined Amgen in 1989, as the company was setting up its European operations. Amgen’s business grew significantly during this period and Thomas held various positions including Vice President - Marketing for Haematology and Oncology.
Since leaving Amgen, Thomas has worked as a biotech consultant and as a senior board member for several successful life sciences ventures. He was Chairman of ESBATech when Alcon, Inc acquired the privately held company in 2009. He continues as Chairman of Delenex Therapeutics AG, a spin-off of ESBATech. He was recently appointed as Chairman of Cytos Biotechnology AG and also chairs the board of Affimed Therapeutics AG and the advisory council of SuppreMol GmbH.
About Cell Medica
Cell Medica is a cellular therapeutics company engaged in the development, manufacturing and marketing of cellular immunotherapy products for the treatment of infectious disease and cancer. The Company’s lead clinical application, Cytovir CMV, is commercially available in the UK for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in patients following a bone marrow transplant.
Cytovir CMV is an example of adoptive cellular immunotherapy, a new form of medical treatment which has been pioneered by members of Cell Medica’s Scientific Advisory Team. The Company was founded in 2006 to convert this cell therapy into a cost effective treatment for use on a routine basis. The Company’s pipeline products target cancer applications including lymphoma, leukaemia and nasopharyngeal carcinoma and are currently in Phase I/II trials.
The Wellcome Trust has awarded Cell Medica with a Technology Translation Award to finance the first Phase III trial of a cellular therapeutic in the field of infectious disease. Cell Medica has also received grant funding from the UK Technology Strategy Board in support of collaborative research projects aimed at developing new cell therapy applications and manufacturing systems. The Technology Strategy Board recently awarded a grant to Cell Medica and University College London - Institute of Child Health to fund the development of Cytovir ADV to address adenovirus infections in paediatric patients following bone marrow transplants – a critical unmet medical need. The shareholders of Cell Medica include Imperial Innovations, a group of private investors and the founder/CEO, Gregg Sando.
Additional information can be found on the Company’s website: www.cellmedica.co.uk
Further more information, please contact:
Gregg Sando CEO Cell Medica Limited Gregg.Sando@cellmedica.co.uk +44 (0)20 7554 4070
For media enquiries:
Tony Stephenson College Hill tony.stephenson@collegehill.com +44 (0)20 7866 7864
