WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - June 27, 2016) - The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the international advocacy organization representing the gene and cellular therapies and broader regenerative medicine sector, announces that Robert A. Preti, Ph.D., president of PCT and Caladrius Biosciences’ senior vice president, manufacturing and technical operations, has been named chairman of ARM, effective immediately.
Prior to this role, Dr. Preti served as ARM vice-chair from January 2015 and has also served as a member of the organization’s Executive Committee and co-chair of the Science and Technology Committee.
Dr. Preti succeeds current ARM Chairman Edward Lanphier, who, as of June 1, 2016, retired from his role as president and CEO of Sangamo BioSciences, remaining as chairman of the company’s board of directors. Mr. Lanphier will remain an active participant on ARM’s Board of Directors and will continue to serve on the organization’s Executive Committee.
Under Mr. Lanphier’s chairmanship at ARM, the organization grew to include more than 245 members and is recognized as the leading international advocacy organization for gene and cell therapies and the broader regenerative medicine sector, spearheading dialogue to advance regulatory, scientific and policy achievements.
“ARM would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Edward, not only for his service as chairman of ARM, but for the enormous contributions he and his company have made to the gene therapy and biotech sectors as a whole throughout his 30-plus years in the industry. We wish him every success in this next phase of his life and for his continued contributions to ARM as a Board and Executive Committee member,” said Morrie Ruffin, ARM’s managing director. “With this transition, we welcome Bob’s expanded leadership role at ARM as our new chairman. He brings deep knowledge of the organization, unparalleled experience as a leader in the cell and gene therapy sectors and a keen understanding of the clinical and commercial requirements for success.”
“It has been a rewarding experience working with ARM both since its founding and in an executive capacity in recent years, and I’m excited to continue that relationship by serving as Chairman,” said Dr. Preti. “ARM’s dedication to advancing regenerative medicine and cell therapies and to bringing its stakeholders together is unprecedented, and aligns with PCT’s own vision of contributing to a world in which transformative cell-based therapeutics are accessible to all patients in need.”
About The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) is an international multi-stakeholder advocacy organization that promotes legislative, regulatory and reimbursement initiatives necessary to facilitate access to life-giving advances in regenerative medicine worldwide. ARM also works to increase public understanding of the field and its potential to transform human healthcare, providing business development and investor outreach services to support the growth of its member companies and research organizations. Prior to the formation of ARM in 2009, there was no advocacy organization operating in Washington, D.C. to specifically represent the interests of the companies, research institutions, investors and patient groups that comprise the entire regenerative medicine community. Today, ARM has more than 240 members and is the leading global advocacy organization in this field. To learn more about ARM or to become a member, visit http://www.alliancerm.org.
About Caladrius Biosciences
Caladrius Biosciences, Inc., through its subsidiary, PCT, is a leading development and manufacturing partner to the cell therapy industry. PCT works with its clients to overcome the fundamental challenges of cell therapy manufacturing by providing a wide range of innovative services including product and process development, GMP manufacturing, engineering and automation, cell and tissue processing, logistics, storage and distribution, as well as expert consulting and regulatory support. PCT and Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd. have entered into a strategic global collaboration to accelerate the creation of a global commercial cell therapy development and manufacturing enterprise with deep engineering expertise. Around the core expertise of PCT, Caladrius strategically develops select product candidates, which currently includes an innovative therapy for type 1 diabetes based on a proprietary platform technology for immunomodulation. For more information, visit www.caladrius.com
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Michelle Linn
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