LIfT BioSciences, a rapidly emerging biotech and world leader in neutrophil immuno-therapies, announces the appointment of Mark A. Exley, PhD as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), effective 7 April. The appointment of a CSO with extensive clinical expertise comes at a pivotal time for LIfT, as the Company prepares for clinical trials of its first-in-class immuno-modulator, designed to rejuvenate patient immunity and overcome treatment resistance in solid tumours.
Mark is a translational immunologist, bringing over 30 years of R&D experience leading technology from discovery to late-stage clinical trials in industry and academia. Most recently, he served as Chief Scientific Officer of Imvax Inc, a private clinical-stage biotech company developing personalised immunotherapies against solid tumours. Prior to this, he served as Vice President of Immunology at the predecessor company of MiNK Therapeutics, a NASDAQ listed clinical-stage biopharma developing allogeneic natural killer T cell therapies for cancer and immune-mediated diseases, where he is still a Scientific Advisory Board Member. Additionally, he co-founded NKT Therapeutics and has consulted for various biotechs and venture capital funds, including Abingworth. Mark has held several academic roles of increasing seniority at Harvard Medical School and the University of Manchester, UK, and currently retains an honorary academic appointment. He holds a PhD in Cell Biology from the Institute of Cancer Research, an MSc in Immunology from King’s College London and a BSc in Biochemistry from Imperial College London.
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Alex Blyth, Chief Executive Officer of LIfT BioSciences, commented: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Mark as our new CSO. He joins LIfT at an exciting time as we prepare to progress our proprietary Neutrophil-based Leukocyte Infusion Therapy (N-LIfT) platform into the clinic. His wealth of experience in cell therapies and clinical trial design will prove invaluable as we enter this next significant stage of development.”
Mark A. Exley, Chief Scientific Officer at LIfT BioSciences, added: “LIfT’s first-in-class cell therapy offers a novel approach to solid tumour treatment, harnessing the largely untapped power of neutrophils to prevent tumour escape and relapse. The Company’s preclinical data is compelling, and I look forward to collaborating with the team and applying my R&D expertise to advance N-LIfT through clinical development, bringing us a step closer to making this transformative therapy available to patients in need.”
SOURCE: GlobeNewswire