Iovance Biotherapeutics Appoints Friedrich Graf Finckenstein, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer
July 18 2019 - 8:00AM
Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IOVA), a late-stage
biotechnology company developing novel cancer immunotherapies based
on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) technology, today announced
the appointment of Friedrich Graf Finckenstein, M.D., as chief
medical officer. Dr. Graf Finckenstein brings over 19 years of
experience in clinical development and translational research to
the company.
“We are very pleased to have Dr. Finckenstein join Iovance as we
move forward with pivotal studies for lifileucel in metastatic
melanoma and LN-145 in metastatic cervical cancer,” said Maria
Fardis, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Iovance
Biotherapeutics. “Dr. Finckenstein’s experience with prior approval
of checkpoint therapy as well as his breadth of involvement with
translational medicine will be of great value to Iovance while we
progress our late-stage development programs toward
commercialization and expand the utility of TIL in new
indications.”
“I am very pleased to be part of a dedicated team working on
bringing a novel cell therapy to patients with very limited
approved therapeutic options,” commented Friedrich Graf
Finckenstein, M.D. “I’m excited to be able to contribute to
development of TIL therapy as we work on the important next steps
involved in preparing for regulatory submission.”
Dr. Graf Finckenstein is a physician-scientist with decades of
experience in clinical medicine, laboratory cancer research, and
drug development in the biopharmaceutical industry. Prior to
joining Iovance he was Global Head of Oncology Translational
Medicine at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) in
Basel, Switzerland, where he led all clinical development aspects
in the Oncology Discovery and Translational Area, including the
design and conduct of clinical trials, exploratory development
studies and translational medicine, biomarker and personalized
healthcare strategy. Prior to that, Dr. Graf Finckenstein held
multiple clinical leadership roles at Bristol-Meyers Squibb
Company, where he worked on an array of products from early
clinical development to late stage, including key contributions to
the approval of Opdivo® in lung cancer. Dr. Graf Finckenstein has a
medical degree from the University of Hamburg in Germany. He holds
a German medical license, a pediatric board certification, and has
conducted basic cancer research at the Ludwig Institute, San Diego
Branch, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the University of
Hamburg.
About Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Iovance Biotherapeutics intends to commercialize autologous cell
therapy products that amplify the body’s own immune response to
eradicate solid tumors or attack blood cancers. The company is
currently conducting pivotal studies in patients with metastatic
melanoma and advanced cervical cancer. In addition, the company’s
tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapies are being
investigated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced,
recurrent or metastatic cancers including head and neck and
non-small cell lung cancer. For more information, please
visit www.iovance.com.
Forward-Looking StatementsCertain matters
discussed in this press release are “forward-looking statements”
of Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (hereinafter referred to
as the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). We may, in some cases, use
terms such as “predicts,” “believes,” “potential,” “continue,”
“estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,”
“could,” “might,” “will,” “should” or other words that convey
uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these
forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements include,
but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to the
success, timing, projected enrollment, manufacturing and production
capabilities, and cost of our ongoing clinical trials and
anticipated clinical trials for our current product candidates
(including both Company-sponsored and collaborator-sponsored
trials in both the U.S. and Europe); the timing of and our
ability to obtain and maintain U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (“FDA”) or other regulatory authority approval
of, or other action with respect to, our product candidates; the
preliminary clinical results, which may include efficacy and safety
results, presented previously from ongoing Phase 2 studies may not
be reflected in the final analyses of these trials; enrollment and
patient populations may need to be adjusted for the Company’s
trials and cohorts within those trials based on FDA and
other regulatory agency input; the successful implementation of the
Company’s research and development programs and collaborations; the
acceptance by the market of the Company’s product candidates, if
approved; and other factors, including general economic conditions
and regulatory developments, not within the Company’s control. The
factors discussed herein could cause actual results and
developments to be materially different from those expressed in or
implied by such statements. A further list and description of the
Company’s risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in
the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the
Company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Copies of these filings are available online
at www.sec.gov or www.iovance.com. The forward-looking
statements are made only as of the date of this press release and
the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such
forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or
circumstances.
Investor Relations Contacts: Annie
ChangSolebury Trout646-378-2972achang@troutgroup.com
Chad RubinSolebury Trout646-378-2947crubin@troutgroup.com
Media Relations Contact: Rich AllanSolebury
Trout646-378-2958rallan@troutgroup.com
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