GammaDelta Therapeutics Expands Management Team Led by Paolo Paoletti as CEO

LONDON, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

GammaDelta Therapeutics Ltd, an emerging, Abingworth-funded biotech company developing novel immunotherapies for cancer and other diseases, announced today that it has expanded its leadership team with the appointments of Paolo Paoletti, MD, as Chief Executive Officer, and Natalie Mount, PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer.

Dr Paoletti has more than 20 years of clinical, commercial and leadership experience in the pharmaceutical sector. He was formerly the first appointed President of GSK Oncology, where he was responsible for the overall oncology business within the firm and oversaw all research and development activities from early discovery through clinical development, launch and life cycle management covering a spectrum of drug modalities. Most recently, Paoletti was Chief Executive Officer of Kesios Therapeutics Ltd.

Commenting on his appointment, Paoletti said: "I'm extremely excited to take on this role to further advance the pioneering research on gamma delta (γδ) T cells of the company's founders, Professor Adrian Hayday and Dr Oliver Nussbaumer at King's College London and the Francis Crick Institute. The unique properties of γδ T cells, coupled with the proprietary knowledge of the company offer great prospects for the development of innovative immunotherapies for many forms of cancers, including solid tumours, and potentially auto-inflammatory diseases."

Natalie Mount, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, joins GammaDelta from the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult where she was Chief Clinical Officer, responsible for the translational, regulatory and clinical development activities. Prior to that, Natalie spent 16 years at Pfizer leading development activities across various therapeutic areas, including cell based therapies in the Regenerative Medicine Unit. In addition, Dayle Hogg, DPhil, has joined as Chief Operating Officer having most recently worked at Kesios Therapeutics as Chief Operating Officer following his role as an Investment Manager at Touchstone Innovations. Raj Mehta, PhD, becomes Director of Intellectual Property, Alliance Management and Business Development following his role as Commercial Founder and interim CEO of GammaDelta, where he was involved in the formation of the company alongside his role as a Business Development Executive at Cancer Research Technology Ltd.

Peter Goodfellow, Chairman at GammaDelta and an Advisor to Abingworth, said: "GammaDelta has attracted a truly world-class management team to advance the development of innovative products in an un-exploited area of lymphocyte biology that may provide a significant contribution to the treatment of many forms of cancer and other diseases. This is a testament to the quality, strength and potential of the fundamental science on which the company is founded and Abingworth is pleased to be supporting the company."

About GammaDelta Therapeutics 

GammaDelta Therapeutics is developing improved immunotherapies for cancer and other serious diseases. The company's research and development is focused on exploiting the unique properties of tissue resident gamma delta (γδ) T cells. These are a unique and conserved population of lymphocytes that contribute to many types of immune responses and immunopathology.

GammaDelta Therapeutics was founded in 2016 by Abingworth with support from Cancer Research Technology Limited based on research undertaken by Professor Adrian Hayday and Dr Oliver Nussbaumer at King's College London and the Francis Crick Institute. The company's offices and laboratories are located at the London Biotechnology Innovations Centre, London.

http://www.gammadeltatx.com  

About Abingworth 

Abingworth is an international investment group dedicated to collaborating with life sciences entrepreneurs to develop their ideas into products that have a dramatic impact on health. With over $1 billion under management, Abingworth invests at all stages of development, from start-ups to publicly traded companies, and across all life science sectors.

Supporting its portfolio companies with a team of 27 at offices in London, Menlo Park (California) and Boston, Abingworth has invested in 142 life science companies, leading to 64 IPOs and 40 mergers and acquisitions. http://www.abingworth.com

SOURCE GammaDelta Therapeutics