AIVITA Biomedical Strengthens Board of Directors with Appointment of Ex-Biogen CEO Michel Vounatsos

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Feb 27, 2024, 07:30 ET

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AIVITA Biomedical, Inc., a biotech company specializing in innovative stem cell applications, today announced the appointment of distinguished healthcare executive Michel Vounatsos to its board of directors. Michel is a seasoned executive and strategic visionary in the pharmaceutical industry who adds invaluable expertise and guidance to AIVITA's board.

"Michel brings a wealth of experience in the commercial development of late-stage therapeutics," said AIVITA CEO Dr. Hans S. Keirstead. "His governance and strategy will benefit our Phase 3 approved cancer asset and commercially approved pathogen vaccine asset."

Michel Vounatsos is a career healthcare executive and former Chief Executive Officer of Biogen. Prior to joining Biogen, Michel had a 20-year career at Merck where he held commercial leadership positions across Europe. He also held management positions at Ciba-Geigy, a pharmaceutical company. He has CSCT certificate in Medicine from the Université Victor Segalen, Bordeaux II, France and an MBA from the HEC School of Management in Paris.

AIVITA Biomedical has recently received clinical approval by the US FDA for a Phase 3 trial of its personal immunotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme, which showed a 50% increase in progression-free survival in Phase 2 trials. The company is also commercializing a point-of-care-made personalized vaccine which demonstrated improved safety and enhanced cellular immune memory and protection in 97% of evaluable subjects during clinical testing.

About AIVITA Biomedical

Founded in 2016 by pioneers in the cell therapy industry, AIVITA Biomedical, Inc. utilizes its expertise in stem cell growth and directed, high-purity differentiation to enable safe, efficient and economical manufacturing systems which support its therapeutic pipeline. Our cancer immunotherapy targets the seed of all cancers, tumor-initiating cells, with a unique pan-antigenic approach that targets all neoantigens specific to the patient's cancer. Our patient-specific cancer treatments have shown great promise including eradicating tumors, without harmful side effects in melanoma, and renal cell cancer, and prolonging progression-free survival in glioblastoma. Our Vaccine Enabling Kit for infectious diseases is targeted to emerging nations enabling point-of-care vaccine production in minimally equipped facilities by minimally trained third-party technicians.

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SOURCE AIVITA Biomedical, Inc.