Shinobi Strengthens Leadership to Propel Scalable Immune-Evasive Cell Therapies to the Clinic

• Company appoints Dr. Luis Borges as first Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Dr. Steven Katz as first Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
• Dr. Katy Rezvani and Dr. Georg Schett join Shinobi's world-class Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), alongside Dr. Carl June.
• New appointments cap Shinobi's achievements of the last 12 months, including its series A financing, largest AMED grant awarded to date ($59M) supporting Shinobi's first clinical trial, and strategic partnerships with Panasonic and Anocca.

SAN FRANCISCO and KYOTO, Japan, Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Shinobi Therapeutics, the biotechnology company developing a new class of immune evasive iPS therapies, today announced key leadership appointments including its first CSO and CMO, and the expansion of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) with world-class experts in cell therapy. These milestones come as Shinobi advances its pipeline–targeting solid tumors and autoimmune disorders–positioning itself for clinical trials and continued growth.

The company has named Dr. Luis Borges as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Dr. Steven Katz as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), both bringing decades of expertise in cell therapy development and clinical execution. "The addition of Luis and Steven is a game-changer for Shinobi," said CEO Dan Kemp. "Their deep expertise in cell therapy development and clinical execution will fast-track our mission to bring scalable, immune-evasive therapies to patients battling solid tumors and autoimmune diseases worldwide."

Shinobi also announced the consolidation of its SAB with the addition of two renowned cell therapy pioneers, Drs. Katy Rezvani and Georg Schett, alongside current member Dr. Carl June. Dr. Rezvani's groundbreaking work in CAR-NK cell immunotherapy, and Dr. Schett's pioneering research in applying CAR-T to autoimmune diseases align closely with Shinobi's technical and therapeutic goals. "I appreciate Shinobi´s mission to deliver hypoimmune iPSC-derived NK and T cells to a broad range of patients," said Dr. Georg Schett.

"We're thrilled to welcome Georg and Katy to our SAB," Kemp added. "Their insights and expertise will be instrumental as we advance our pipeline and prepare for clinical trials in Japan and beyond."

Dr. Steven Katz, M.D. – Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Katz brings more than 15 years of experience in clinical oncology leadership, translational science, and clinical development of immunotherapeutics, including cell therapy for solid tumors in the US and Japan. He has led multiple clinical trials, built immune correlative biospecimen programs, helped secure IND clearance for complex drug-device trials, and supported a Nasdaq listing. He has also developed novel immunotherapy approaches for liver and pancreatic tumors. At Shinobi, Dr. Katz will lead translational science and clinical operations, with a focus on overcoming solid tumor challenges.

"Shinobi's immune evasion technology represents a breakthrough in cell therapy. By simplifying manufacturing and enabling safer, repeatable dosing, we can finally bring scalable, off-the-shelf treatments to more patients in need, with broad application for solid tumors and autoimmune diseases," said Dr. Katz.

Dr. Luis Borges, Ph.D. – Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Borges joins Shinobi with over 28 years of experience in scientific and executive leadership. He is renowned for his expertise in iPSC-derived T and NK cell therapies, having served as CSO at Century Therapeutics for over four years. Under his leadership, Century advanced the company's first iPSC-derived product candidate, CNTY-101, into Phase I clinical trials for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and autoimmune diseases. Dr. Borges has also held prominent roles, including CSO at Metagenomi and Cell Medica, Senior Vice President of Research at Five Prime Therapeutics, and Scientific Director in Amgen's Hematology and Oncology division. At Shinobi, Dr. Borges will lead the company's R&D efforts across the U.S. and Japan, overseeing the development of its innovative cell therapy pipeline. 

"I'm thrilled to join Shinobi Therapeutics at such a transformative time in cell therapy," said Dr. Borges. "The company's innovative hypo-immune iPSC-derived cell therapy platform has the potential to redefine how we treat cancer and autoimmune diseases, offering scalable solutions that can redefine treatment for patients globally."

Shinobi is also expanding its SAB and welcomes:

• Dr. Katy Rezvani, an immunotherapy pioneer who has advanced CAR-NK cell therapies across hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, and autoimmune diseases.
• Dr. Georg Schett, a world leader in autoimmune disease research and pioneer of the successful application of CAR-T cell therapy in autoimmune diseases.

They join renowned innovator of CAR-T cell therapy, Dr. Carl June, creating an SAB with a deep and multifaceted level of expertise in the field.

One year after raising its $51M Series A, Shinobi has demonstrated significant advancements:

• Funding Milestones: Secured $59M in non-dilutive funding from AMED, bringing total funding to $119M.
• Pipeline Development: Selected its first 3 programs for clinical development, targeting solid tumors and autoimmune diseases.
• Strategic Partnerships: Partnered with Panasonic to enhance manufacturing efficiency and Anocca to develop TCR-engineered iPS-T cell therapies for solid tumors.
• Global Focus: Established operations in Japan, leveraging its legacy as the birthplace of iPSC technology and streamlined clinical trial infrastructure.

About Shinobi Therapeutics

Shinobi Therapeutics is a biotechnology company addressing the scalability and accessibility challenges of cell therapies. While autologous treatments have demonstrated success in treating blood cancers and other diseases, their complexity, high manufacturing costs, and limited scalability prevent broader patient access. Shinobi's immune-evasive iPS-T cell platform offers a paradigm shift, enabling off-the-shelf cell therapies that work with, not against, the patient's immune system.

Built on over a decade of research by co-founders Shin Kaneko, M.D., Ph.D., and Tobias Deuse, M.D., Shinobi's allogeneic iPS-T cell platform demonstrates comprehensive immune evasion, allowing for multiple doses over extended periods. This approach promises to improve patient outcomes while addressing the economic and regulatory challenges of current cell therapies. For more information, please visit www.shinobitx.com. 

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SOURCE Shinobi Therapeutics