Most recently served as senior vice president, U.S. Oncology, at Bristol Myers Squibb and brings an industry-leading track record in oncology and general management
Will lead expansion of Neogene with U.S. headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., as the company’s location for its cell therapy development group spear-heading the clinical translation of novel neo-antigen T cell therapies
U.S. organization based in newly leased 20,000-square-foot multi-purpose facility with laboratory and office space and 18,000-square-foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Santa Monica to supply cell products for the company’s clinical programs
SANTA MONICA, Calif., and AMSTERDAM, May 26, 2021 – Neogene Therapeutics, Inc., a preclinical stage biotechnology company pioneering a new class of fully personalized neo-antigen T cell therapies to treat cancer, today announced the appointment of Brent Pfeiffenberger, Pharm.D., MBA, as chief operating officer. Dr. Pfeiffenberger will oversee Neogene’s business operations and will be based out of Neogene’s new U.S. headquarters in Santa Monica.
“Brent brings decades of extensive experience from both general operational management and commercial leadership roles,” said Carsten Linnemann, Ph.D., president, chief executive officer and co-founder of Neogene Therapeutics. “He is a seasoned executive with an outstanding track record of bringing innovative treatment modalities to patients, including immuno-oncology therapies that have changed the way cancer is treated around the world. We are privileged to have Brent at the helm of our U.S.-based leadership team, spearheading the build-out of our global operations from our Santa Monica headquarters. Our expansion in Santa Monica symbolizes a major step forward in our operational growth, and our ability to manufacture our own cell products will facilitate the rapid clinical translation of our innovative cell therapies.”
While at Bristol Myers Squibb, Dr. Pfeiffenberger held several critical business leadership roles – both within and outside the U.S. – where he built, led and evolved commercial operations. In his most recent role, he served as senior vice president, head of U.S. Oncology, where he oversaw an extensive oncology portfolio. He previously served as general manager of Australia/New Zealand and led the Worldwide Commercial Oncology Organization, where he closely partnered with the Research and Development team on the creation and delivery of global development strategies for a large-scale oncology program.
“I am honored to be joining Neogene Therapeutics during this pivotal time and am eager to establish and scale the company’s operations in the U.S. and Europe as well as shape our novel and unique portfolio strategy,” said Dr. Pfeiffenberger. “Neogene Therapeutics is a leader in the neo-antigen specific T cell therapy space and intends to change the paradigm of T cell therapy for solid tumors by providing fully individualized engineered T cell therapies to patients. The company’s dedication to innovation, cutting-edge science and focus on patients is impressive. I am looking forward to working with the very talented and growing team.”
The addition of Dr. Pfeiffenberger further expands Neogene’s senior leadership team in the U.S. after the recent appointments of Mauro P. Avanzi, M.D., Ph.D., as vice president of clinical development; Arianne Perez Garcia, Ph.D., as vice president of translational sciences; Kanti Thirumoorthy, Ph.D., as vice president of technical operations; and Jan J.H. Joosten as general counsel.
Neogene’s U.S. leadership team will operate from its U.S. headquarters in Santa Monica, which has become a leading hub for cell therapy development over the last decade. Neogene recently leased several facilities to establish its operational footprint in Santa Monica, including a 20,000-square-foot lab and office facility providing space for its translational science, process development and quality groups as well as its G&A functions. Neogene has also leased an 18,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, which will be used for current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) manufacturing of clinical supply of Neogene’s novel neo-antigen T cell therapies. The company’s European headquarters will continue to be based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where the company’s discovery research team is located.
About Neogene Therapeutics
Neogene Therapeutics, Inc. is a preclinical stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of next-generation, fully personalized engineered T cells therapies for a broad spectrum of cancers. The company’s engineered T cells target mutated proteins, or neo-antigens, found in cancer cells as a consequence of cancer-associated DNA mutations. Neo-antigens render tumor cells vulnerable to detection by T cells. Neogene’s proprietary technology platform aims to identify TCR genes with specificity for neo-antigens from tumor biopsies. Neogene’s novel approach intends to deliver a tailored set of TCR genes for each individual patient, which will be engineered into patient-derived T cells directing them toward neo-antigens in tumor cells, with the goal of providing a fully personalized engineered T cell therapy for cancer.
For more information, please visit www.neogene.com and follow Neogene Therapeutics on LinkedIn.
# # #
CONTACTS:
Investor Contact:
Carsten Linnemann, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
cl@neogene.com
Media Contact:
Sheryl Seapy
Real Chemistry
949-903-4750
sseapy@realchemistry.com
