Eterna Therapeutics Appoints James Bristol, Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Research and Drug Discovery Veteran, to Board of Directors


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eterna Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ERNA) (“Eterna” or the “Company”), a life science company committed to realizing the potential of mRNA cell engineering to provide patients with transformational new medicines, today announced the appointment of James Bristol, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors.

“Dr. Bristol is a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive who has excelled as a corporate partner, board member, and strategic and technical advisor within our industry,” said Matt Angel, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Eterna. “We are thrilled to have him join our Board as we continue our mission of supporting the development of next-generation therapies using mRNA cell engineering.”

Dr. Bristol added, “Eterna’s mRNA cell engineering platform is a stand out in the industry and I look forward to working with the leadership team and Board to fully realize its potential.”

Dr. Bristol’s career in research & development and drug discovery has spanned more than 30 years. Since his retirement from Pfizer in 2007, he has spent the subsequent 16 years as a consultant, actively engaged in various Boards of Directors, Scientific Advisory Board and advisory roles in the biopharmaceutical industry, including Chairman of the Board of Directors of Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Lead Independent Director of Erasca, and Senior Advisor to Frazier Life Sciences.

Prior to his retirement, Dr. Bristol was Senior Vice President, Worldwide Drug Discovery Research at Pfizer, overseeing discovery collaborations and managing a large team of scientists across multiple company sites in the U.S., U.K., and Japan who produced an industry-leading number of drug development candidates across 11 broadly defined therapeutic areas. Before that, he worked at Parke-Davis for 20 years, where he held positions of increasing responsibility in Chemistry and Drug Discovery and participated in collaboration oversight committees. Early in his career, Dr. Bristol was a Principal Scientist at Schering-Plough, leading the gastrointestinal research program. His drug discovery research has resulted in numerous publications, abstracts, and patents. Dr. Bristol holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of New Hampshire and a B.S. in Chemistry from Bates College.

About Eterna Therapeutics Inc.
Eterna Therapeutics is a life science company committed to realizing the potential of mRNA cell engineering to provide patients with transformational new medicines. Eterna has in-licensed a portfolio of over 130 patents covering key mRNA cell engineering technologies, including technologies for mRNA cell reprogramming, mRNA gene editing, the NoveSlice™ and UltraSlice™ gene-editing proteins, and the ToRNAdo™ mRNA delivery system from Factor Bioscience. NoveSlice™, UltraSlice™, and ToRNAdo™ are trademarks of Factor Bioscience. For more information, please visit www.eternatx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are any statements that are not statements of historical fact and may be identified by terminology such as “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “project,” “will” or other similar words and the negatives of such words. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, uncertainties related to: (i) the evolution of Eterna’s business model into a platform company focused on mRNA, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell and gene editing technologies; (ii) Eterna’s ability to successfully, cost-effectively and efficiently develop its technology and products; (iii) Eterna’s ability to successfully commence clinical trials of any products on a timely basis or at all; (iv) Eterna’s ability to successfully fund and manage the growth of its development activities; and (v) Eterna’s ability to obtain regulatory approvals of its products for commercialization. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The forward-looking statements made in this communication speak only as of the date on which they were made, and Eterna does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date hereof, except as required by applicable law. Factors that may cause Eterna’s actual results to differ from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements contained in this press release are more fully disclosed in Eterna’s periodic public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly under the heading “Risk Factors” in Eterna’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as well as under similar headings in Eterna’s subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

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