WATERTOWN, Mass., Sept. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abata Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company focused on transforming lives with Treg therapies for severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, today announced the appointment of Joanne Beck, Ph.D., as chief technical officer. Dr. Beck succeeds Stephen Sofen, Ph.D., who is retiring and will remain involved as an advisor to Abata.
Dr. Beck is a seasoned biotech executive with more than 30 years of experience across large pharma and early-stage biotech in the areas of CMC, product development, clinical & commercial manufacturing, product launch, and continuous improvement. She has worked across modalities and therapeutic areas, including cell and gene therapy and immunology. She has contributed to more than 50 investigational new drug (IND) and clinical trial application (CTA) filings, including novel cell therapies, and numerous product marketing applications and commercial launches.
“Joanne’s experience is an ideal fit for Abata both now and for the road ahead. She has a tremendous track record in CMC and product development, which has paved the way for the advancement of many successful drug programs. While at Celgene, she was responsible for much of the groundwork leading to one of the first cell therapy approvals. Joanne also has history with Abata, as she consulted on our early CMC strategy,” said Samantha Singer, M.S., M.B.A., president and chief executive officer of Abata. “We are also tremendously thankful for the service of Stephen Sofen and congratulate him on his retirement. His accomplishments, including spearheading our groundbreaking manufacturing process with our partners at ElevateBio, have put us in an excellent position as we enter the clinic. His work is in great hands with Joanne.”
“I’m thrilled to be working with Abata again and have been impressed watching the company’s progress advancing its platform and programs. Further, Abata’s partnership with ElevateBio has been a strategic and operational game-changer. The robust plug-and-play manufacturing process and arsenal of analytical methods are ready to support clinical studies for both ABA-101 and ABA-201 and are well-poised for pipeline expansion,” said Dr. Beck. “I look forward to working closely with the team and our partners to continue this incredible journey and help transform the lives of patients.”
Dr. Beck most recently served as the chief technology officer at Aerium Therapeutics, Inc. Prior to Aerium, she served as the chief operating officer and interim CEO at Boston Pharmaceuticals. Previously, Dr. Beck served as the Executive Vice President of Global Pharmaceutical Development and Operations at Celgene Corporation. She also served in leadership positions at other pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including Shire, Abbott Laboratories, Genentech, and Amgen. Dr. Beck has served as a member of the board of directors of multiple public biopharmaceutical companies, including Orchard Therapeutics and Astria Therapeutics. Dr. Beck holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Lewis and Clark College, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Oregon Health and Science University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco.
About Abata Therapeutics
Abata Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech company dedicated to transforming lives with Treg therapies for severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Founded by pioneers in Treg biology, TCR and antigen discovery, disease pathogenesis, and molecular and imaging biomarkers, Abata has developed a differentiated product engine to create engineered Treg cell therapies that are tissue-specific, robust, and durable. Abata’s lead program in progressive MS is on track to initiate a Phase 1 study in 2024, and its second program in type 1 diabetes is in IND-enabling studies. Both indications are tissue-specific autoimmune diseases with substantial unmet need, supporting a strong rationale for Abata’s Treg approach. The company was launched in 2021 by Third Rock Ventures, and today is supported by a diverse syndicate of investors, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, ElevateBio, Eurofarma, Invus, Samsara BioCapital, and T1D Fund (formerly JDRF T1D Fund). Abata is based in Watertown, Mass. Please visit abatatx.com or follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn for more information.
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