SAN DIEGO– (BUSINESS WIRE)– Calidi Biotherapeutics, Inc. (“Calidi”), a clinical‐stage biotechnology company at the forefront of oncolytic virus-based immunotherapies for cancer, today announced the appointment of seasoned biotech executive, Heehyoung Lee, Managing Partner at LumeBio, to its board of directors. Dr. Lee brings over 15 years of drug discovery and development of innovative and high-impact pharmaceuticals. In her current role at LumeBio, a Korean based biotechnology company, Dr. Lee is focused on finding strategic assets to maximize through efficient development processes.
“We are extremely pleased and honored to have Heehyoung join our growing board of scientific and industry experts,” said Allan Camaisa, CEO of Calidi Biotherapeutics. “She is a highly respected and seasoned R&D executive with valuable drug development and biotechnology industry experience. We look forward to Heehyoung’s expert engagement and assistance in fulfilling our goal of bringing our breakthrough platform to the oncology community.”
"I'm excited to join Calidi Biotherapeutics board and collaborate with their distinguished board members and Calidi’s executive leadership team to contribute to the company's mission of developing and delivering innovative medicines for patients living with difficult to treat cancers," said Heehyoung Lee, Ph.D. "I believe that SNV1 offers incredible promise as a stand-alone and combination oncolytic viral therapy and Calidi Biotherapeutics proprietary allogeneic stem cell delivery platform has the potential to enhance and improve many oncolytic viral therapies currently in development.”
Dr. Lee has previously held positions at Hanmi Pharmaceuticals, Sorrento Therapeutics, and an academic position at City of Hope in Los Angeles, CA. Upon completing her Ph.D. in Pathology & Molecular Medicine in 2002, Dr. Lee received the American Heart Association Fellowship and held a postdoctoral position at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. Dr. Lee’s research focused on tumor immunobiology and cancer. She led the seminal findings in linking lipid metabolism to JAK-STAT-driven cancer, which is published in Nature Medicine and Nature Reviews Cancer. Her extensive background also includes global strategic planning and alliance management with Sanofi, Genentech, and Eli Lilly.
About Calidi Biotherapeutics
Calidi Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company with proprietary technology that is revolutionizing the effective delivery of oncolytic viruses for targeted therapy against difficult to treat cancers. Calidi Biotherapeutics is advancing a potent allogeneic stem cell and oncolytic virus combination for use in multiple oncology indications. Calidi’s off-the shelf universal cell-based delivery platform is designed to protect, amplify and potentiate oncolytic viruses currently in development leading to enhanced efficacy and improved patient safety. Calidi Biotherapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, please visit www.calidibio.com.
About SNV1
Supernova 1 (SNV1) is CAL1 tumor selective vaccinia virus combined with allogeneic adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSC). Vaccinia virus is not a human pathogen and has been extensively used as a vaccine in hundreds of millions of people for smallpox. CAL1 has naturally occurring attenuations/truncations linked to tumor selectivity and can infect wide range of tumor cells as vaccinia virus does not require a cell receptor. In addition, CAL1 offers a large insertion capacity of therapeutic genes for next generation, gene modified vaccinia viruses. To protect the vaccinia virus from the complement system, Calidi utilizes AD-MSC to protect the viral payload from the patients’ immune system, thus allowing effective delivery to the tumor sites.
Forward Looking Statement
Some of the statements in this press release may be forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties inherent in research and development. Such forward-looking statements include the expectations, plans and prospects for the Company, including potential clinical successes, anticipated regulatory approvals and future product launches, and projected revenues, margins, earnings and market shares. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. The statements made by the Company are based upon management’s current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include market conditions and other factors beyond the Company’s control. Calidi Biotherapeutics does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the completeness or updated status of such statements.
