Iovance Biotherapeutics Appoints Friedrich Graf Finckenstein, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer

SAN CARLOS, Calif., July 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IOVA), a late-stage biotechnology company developing novel cancer immunotherapies based on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) technology, today announced the appointment of Friedrich Graf Finckenstein, M.D., as chief medical officer. Dr. Graf Finckenstein brings over 19 years of experience in clinical development and translational research to the company.

“We are very pleased to have Dr. Finckenstein join Iovance as we move forward with pivotal studies for lifileucel in metastatic melanoma and LN-145 in metastatic cervical cancer,” said Maria Fardis, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Iovance Biotherapeutics. “Dr. Finckenstein’s experience with prior approval of checkpoint therapy as well as his breadth of involvement with translational medicine will be of great value to Iovance while we progress our late-stage development programs toward commercialization and expand the utility of TIL in new indications.”

“I am very pleased to be part of a dedicated team working on bringing a novel cell therapy to patients with very limited approved therapeutic options,” commented Friedrich Graf Finckenstein, M.D. “I’m excited to be able to contribute to development of TIL therapy as we work on the important next steps involved in preparing for regulatory submission.”

Dr. Graf Finckenstein is a physician-scientist with decades of experience in clinical medicine, laboratory cancer research, and drug development in the biopharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining Iovance he was Global Head of Oncology Translational Medicine at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) in Basel, Switzerland, where he led all clinical development aspects in the Oncology Discovery and Translational Area, including the design and conduct of clinical trials, exploratory development studies and translational medicine, biomarker and personalized healthcare strategy. Prior to that, Dr. Graf Finckenstein held multiple clinical leadership roles at Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company, where he worked on an array of products from early clinical development to late stage, including key contributions to the approval of Opdivo^® in lung cancer. Dr. Graf Finckenstein has a medical degree from the University of Hamburg in Germany. He holds a German medical license, a pediatric board certification, and has conducted basic cancer research at the Ludwig Institute, San Diego Branch, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Hamburg.

About Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc.



Iovance Biotherapeutics intends to commercialize autologous cell therapy products that amplify the body’s own immune response to eradicate solid tumors or attack blood cancers. The company is currently conducting pivotal studies in patients with metastatic melanoma and advanced cervical cancer. In addition, the company’s tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapies are being investigated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic cancers including head and neck and non-small cell lung cancer. For more information, please visit .

Forward-Looking Statements



Certain matters discussed in this press release are “forward-looking statements” of Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). We may, in some cases, use terms such as “predicts,” “believes,” “potential,” “continue,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to the success, timing, projected enrollment, manufacturing and production capabilities, and cost of our ongoing clinical trials and anticipated clinical trials for our current product candidates (including both Company-sponsored and collaborator-sponsored trials in both the U.S. and Europe); the timing of and our ability to obtain and maintain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) or other regulatory authority approval of, or other action with respect to, our product candidates; the preliminary clinical results, which may include efficacy and safety results, presented previously from ongoing Phase 2 studies may not be reflected in the final analyses of these trials; enrollment and patient populations may need to be adjusted for the Company’s trials and cohorts within those trials based on FDA and other regulatory agency input; the successful implementation of the Company’s research and development programs and collaborations; the acceptance by the market of the Company’s product candidates, if approved; and other factors, including general economic conditions and regulatory developments, not within the Company’s control. The factors discussed herein could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed in or implied by such statements. A further list and description of the Company’s risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at  or . The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Investor Relations Contacts: 

Annie Chang

Solebury Trout

646-378-2972

Chad Rubin

Solebury Trout

646-378-2947

Media Relations Contact:

Rich Allan

Solebury Trout

646-378-2958