Oxford Biomedica Appoints Dr. Sam Rasty as Non-Executive Director

Oxford Biomedica Appoints Dr. Sam Rasty as Non-Executive Director

         

Oxford, UK – 23 November, 2020: Oxford Biomedica plc (LSE:OXB) (“Oxford Biomedica” or “the Group”), a leading gene and cell therapy group, is pleased to announce that, with effect from 1 December 2020, Dr. Siyamak (“Sam”) Rasty has been appointed to the Group’s Board as a Non-Executive Director.

Dr. Rasty brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in biopharma R&D, commercial, business development, strategy and operations at global large and medium-sized pharmaceutical and early stage, private biotechnology companies. He is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of PlateletBio, a US-based pioneering cell-based therapeutics company. Previously, he served as Chief Operating Officer at Homology Medicines, Inc., a genetic medicines company that he helped launch in 2016, having played a key role in transforming the company from a private start-up to an established, fully integrated public gene therapy and gene editing company.  Prior to joining Homology, he held senior positions at Shire Pharmaceuticals, including as Vice President and Head of New Products, Director of Corporate Development at Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Director of Portfolio Management, Business & Commercial Analysis and Global Commercial Strategy at GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Rasty holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Louisiana State University, where he focused on transcriptional regulation of lentiviruses, completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and received an MBA from Villanova University.

There are no disclosures required to be made in accordance with LR 9.6.13R.

Dr. Roch Doliveux, Non-Executive Chairman of Oxford Biomedica, said: “We are delighted that Sam is joining our Board of Directors. He brings significant experience to the Group from both his CEO role at PlateletBio and his previous COO role at Homology, both in the US.  Having already been involved in building and growing successful gene and cell therapy companies, Sam brings an invaluable combination of leadership, strategy and operational knowledge to the Board at this important time.”

Dr. Sam Rasty added: “Gene and cell therapies are the new frontier in medicine, addressing previously untreatable human diseases and revolutionising treatment paradigms for patients.  As such, I am delighted to be joining the Board of Oxford Biomedica, a Group that has played a central role in key innovations in gene therapy and development of the industry.”

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About Oxford Biomedica

Oxford Biomedica (LSE:OXB) is a leading, fully integrated, gene and cell therapy group focused on developing life changing treatments for serious diseases. Oxford Biomedica and its subsidiaries (the "Group") have built a sector leading lentiviral vector delivery platform (LentiVector^®), which the Group leverages to develop in vivo and ex vivo products both in-house and with partners. The Group has created a valuable proprietary portfolio of gene and cell therapy product candidates in the areas of oncology, ophthalmology, CNS disorders, liver diseases and respiratory disease. The Group has also entered into a number of partnerships, including with Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi, Sio Gene Therapies, Orchard Therapeutics, Santen, Beam Therapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim, the UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium and Imperial Innovations, through which it has long-term economic interests in other potential gene and cell therapy products. Additionally the group has signed a 3 year master supply and development agreement with AstraZeneca for large-scale manufacturing of the adenoviral based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, AZD1222. Oxford Biomedica is based across several locations in Oxfordshire, UK and employs more than 580 people. Further information is available at