Atara Biotherapeutics Appoints Cancer Research and Clinical Development Veteran, Roy Baynes, to its Board of Directors
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Sept. 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a leading off-the-shelf, allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy company developing novel treatments for patients with cancer, autoimmune and viral diseases, today announced that Roy Baynes, M.D., Ph.D., was appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors effective immediately. Dr. Baynes is an industry veteran and an accomplished leader in cancer research and global clinical development.
“Dr. Baynes is a world-renowned leader in the field of oncology and his experience and expertise will be significant contributors to Atara as we continue to advance our robust T-cell immunotherapy pipeline,” said Isaac Ciechanover, M.D., CEO and President of Atara Biotherapeutics.
Dr. Baynes currently serves as Chief Medical Officer at Merck & Co., and Senior Vice President and Head of Global Clinical Development at Merck Research Laboratories. Previously, Dr. Baynes was Senior Vice President of Oncology, Inflammation and Respiratory Therapeutics at Gilead Sciences and held multiple clinical development roles of increasing responsibility at Amgen including Vice President of Global Clinical Development and Therapeutic Area Head of Hematology & Oncology.
Dr. Baynes was also the Charles Martin Professor of Cancer Research and Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Program as well as the Hematological Malignancies Multidisciplinary Clinic at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, a NCI designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, at Wayne State University. He earned his medical and Ph.D. degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Atara is a leader in off-the-shelf, allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy, a technology that is increasingly being recognized as the next generation of medical innovation,” said Dr. Baynes. “I look forward to working with Atara’s world-class leadership team as we progress toward realizing the full potential of the Company’s technology platform across multiple therapeutic areas.”
About Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (@Atarabio) is a leading off-the-shelf, allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy company developing novel treatments for patients with cancer, autoimmune and viral diseases. Atara’s most advanced T-cell immunotherapy in development, tab-cel™ (tabelecleucel), is being developed for the treatment of patients with Epstein-Barr virus associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (EBV+ PTLD), as well as other EBV associated hematologic and solid tumors, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Atara is also developing off-the-shelf, allogeneic ATA188 and autologous ATA190 T-cell immunotherapies using a complementary targeted antigen recognition technology for specific EBV antigens believed to be important for the potential treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Atara's clinical pipeline also includes ATA520 targeting Wilms Tumor 1, or WT1, and ATA230 directed against cytomegalovirus, or CMV. The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.
INVESTOR & MEDIA CONTACTS:
Investors:
John Craighead, Atara Biotherapeutics
650-410-3012
jcraighead@atarabio.com
Steve Klass, Burns McClellan
212-213-0006 x331
sklass@burnsmc.com
Media:
Nancie Steinberg, Burns McClellan
212-213-0006 x318
rflamm@burnsmc.com
Released September 11, 2018