Autolus Therapeutics PLC (NASDAQ: AUTL) has announced significant changes to its board of directors, effective April 1, 2024. Mike Bonney has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Board, bringing over 30 years of biotech and pharmaceutical expertise to the company. He previously served as the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Cubist Pharmaceuticals, where he led the company's growth to become the world's leading antibiotic company, ultimately being acquired by Merck for $9.5 billion in 2015. Bonney also held executive positions at Biogen and Zeneca Pharmaceuticals and currently serves as a director of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Chair of Dunad Therapeutics and Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
Ravi Rao, M.D., has been named as a Non-Executive Director, bringing his experience as Chief Medical Officer of Sitryx and previous roles at Oxford Biomedica and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum. Dr. Rao's background includes work at Roche Genentech and GlaxoSmithKline, and he serves as a board member for DBV Technologies and a venture partner for SV Health Investors. Dr. Rao is an accredited rheumatologist and academic physician-scientist with a strong academic background from Cambridge University and Imperial College.
Autolus Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Christian Itin, expressed gratitude for the outgoing Chairman, John H. Johnson, and emphasized the company's focus on the pivotal Phase 2 FELIX study and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's acceptance of the filing of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for Obe-cel in the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
These changes to the board of directors coincide with Autolus' development into a fully integrated commercial company and its expanded interest in autoimmune disease. The company is known for developing next-generation, programmed T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease, utilizing proprietary and modular T cell programming technologies.
Autolus has a pipeline of product candidates in development for the treatment of hematological malignancies, solid tumors, and autoimmune diseases. As a result of these announcements, the company's shares have moved -10.7% on the market, and are now trading at a price of $5.7. For the full picture, make sure to review Autolus Therapeutics's 8-K report.
