Infinimmune, a biotechnology company pioneering new methods for antibody drug discovery and development, announced today the appointment of a new independent director, Neela Patel, Ph.D., to the company's Board of Directors. Dr. Patel is a seasoned life sciences executive and experienced board member who brings decades of pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry leadership experience and strong drug development expertise, including a track record of successful U.S. and global pharmaceutical licensing deals.

“We are thrilled to welcome Neela as an independent Board member,” said Dr. Wyatt McDonnell, CEO & Co-Founder, Infinimmune. “With over 25 years of leadership experience spanning drug discovery, development, strategic partnerships, and corporate development, she brings invaluable expertise to Infinimmune. Her proven track record of pipeline development and strategic collaborations will be invaluable as we continue to advance our programs and pursue new opportunities for growth.”

“I am excited to join Infinimmune and contribute to its mission of identifying and developing truly human therapeutics to develop safer, more effective therapies for patients,” said Patel. “I look forward to contributing my expertise in deal-making and drug discovery to the long-term success of Infinimmune. The outstanding team and transformative platform technology position the company to build a remarkable pipeline.”

Dr. Patel is a scientist and business development executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience in drug discovery & development, project & portfolio management, and pipeline development through external innovation. She is currently Chief Business Officer at Bonum Therapeutics. Prior to Bonum, she was Chief Business Development Officer at Good Therapeutics, where she co-led the Roche transaction and spinout of Bonum. Previously, as Executive Director of Corporate Development at Seagen, she played an integral role in deal sourcing and execution to build the pipeline, including agreements with Pieris and FivePrime.

Her sourcing and diligence at AbbVie resulted in more than 25 executed deals including collaborations, licensing, and participation in consortia. Dr. Patel spent the first 16 years of her career in drug discovery with positions of increasing responsibility, advancing small molecules and biologics from target ID and validation through IND filing at Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, SUGEN/Pharmacia, and Roche Bioscience.

Dr. Patel completed her postdoctoral training at the DNAX Research Institute after receiving her PhD in Molecular Biology from UCLA. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Humanities with Honors.

About Infinimmune

Infinimmune is a biotechnology company pioneering a novel approach to antibody drug discovery and development. Founded by a world-class, multidisciplinary team of scientists and technologists, Infinimmune is reinventing antibody discovery with an end-to-end platform to deliver antibody drugs derived directly from the human immune system. These truly human antibodies are designed to drug new and existing targets with improved safety and efficacy. Infinimmune will deploy its holistic approach to build its own pipeline of drug candidates and partner with pharmaceutical companies to advance their antibody programs, fill their pipelines, and reach new patients and new indications. To learn more, visit infinimmune.com and follow us on LinkedIn and @infinimmune.

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