Gamida Cell Announces New Leadership Under Ownership of Highbridge Capital Management

June 18, 2024 at 08:00 AM EDT

Stem-cell innovator poised to advance the commercialization of its cancer treatment, with $30 million of initial new capital and access to substantial additional funds to drive growth

Experienced management team joins company, with more than 80 years of cumulative experience expanding access to innovative treatments for the patients who need them most

Gamida Cell (the “Company”), a cell therapy pioneer working to turn cells into powerful therapeutics, today announced new executive leadership following a successful restructuring transaction ("Transaction”) with certain funds managed by Highbridge Capital Management, LLC (collectively, “Highbridge”) on May 24, 2024. As part of the Transaction, Highbridge invested $30 million of new capital into Gamida Cell, and is expected to provide substantial additional capital to support ongoing operations, including the research and development, manufacturing, and commercialization of its cell therapeutics. Following the Transaction, Gamida Cell now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Ayrmid Limited, a UK entity.

To advance the commercialization of Omisirge® (omidubicel-onlv), a NAM-modified cell therapy for allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant, Gamida Cell has named industry stalwart Dr. Joe Wiley as Chief Executive Officer, Rory Nealon as Chief Financial Officer, and Sheila Frame as Chief Commercial Officer.

“Gamida Cell has made great strides in advancing potentially curative cell therapies for cancer and has demonstrated the tremendous potential of its life-saving therapies to improve prospects for patients who cannot find appropriate donors,” said Wiley. “With Highbridge's support, I look forward to leading Gamida Cell into its next phase as we work with hospitals across the U.S. to expand access to Omisirge for the patients who need it most."

Wiley, Nealon, and Frame collectively bring more than 80 years of experience in building, growing, and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical treatments globally:

Dr. Joe Wiley founded Amryt Pharma and served as the CEO until it was acquired by Chiesi Farmaceutici in April 2023. Prior to his role at Amryt, Wiley served as the Principal at Sofinnova Ventures and Medical Director at Astellas Pharma, and he held multiple investment management roles following his work as a neurologist.
Rory Nealon was the co-founder, Chief Financial and Operating Officer at Amryt Pharma from 2015 through its acquisition in 2023. Before joining Amryt, he served executive roles at Trinity Biotech, first as the Chief Financial Officer then as the Chief Operations Officer.
Sheila Frame most recently served as President Americas of Amryt Pharma until it’s sale to the Chiesi Farmaceutici in 2023. Frame has spent much of her career in executive positions leading the commercialization and growth of several important pharmaceutical products in oncology, immunology, and rare diseases in the US as well as globally.

“Through our recent transaction and infusion of new capital, we are demonstrating our commitment to supporting this mission-driven company as it works toward broadening the availability of its critically important treatment,” said Jonathan Segal, Co-Chief Investment Officer at Highbridge. “We thank Gamida’s prior management team for their dedication in advancing Omisirge and we look forward to a productive collaboration with the newly appointed leadership team to drive Gamida Cell’s future success.”

About Gamida Cell

Gamida Cell is a cell therapy pioneer working to turn cells into powerful therapeutics. The company’s proprietary nicotinamide (NAM) technology leverages the properties of NAM to enhance and expand cells, creating allogeneic cell therapy products and candidates that are potentially curative for patients with hematologic malignancies. These include Omisirge^® (omidubicel-onlv), an FDA-approved nicotinamide modified allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cell therapy, and GDA-201, an intrinsic NK (natural killer) cell therapy candidate being investigated for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Gamida Cell operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Ayrmid Limited, a UK entity. For additional information, please visit www.gamida-cell.com or follow Gamida Cell on LinkedIn, X, Facebook or Instagram.

About Highbridge Capital Management

Founded in 1992, Highbridge Capital Management, LLC (“Highbridge”) is a global alternative investment firm offering differentiated credit and volatility focused solutions across a range of liquidity and investment profiles, including hedge funds, drawdown vehicles, and co-investments. The firm seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for sophisticated investors, which include financial institutions, public and corporate pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and family offices. Highbridge is headquartered in New York, with a research presence in London. In 2004 Highbridge established a strategic partnership with J.P. Morgan. Highbridge has over $4 billion in assets under management, as of April 1, 2024, and holds meaningful investments across the global healthcare and life sciences spectrum.