On July 18, 2019 Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IOVA), a late-stage biotechnology company developing novel cancer immunotherapies based on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) technology, reported the appointment of Friedrich Graf Finckenstein, M.D., as chief medical officer (Press release, Iovance Biotherapeutics, JUL 18, 2019, View Source [SID1234537598]). Dr. Graf Finckenstein brings over 19 years of experience in clinical development and translational research to the company.
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"We are very pleased to have Dr. Finckenstein join Iovance as we move forward with pivotal studies for lifileucel in metastatic melanoma and LN-145 in metastatic cervical cancer," said Maria Fardis, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Iovance Biotherapeutics. "Dr. Finckenstein’s experience with prior approval of checkpoint therapy as well as his breadth of involvement with translational medicine will be of great value to Iovance while we progress our late-stage development programs toward commercialization and expand the utility of TIL in new indications."
"I am very pleased to be part of a dedicated team working on bringing a novel cell therapy to patients with very limited approved therapeutic options," commented Friedrich Graf Finckenstein, M.D. "I’m excited to be able to contribute to development of TIL therapy as we work on the important next steps involved in preparing for regulatory submission."
Dr. Graf Finckenstein is a physician-scientist with decades of experience in clinical medicine, laboratory cancer research, and drug development in the biopharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining Iovance he was Global Head of Oncology Translational Medicine at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) in Basel, Switzerland, where he led all clinical development aspects in the Oncology Discovery and Translational Area, including the design and conduct of clinical trials, exploratory development studies and translational medicine, biomarker and personalized healthcare strategy. Prior to that, Dr. Graf Finckenstein held multiple clinical leadership roles at Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company, where he worked on an array of products from early clinical development to late stage, including key contributions to the approval of Opdivo in lung cancer. Dr. Graf Finckenstein has a medical degree from the University of Hamburg in Germany. He holds a German medical license, a pediatric board certification, and has conducted basic cancer research at the Ludwig Institute, San Diego Branch, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Hamburg.