Century Therapeutics Expands Board of Directors with Key Appointments

PHILADELPHIA, May 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Century Therapeutics, a leading cell therapy company developing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell therapies in immuno-oncology, today announced the appointment of Joe Jimenez as Board Chair and Cynthia Butitta as a new Independent Director.

As former CEO of Novartis and current Co-Founder and Managing Partner of biotech venture firm Aditum Bio, Mr. Jimenez has extensive expertise in the biopharma industry driving innovation and leading companies at varying stages of development. Ms. Butitta is a veteran biotech executive specializing in corporate finance and strategic operations, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Kite Pharma.

"Joe Jimenez and Cindy Butitta bring decades of leadership and proven records of success in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries to the Century board," said Lalo Flores, Chief Executive Officer of Century Therapeutics. "Their expertise will be invaluable as we continue to grow Century into a premier cell therapy company that dramatically and positively transforms the lives of patients suffering from life-threatening cancers."

"During my time on Century's Board of Directors, I have been impressed by the company's strategic, vertically-integrated approach to overcoming many of the challenges associated with existing allogeneic cell therapies," said Mr. Jimenez. "The team's deep expertise in cell therapy and drug development, manufacturing, and commercialization uniquely positions them to lead the next phase of cell therapy and I am pleased to continue to support the company in my new role as board chair."

Mr. Jimenez joined Century's Board of Directors in 2020. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Novartis. Under his leadership, Novartis won FDA approval for use of their CAR T cell therapy, Kymriah, to treat B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and developed one of the largest pipelines of self-originated drugs in the biopharma industry. Mr. Jimenez's strong commitment to R&D resulted in transformation of the company's portfolio to focus on innovative and patent-protected medicines. Mr. Jimenez is also a member of the Board of Directors of General Motors Company, The Procter & Gamble Company, and Graphite Bio. Mr. Jimenez earned his B.S. in economics from Stanford University and his M.B.A. in marketing from the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business. 

Ms. Butitta brings more than 25 years of experience informing corporate strategy and business development in the biotechnology and high technology sectors to the Century Board of Directors. Most recently, she served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Kite Pharma where she was responsible for securing over $1 billion in capital and contributed to the extensive growth of the organization. Ms. Butitta was also critical in facilitating the company's acquisition by Gilead Sciences for approximately $11.9 billion in 2017. Prior to Kite Pharma, Ms. Butitta was the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NextWave Pharmaceuticals until its acquisition by Pfizer in 2012. She has also held executive leadership roles at Telik, Inc., Connetics Corporation, and InSite Vision Inc. Ms. Butitta is currently an Independent Director at Olema Oncology, Autolus Ltd., and UroGen Pharma. She holds a B.S. in business and accounting from Edgewood College and received her M.B.A. in finance from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

"Century's proprietary iPSC based allogeneic cell platform technology offers the potential to treat a broad range of cancers by exploiting the distinct biologies of both NK and T cells," said Ms. Butitta. "I'm honored to join the Board of such a forward-thinking company during this critical period of growth and look forward to working with my fellow board members to help progress the company's pipeline of revolutionary cell therapies through the clinic to patients in need."

About Century Therapeutics

Century Therapeutics is harnessing the power of adult stem cells to develop curative cell therapy products for cancer that overcome the limitations of first-generation cell therapies. Our genetically engineered, iPSC-derived iNK and iT cell products are designed to specifically target hematologic and solid tumor cancers. Our commitment to developing off-the-shelf cell therapies will expand patient access and provides an unparalleled opportunity to advance the course of cancer care. For more information, please visit www.centurytx.com.

SOURCE Century Therapeutics

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