Making invariant NKT cells the new standard. Developing universal allogeneic cell therapies built on invariant T cells.

Universal allogeneic cell therapies built on invariant T cells

Making invariant NKT cells the new standard

A powerful technology platform leveraging stem cell biology and T cell development to scale engineered NKT cell therapies

Appia Bio is committed to inventing novel cellular cancer medicines with curative potential which are broadly accessible and ready for patients at the clinic

Towards a future of programmable living therapeutics to fight every cancer

Pioneering biologists, immuno-engineers, and cell therapy experts comprise Appia Bio's team.

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LOS ANGELES, Calif., December 15, 2022 – Appia Bio, Inc., a preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor natural killer T (CAR-NKT) cell therapies for cancer patients, today announced the appointment of Robert S. Negrin, M.D., to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Negrin is one of the world’s leading experts in hematology and cellular immunology and joins Appia Bio’s scientific founders in advising the Company’s research and development. 

Appia Bio is focused on discovering and developing off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapies across a broad array of cancer indications, utilizing a scalable technology platform with the goal to increase access for patients. With its ACUA (Appia Cells Utilized for Allogeneic) technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development with CAR and T cell receptor (TCR) gene engineering to generate CAR expressing innate-like invariant NKT cells from healthy donor stem cells. 

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Negrin join our world-class Appia Bio Scientific Advisory Board.  He brings a wealth of knowledge in cellular immunology, cell therapy, and NKT biology as well as deep clinical expertise in hematology and bone marrow transplantation.  Dr. Negrin’s experience will be a great asset to Appia Bio as we deliver on our mission to develop novel cellular cancer medicines with curative potential which are broadly accessible for patients,” said Jeff Wiezorek, M.D., chief medical officer at Appia Bio.

Dr. Negrin is a professor of medicine and former chief of the Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation at Stanford University. His research work has focused on cellular immunology in particular developing a more fundamental understanding of complex biological reactions such as graft versus host and graft vs tumor reactions, with an emphasis on immune regulatory mechanisms. 

Dr. Negrin has authored more than 225 original papers, 40 book chapters, and a book, and has received a number of awards including the Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist Award and is a member of the Association of American Physicians. He was previously the president of the International Society of Cellular Therapy and the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. He served as an associate editor of the journal Blood and is the founding editor of Blood Advances. Dr. Negrin received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his medical degree from Harvard University. He trained in medicine and hematology at Stanford University and joined the faculty in 1990.

Dr. Negrin joins Appia Bio’s Scientific Advisory Board and Scientific Founders in advising the company, comprised of the following leaders in immunology, immuno-oncology, and cell therapy engineering:

Mitchell Kronenberg, Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer (CSO), La Jolla Institute for Immunology

Antoni Ribas, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and director of the Tumor Immunology Program at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

Margo Roberts, Ph.D., former CSO, Kite Pharma and Lyell Immunopharma

Irving Weissman, M.D., director, Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Virginia & D.K. Ludwig Professor of Clinical Investigation in Cancer Research, Professor of Developmental Biology and, by courtesy, of Biology

David Baltimore, Ph.D., Nobel laureate, president emeritus and distinguished professor of biology, Caltech

Pin Wang, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering and materials science and biomedical engineering, University of Southern California (USC)

Lili Yang, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics, UCLA

About Appia Bio
Appia Bio is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2020, Appia Bio is focused on discovering and developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies across a broad array of indications with a scalable technology platform that can increase access for patients. With its ACUA (Appia Cells Utilized for Allogeneic) technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR) gene engineering to generate CAR-engineered innate-like invariant natural killer T (CAR-NKT) cells from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). For more information, please visit www.appiabio.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Vincent
(310) 403-8951
kathy@kathyvincent.com

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Appia Bio Announces Appointment of Robert S. Negrin, M.D., to Scientific Advisory Board

SANTA MONICA, Calif., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., August 5, 2021 – Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), and Appia Bio, Inc., an early stage biotechnology company developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for cancer patients, today announced a collaboration and license agreement to research and develop HSC-derived cell therapies directed toward hematological malignancies. Under the partnership, Kite and Appia Bio will develop chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-iNKT) cells using Appia Bio’s ACUA technology platform for allogeneic cell therapy.

Founded in 2020, Appia Bio recently announced the completion of its Series A financing to support the advancement of the company’s pipeline of allogeneic CAR-iNKT cell therapy candidates into the clinic. With its ACUA technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development to generate CAR-iNKT cells from HSCs. The ACUA platform offers the potential for improved efficacy and safety, streamlined manufacturing, and off-the-shelf accessibility of HSC-derived CAR iNKT-cell therapies.

“We are thrilled to partner with a leader in cell therapy such as Kite, who shares our vision for the potential of iNKT cells in off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapy,” said JJ Kang, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Appia Bio. “Our partnership with Kite is an important step toward establishing the broad pipeline potential of our ACUA platform and bringing new treatment options to patients.”

“As a pioneer in cell therapy, Kite is deeply commited to developing the next-generation of cell therapies to treat and potentially cure cancer patients,” said Mert Aktar, Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Kite. “Through our collaboration with Appia Bio, we’re excited to harness unique biological properties of invariant natural killer T cells to research and develop allogeneic cell therapies for cancer.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Appia Bio will be responsible for preclinical and early clinical research of two HSC-derived CAR-iNKT product candidates engineered with CARs provided by Kite. Appia Bio will receive an upfront payment, an equity investment, and additional milestone payments for a total value of up to $875 million as well as tiered royalties. Kite will be responsible for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the product candidates identified through the collaboration.

About Kite
Kite, a Gilead Company, is a global biopharmaceutical company based in Santa Monica, California, with commercial manufacturing operations in North America and Europe. Kite’s singular focus is cell therapy to treat and potentially cure cancer. As the cell therapy leader, Kite has more approved CAR T indications to help more patients than any other company. For more information on Kite, please visit www.kitepharma.com.

About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.

About Appia Bio
Appia Bio is an early stage biotechnology company based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2020, Appia Bio is focused on discovering and developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies across a broad array of indications with a scalable technology platform that increases access for patients. With its ACUA (Appia Cells Utilized for Allogeneic) technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T-cell receptor (TCR) gene engineering to generate CAR-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-iNKT) cell subtypes from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). For more information, please visit www.appiabio.com.

Gilead and Kite Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the risk that Kite may not realize the anticipated benefits of this collaboration with Appia Bio; difficulties or unanticipated expenses in connection with the collaboration and the potential effect on Kite’s earnings; and the possibility that the parties may make a strategic decision to terminate this collaboration at any time. These and other risks, uncertainties and other factors are described in detail in Gilead’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those referred to in the forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Kite and Gilead, and Kite and Gilead assume no obligation and disclaim any intent to update any such forward-looking statements.

Media Contact:
Kathy Vincent
(310) 403-8951
kathy@greigcommunications.com

Collaboration Leverages Kite’s Chimeric Antigen Receptors and Appia Bio’s Allogeneic Cell Technology Platform to Develop Off-the-Shelf Cell Therapies

Kite and Appia Bio announce collaboration to research and develop allogeneic cell therapies for cancer

LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 11, 2021 – Appia Bio, Inc., an early stage biotechnology company developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for cancer patients, today announced its launch from stealth backed by $52 million Series A financing led by 8VC. Other investors included Two Sigma Ventures, among others, and participation from seed investors Sherpa Healthcare Partners and Freeflow Ventures.

Appia Bio is focused on discovering and developing off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapies across a broad array of cancer indications, utilizing a scalable technology platform with the goal to increase access for patients. With its ACUA technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T-cell receptor (TCR) gene engineering to generate CAR-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-iNKT) cells from HSCs. The ACUA platform originated from groundbreaking research in the laboratory of Lili Yang, PhD, associate professor at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and her collaborations with the Company’s other scientific founders.

Proceeds from the financing will support the advancement of Appia Bio’s pipeline of allogeneic CAR-iNKT cell therapy candidates into the clinic. As part of the Series A financing, Francisco Gimenez, PhD, partner, and David Moskowitz, PhD, principal, at 8VC, join the Company’s board of directors, and David Baltimore, PhD, of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) was elected chairman of the Board.

“There is tremendous potential to be explored in allogeneic cell therapies. The Board and I look forward to working with this stellar team to create transformative cell therapies that will help patients and the physicians who treat them,” said Dr. Baltimore.

“We are grateful to our new and existing investors for their commitment to bring off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapies to more patients,” said JJ Kang, PhD, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Appia Bio. “This financing will position us to rapidly build out our CAR-iNKT pipeline and establish the clinical potential of our ACUA platform. We are excited to work with an outstanding Scientific Advisory Board that brings together world-class expertise and experience across the many fields necessary to develop cell therapies.”

Appia Bio announced the establishment of a Scientific Advisory Board with leaders in immunology, immuno-oncology, and cell therapy engineering. These experts join Appia Bio’s scientific founders in advising the Company’s research and development.

Mitchell Kronenberg, PhD, president and CSO, La Jolla Institute for Immunology

Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, UCLA, and director of the Tumor Immunology Program at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

Margo Roberts, PhD, former CSO, Kite Pharma and Lyell Immunopharma

“We are thrilled to partner with Appia Bio as it typifies the innovative, founder-driven start-ups we love to empower,” said Dr. Gimenez. “Appia unifies compelling biology of iNKT cells with the power of CARs. This is only possible because of their fundamental innovations in manufacturing and engineering these cells.”

The Company was founded in 2020 in Los Angeles, California, by a team of experts and industry leaders with a proven track record of cell therapy development and company building.

David Baltimore, PhD, Nobel Laureate, president emeritus and distinguished professor of biology, Caltech

JJ Kang, PhD, CEO, Appia Bio; former partner, The Column Group

Edmund Kim, PhD, chief operating officer of Appia Bio; former vice president of corporate development, Kite Pharma

Pin Wang, PhD, professor of chemical engineering and materials science and biomedical engineering, University of Southern California (USC)

Jeff Wiezorek, MD, chief medical officer, Appia Bio; former head of cell therapy development, Kite Pharma

Lili Yang, PhD, associate professor of microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics, UCLA

Proceeds will be used to progress stem cell derived CAR-engineered invariant natural killer T cells (CAR-iNKT) to the clinic in hematological and solid tumor indications.

Appia bio launches with $52 million series a financing and establishes scientific advisory board

LOS ANGELES, Calif., August 9, 2022 – Appia Bio, Inc., a preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for cancer patients, today announced the appointment of Margo Roberts, Ph.D. to its board of directors and Jason Damiano, Ph.D. as chief scientific officer (CSO). Dr. Roberts brings three decades of biotech and academic immunology experience, having led early development and application of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology to T cells and stem cells, advancing the first CAR T cells into clinical trials. Dr. Damiano brings research experience in cancer biology, inflammation, new target identification, and drug discovery. He has led numerous therapeutic projects from concept through preclinical development and investigational new drug (IND) application filings.

Appia Bio is focused on discovering and developing off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapies across a broad array of cancer indications, utilizing a scalable technology platform with the goal to increase access for patients. With its ACUA (Appia Cells Utilized for Allogeneic) technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development with CAR and T cell receptor (TCR) gene engineering to generate CAR-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-NKT) cells from HSCs. The ACUA platform was developed from groundbreaking research in the laboratory of Lili Yang, Ph.D., at UCLA and benefits from collaboration with Appia Bio’s other scientific founders David Baltimore, Ph.D. and Pin Wang, Ph.D.

“With Margo joining our board and Jason leading our research efforts, we are affirming our commitment to high-quality research and investing in the future of our company. Margo is one of the world’s foremost experts in immuno-oncology and cell therapy research, and she has seen cell therapy from concept to commercialization. Jason brings wonderfully diverse, innovative, and rigorous research experience in both small and large companies. They will be instrumental in helping us fulfill our mission to create novel, curative, and accessible cell therapies for cancer patients,” said JJ Kang, Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of Appia Bio.

“Appia Bio’s ACUA platform technology holds significant potential to transform cancer treatment and I am thrilled to continue sharing my experience of developing novel therapeutic approaches and ongoing passion for innovative science,” said Dr. Roberts. “I have been impressed by Jason in our time working together at UNITY and I anticipate his contributions and leadership will have a great impact at Appia Bio.”

“I am excited to join Appia Bio and partner with our talented team and collaborators to advance our ACUA cell therapy platform toward life-changing cancer treatments. I look forward to applying my research experience to help develop therapies that can make a real difference in the lives of people living with cancer,” said Dr. Damiano.

Dr. Roberts is an accomplished industry leader with deep experience both building research organizations and guiding groundbreaking research through from concept to commercialization. Dr. Roberts is former CSO of Kite Pharma, Inc. (acquired by Gilead Sciences, Inc. in 2017) and Lyell Immunopharma. At Kite, she built a talented research organization that played an instrumental role in the successful development of Yescarta® (axicabtagene ciloleucel) and the advancement of additional CAR/TCR-engineered T-cell therapies. Previously, Dr. Roberts was principal scientist and director of immune and cell therapy at Cell Genesys, where she led the development and application of CAR technology to T cells and stem cells, culminating in the very first CAR T-cell clinical trial in 1994. Dr. Roberts continues to serve on Appia Bio’s Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Damiano joins Appia Bio from UNITY Biotechnology where he was vice president of biology, advancing a diverse portfolio of programs across multiple disease areas. Previously, he was the director of therapeutic antibody discovery and translational medicine at Achaogen and director of biology at Igenica Biotherapeutics, where he was responsible for establishing and advancing pipelines of novel biological therapeutics. Prior to that, Dr. Damiano was a senior research investigator in Oncology Biotherapeutics at the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, and a scientist at Chiron. He received his Ph.D. in molecular and cellular pharmacology with a focus in cancer biology from the University of Arizona and completed his postdoctoral work in apoptosis and inflammation research under John Reed, M.D., Ph.D., at the Sanford Burnham Medical Discovery Institute.

About Appia Bio
Appia Bio is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2020, Appia Bio is focused on discovering and developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies across a broad array of indications with a scalable technology platform that can increase access for patients. With its ACUA (Appia Cells Utilized for Allogeneic) technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T-cell receptor (TCR) gene engineering to generate CAR-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-NKT) cells from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). For more information, please visit www.appiabio.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Vincent
(310) 403-8951
kathy@kathyvincent.com

Dr. Roberts is a leading pioneer and accomplished research executive in cellular therapeutics
Dr. Damiano brings more than 20 years’ research experience in cancer biology, new target identification, and drug discovery

Appia Bio appoints Margo Roberts, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors and names Jason Damiano, Ph.D. as Chief Scientific Officer

LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 19, 2021 – Appia Bio, Inc., an early stage biotechnology company developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for cancer patients, today announced the addition of Qi Wei, PhD as Senior Vice President and Head of Technical Operations. Dr. Wei brings extensive experience in process development and GMP manufacturing. By leading the Company’s technical operations and GMP manufacturing, his team will contribute to Appia Bio’s advancement into clinical development.

“We are excited to welcome Qi to the Appia Bio team. He brings broad experience in viral vector and cell therapy process development and experience building GMP manufacturing for these technologies,” said JJ Kang, PhD, co-founder and chief executive officer of Appia Bio. “Qi’s technical operations and manufacturing team will be a critical pillar of our company and developing the ACUA platform.”

Dr. Wei brings nearly two decades of process and product development experience in cell and gene therapies at Novartis, Kite, a Gilead Company, Eli Lilly, TCR2 Therapeutics, and Geneception. He has held several leadership roles with a particular focus in cell and gene therapy, and has contributed to the development of several pioneering chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T products including Kymriah® (Novartis), the first CAR-T to be approved in the U.S., and Tecartus™ (Kite/Gilead), in addition to many CAR-T and T-cell receptor (TCR)-T clinical candidates.

“Joining Appia Bio is an opportunity to partner with a talented management team and build an innovative company from its early days. I am thrilled to apply my experience in technical operations and manufacturing toward making off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapy a reality,” added Dr. Wei.

Dr. Wei joins Appia Bio from Geneception Therapeutics which he co-founded as an executive-in-residence at F-Prime Capital. At Geneception, Dr. Wei served as the vice president and head of process and product development, overseeing the company’s CMC, process development, and manufacturing strategies for its cell and gene therapy pipeline. Previously he was at Kite where he served as the director of process development and had responsibility for multiple autologous and allogeneic cell therapy process development programs. Before Kite, Dr. Wei was at TCR2 Therapeutics where he was responsible for developing strategies for cell therapy and viral vector production processes for GMP manufacturing; Novartis’ Cell and Gene Therapy Unit where he led the production platform innovation efforts for viral vectors, as well as supported process development and technology transfer activities for Kymriah; and, Eli Lilly where he focused on process development of recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies. Dr. Wei holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from Columbia University.

Dr. Wei brings nearly 20 years’ experience as a leader in cell and gene therapy process development and GMP manufacturing

Appia Bio names cell therapy manufacturing veteran Qi Wei, PhD as Senior Vice President of Technical Operations

LOS ANGELES, Calif., December 2, 2021 – Appia Bio, Inc., an early stage biotechnology company developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for cancer patients, today announced the appointment of Irving Weissman, MD, and Mark Exley, PhD, to its Scientific Advisory Board. Drs. Weissman and Exley are two of the world’s foremost experts in stem cell biology and NKT cell biology, respectively, and join Appia Bio’s scientific founders in advising the Company’s research and development.

Appia Bio is focused on discovering and developing off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapies across a broad array of cancer indications, utilizing a scalable technology platform with the goal to increase access for patients. With its ACUA technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T-cell receptor (TCR) gene engineering to generate CAR-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-iNKT) cells from HSCs. The ACUA platform originated from groundbreaking research in the laboratory of Lili Yang, PhD, associate professor at UCLA and her collaborations with the Company’s other scientific founders.

“We are truly excited to have Drs. Weissman and Exley join our outstanding Appia Bio Scientific Advisory Board. Their expertise in cell biology, particularly natural killer T cell biology, and stem cell biology, cancer stem cells, and macrophage immune checkpoints, will be critical as we develop our ACUA platform and advance our pipeline of CAR-engineered NKT cells from hematopoietic stem cells,” said Jeff Wiezorek, MD, Appia Bio’s chief medical officer.

Dr. Weissman is director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Virginia & D.K. Ludwig Professor of Clinical Investigation in Cancer Research, Professor of Developmental Biology and, by courtesy, of Biology. As the first scientist to identify and isolate mammalian blood-forming stem cells in mice, Dr. Weissman is considered the father of hematopoiesis, and is an expert in stem cell biology, cancer stem cells, and macrophage immune checkpoints. His group has successfully defined the stages of development that occur between stems cells and mature progeny. Dr. Weissman’s lab was the first to identify, prospectively isolate, and transplant human and murine HSCs. He earned an MD from Stanford University and a BS from Montana State College.

Dr. Exley is chief scientific officer at Imvax Inc. He performed the first functional characterization of human natural killer T (NKT) cells and brings deep expertise in NKT cell biology as well as the clinical application of NKT cell therapies. Previously, Dr. Exley was vice president, cellular immunology for AgenTus, on faculty at Harvard Medical School and at the University of Manchester, UK, where he retains honorary appointments, and was a scientist at Immulogic, Inc. He received his PhD from the Institute of Cancer Research, London and a BS from Imperial College, London, and completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Drs. Weissman and Exley join Appia Bio’s Scientific Advisory Board comprised of the following leaders in immunology, immuno-oncology, and cell therapy engineering:

Appia Bio was founded in 2020 in Los Angeles, California, by a team of experts and industry leaders with a proven track record of cell therapy development and company building.

Jeff Wiezorek, MD, CMO, Appia Bio; former head of cell therapy development, Kite Pharma

Drs. Weissman and Exley are two of the world’s foremost experts in stem cell biology and NKT cell biology, respectively, and join Appia Bio’s scientific founders in advising the Company’s research and development.

Appia Bio announces appointment of Irving Weissman, MD, and Mark Exley, PhD, to Scientific Advisory Board

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