Seattle, Wash., October 18, 2021 – Umoja Biopharma, an oncology company leveraging its proprietary integrated technologies to reprogram immune cells in vivo to create next-generation immunotherapies for the treatment of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, today announced the appointment of Clay Siegall, Ph.D. as its Chairman of the Board of Directors.
“I am delighted to welcome Clay to Umoja’s Board as our Chairman. Clay’s vast scientific training and wealth of experience, particularly his emphasis on targeted cancer therapies and ability to build a company from drug discovery to commercial-stage, will be a crucial part of Umoja’s continued growth,” said Andy Scharenberg, M.D., co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Umoja. “As Umoja expands and continues to advance our integrated pipeline of in vivo immunotherapies closer to the clinic, we are fortunate to have Clay bring his expertise to the company as we continue to develop our growing pipeline for the benefit of patients in need.”
Dr. Siegall currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Seagen Inc., which he co-founded in 1998 and led to become an industry leader in antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of cancer. Prior to founding Seagen, Dr. Siegall held numerous leadership positions at Bristol Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute and the National Cancer Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health. In addition to his roles at Umoja Biopharma and Seagen, he also currently sits on the Board of Directors for Nurix Therapeutics, Inc. and Washington Roundtable. Dr. Siegall holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from George Washington University as well as a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Maryland.
“I am pleased to join Umoja’s Board as Chairman,” said Dr. Siegall. “Umoja’s integrated approach and suite of in vivo technologies holds a possibility for positive significance within the landscape of targeted cancer immunotherapies. As Umoja continues to progress their pipeline towards the clinic, I look forward to collaborating with their team and bringing my experience in research and drug development to their goal of providing the best possible treatments to patients in need.”
About Umoja Biopharma
Umoja Biopharma, Inc. is a preclinical stage company advancing an entirely new approach to immunotherapy Umoja Biopharma, Inc. is a transformative multi-platform immuno-oncology company founded with the goal of creating curative treatments for solid and hematological malignancies by reprogramming a patient’s immune system in vivo. Founded based on pioneering work performed at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Purdue University, Umoja’s novel approach is powered by integrated cellular immunotherapy technologies including the VivoVec in vivo delivery platform, the RACR/CAR in vivo cell expansion/control platform, and the TumorTag targeting platform. Designed from the ground up to work together, these platforms are being developed to create and harness a powerful immune response in the body to directly, safely, and controllably attack cancer. Umoja believes that its approach can provide broader access to the most advanced immunotherapies and enable more patients to live better, fuller lives. To learn more, visit http://umoja-biopharma.com/.
###
Media Contact:
Marites Coulter
Verge Scientific Communications
mcoulter@vergescientific.com
+1 415.819.2214