WATERTOWN, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SQZ Biotechnologies (NYSE: SQZ), focused on unlocking the full potential of cell therapies for multiple therapeutic areas, today announced that it has appointed Marshelle Smith Warren, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Warren will report to the CEO and lead the company’s clinical development, clinical operations, translational medicine, and regulatory affairs functions.
Marshelle has tremendous experience in cell-based therapeutic development and will provide complementary expertise as we seek to rapidly advance our clinical programs,” said Armon Sharei, Ph.D., CEO and Founder at SQZ Biotechnologies. “Her proven leadership, extensive global clinical trial experience, and broad clinical development background will strengthen our ability to execute on our mission to drive patient impact across disease areas.”
Dr. Warren brings over 25 years of clinical development industry experience to the company, including a particular focus on viral malignancies and T cell-directing therapeutics. Previously, she was Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of R&D at Viracta Therapeutics, where she led the development of investigational therapeutics for the treatment of Epstein-Barr virus associated lymphoid malignancies. Her prior experience also includes clinical development positions at Allovir, Atara Biotherapeutics, Ionis, Gilead Sciences, Amgen, and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Warren has also recently served as a senior advisor on Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical research programs for investigational T cell therapies targeting cancer, autoimmunity, and viral infections.
“I am very excited to be joining a dedicated team focused on developing a new generation of impactful cell therapies for diseases with significant unmet need,” said Marshelle Smith Warren, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at SQZ Biotechnologies. “I look forward to supporting our clinical team and working with my fellow leaders at SQZ to realize the broad potential of our cell therapy platforms to benefit patients around the world.”
During her career, Dr. Warren has made significant contributions to approved immunology products including blockbuster Enbrel® (rheumatoid arthritis) and Accolate® (asthma). She has led the development of successful investigational new drug applications for a range of therapeutic types and has overseen regulatory authority negotiations and advisory meetings.
Dr. Warren, who is board certified in internal medicine and clinical immunology, received a BS in biology with honors from Baylor University, and an MD from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine. She performed her residency in internal medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Colorado and completed a clinical immunology fellowship at the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine.
SQZ Biotechnologies’ cell therapy programs seek to generate activating or tolerizing target-specific immune responses with potential impact across many diseases. The company’s first disease targets include Human Papillomavirus positive solid tumors and celiac disease.
About SQZ Biotechnologies
SQZ Biotechnologies Company is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on unlocking the full potential of cell therapies for patients around the world. The company has active programs in oncology, autoimmune and infectious diseases, as well as additional exploratory initiatives to support future pipeline growth. SQZ’s proprietary Cell Squeeze® technology can deliver multiple biological materials into many cell types, offering the ability to engineer a broad range of potential therapeutics. With clinical production timelines already under 24 hours, the company has the potential to enable broader patient accessibility through point-of-care manufacturing implementation across multiple therapeutic programs. Our approach could also improve a patient’s treatment journey with no planned hospitalization or preconditioning treatment. The company’s first therapeutic efforts seek to generate target-specific immune responses, both through activation for the treatment of solid tumors and infectious diseases, and by immune tolerance for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. For more information, please visit www.sqzbiotech.com.
