PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Century Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPSC), an innovative biotechnology company developing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell therapies in immuno-oncology and autoimmune disease, today announced the appointments of Morgan Conn, Ph.D., as Chief Financial Officer and Chad Cowan, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer. The appointments are effective October 14, 2024, and October 1, 2024, respectively, and both will join the Executive Committee. The Company also announced that Hy Levitsky, M.D., President of Research and Development, will be transitioning from operational duties to serve as an advisor to Century.
“We are thrilled to welcome Morgan and Chad to Century at this exciting time as we advance our key clinical programs, expand into additional autoimmune indications, and accelerate our prioritized next-generation pipeline programs. Morgan is a talented scientist and biotech executive with significant strategic and transaction experience. Chad’s pioneering expertise in cell therapy has provided further advancement in iPSC-derived αβ T-cell programs and key platform technologies in his role as an advisor to Century since the acquisition of Clade, positioning us for success,” said Brent Pfeiffenberger, Pharm.D., Chief Executive Officer of Century Therapeutics. “I also extend my deepest gratitude to Hy. As one of Century’s earliest employees, Hy’s scientific expertise and trusted leadership have been instrumental to the company’s evolution.”
Morgan Conn, Ph.D., brings to Century over 20 years of financing and business development leadership in biopharma. Most recently, he served as Chief Business Officer at Pharvaris, where he held responsibility for finance operations, corporate development, capital and corporate strategy, investor relations, among other functions. Prior to that, Dr. Conn founded CallisBio, a consultancy focused on corporate/business development strategy and transaction support. Earlier, he held positions of increasing responsibility in business development at PTC Therapeutics, where he was instrumental in all business development transactions, including collaborations, license agreements, and product acquisitions. Dr. Conn began his career in academia. He holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.Sc. in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of Toronto.
“With several key catalysts on the horizon, I’m excited to be joining Century at this pivotal time,” said Dr. Conn. “Century is uniquely positioned within the cell therapy sector, with a breadth of expertise across multiple cell types, further strengthened by the inherent engineerability, reproducibility, and scalability of an iPSC-derived platform. I look forward to supporting the continued program evolution to harness the full value of the company’s leading platforms and pipeline.”
Chad Cowan, Ph.D., is a pioneer in stem and cell therapy and has been serving as an executive scientific advisor at Century following the acquisition of Clade Therapeutics in April 2024, where he was founder and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to founding Clade, he was a scientific founder of CRISPR Therapeutics and founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Sana Biotechnology. Dr. Cowan was previously a member of the Broad Institute and a principal faculty member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, where he directed the Diabetes Disease Program and the iPS Cell Core Facility. Additionally, he has led or been a member of several large efforts to utilize stem cells to better understand diseases, including the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute’s Next Gen iPS Cell Project and the Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium. Dr. Cowan received a Transformative Research Award from the NIH for using pioneering gene-editing tools to better understand complex genetic diseases. He started his career as an assistant professor at Harvard College in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and later became an associate professor at Harvard College and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Cowan received his B.A. and B.S. from the University of Kansas. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas.
“Over the past few months as an executive scientific advisor, I’ve seen first-hand how Century is harnessing the full potential of Clade’s iPSC-derived αβ T-cell programs, novel cloaking strategy, and deep iPSC scientific capabilities. I believe the results we are seeing from the joint pipeline across a broad range of cell types position Century as a future leader in allogeneic cell therapies, particularly with iNK, γδ iT, and αβ iT-cell programs, combined with enhanced capabilities to advance Century’s Allo-Evasion™ technology. I am honored to take on the role of Chief Scientific Officer and carry on the trailblazing work of Hy and the Century team,” said Dr. Cowan.
Hy Levitsky, President of Research and Development at Century Therapeutics, commented: “I am proud of the work we have achieved at Century to-date. Having worked closely with Chad in recent months, I feel confident I am leaving the company’s programs in capable hands. While I have decided at this point in my career to step away from day-to-day operations and managerial oversight, my belief in the technology we have developed is stronger than ever. I wish my colleagues the best as they continue to move this important science forward.”
About Century Therapeutics
Century Therapeutics (NASDAQ: IPSC) is harnessing the power of adult stem cells to develop curative cell therapy products for cancer and autoimmune diseases that we believe will allow us to overcome the limitations of first-generation cell therapies. Our genetically engineered, iPSC-derived cell product candidates are designed to specifically target hematologic and solid tumor cancers, with a broadening application to autoimmune diseases. We are leveraging our expertise in cellular reprogramming, genetic engineering, and manufacturing to develop therapies with the potential to overcome many of the challenges inherent to cell therapy and provide a significant advantage over existing cell therapy technologies. We believe our commitment to developing off-the-shelf cell therapies will expand patient access and provide an unparalleled opportunity to advance the course of cancer and autoimmune disease care. For more information on Century Therapeutics please visit www.centurytx.com.
