SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 21, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kite Pharma, Inc. (Kite) (Nasdaq:KITE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing engineered autologous T cell therapy (eACT™) products for the treatment of cancer, today announced that Owen Witte, M.D., director of the Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research at UCLA, is being honored at this year's AACR conference as he receives the prestigious G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award. In addition, Steven A. Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of Surgery at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), has been inducted into the 2015 Class of Fellows of the AACR Academy. Dr. Witte is a scientific founder of Kite Pharma, serving on Kite's Scientific Advisory Board, and Dr. Rosenberg is a special advisor to Kite.
"Owen Witte has made important contributions to the understanding of human leukemias, immune disorders and stem cells involved in the formation of epithelial cancers. Owen's research underlies the development of several approved targeted cancer therapies, including Imatinib (Gleevec®)," said Arie Belldegrun, M.D., FACS, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kite. "In addition, the AACR Academy's induction of Steve Rosenberg as a Fellow recognizes his exceptional contributions to advancing cancer therapy. Steve's research has had a profound and enduring impact in achieving progress against cancer, including his seminal contributions in cancer immunotherapy which have helped to create a new field of cancer therapy, and we are delighted that he has been honored in this fashion."
About Kite Pharma, Inc.
Kite Pharma, Inc., is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of novel cancer immunotherapy products, with a primary focus on eACT™ designed to restore the immune system's ability to recognize and eradicate tumors. Kite is based in Santa Monica, CA.