BALTIMORE, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WindMIL Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company developing marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes (MILs™) for cancer immunotherapy, has announced the appointments of Monil Shah, PharmD, MBA, as Chief Development Officer, and Patrick Dougherty as Vice President of Operations. The company also announced it has secured office space in Philadelphia to accommodate its expanding executive, operations and clinical teams.
WindMIL’s new Philadelphia office and meeting space at One Drexel Plaza in University City positions the company to attract talent from one of the nation’s leading hubs for cell therapy innovation and provides access to the greater Philadelphia region’s formidable pool of experienced biotechnology and pharmaceutical workers. The new office’s proximity to Amtrak’s 30th Street Station will also provide employees with convenient travel to Baltimore, where WindMIL’s laboratories and scientific team continue to be based.
“Establishing an office in Philadelphia provides a hub for WindMIL’s local operations. It is yet another benefit of joining our growing team and helping progress a novel class of autologous cell therapies based on our MILs platform,” said Brian Halak, PhD, President and CEO of WindMIL Therapeutics.
Dr. Halak continued, “We are also thrilled to welcome Monil and Patrick to WindMIL and excited for the roles they will each play as we build upon our position as the leader in cellular therapeutics emanating from bone marrow. Monil’s extensive experience initiating and running oncology trials will be critical for us as we prepare to begin our own clinical studies of MILs this coming year. Patrick brings a wealth of operational know-how and strategy-setting experience that will allow us to scale our business to support this period of growth.”
Dr. Shah has more than 20 years of pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry experience in oncology drug development. Before joining WindMIL, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics, previously known as IRX Therapeutics. Prior to his tenure there, Dr. Shah was the Medical Affairs Lead for Immuno-Oncology at Bristol-Myers Squibb. He also served as Head of Clinical Operations and Development at Ventrus Biosciences before its merger with Assembly Biosciences. Prior to Ventrus, Dr. Shah led the solid tumor development programs and the clinical portfolio and strategic planning function at Celgene. He also led the Oncology Development and Operations activities at FibroGen and Novacea. Dr. Shah began his career at Novartis in the Oncology Early Development Group, leading clinical trials before joining the Medical Sciences Group at Amgen. He received his BS and PharmD degrees from Rutgers University and his MBA from Florida Institute of Technology.
Before joining WindMIL as Vice President of Operations, Mr. Dougherty was Chief of Staff to the Senior Vice President, R&D Pipeline for Pharmaceuticals R&D at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Mr. Dougherty joined GSK in 2009 as a Director in the R&D Strategy Office and went on to hold a number of leadership roles and steer multiple strategic efforts for Pharmaceuticals R&D. Prior to joining GSK, Mr. Dougherty was an engagement manager in the Life Sciences practice of L.E.K. Consulting, where he led more than 30 engagements for a wide range of biotech and pharmaceutical clients. He has also held various roles in business and corporate development at Endo Pharmaceuticals and the Penn Center for Innovation (formerly the Center for Technology Transfer) at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Dougherty holds a BS in chemistry from Villanova University, MSc in technology management from the University of Manchester (UK) and MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
About WindMIL Therapeutics
WindMIL Therapeutics is a clinical-stage company developing a novel class of autologous cell therapies based on marrow infiltrating lymphocytes (MILs™) for cancer immunotherapy. As the leader in cellular therapeutics emanating from bone marrow, WindMIL translates novel insights in bone marrow immunology into life-saving cancer immunotherapeutics for patients. The company’s proprietary process to extract, activate and expand these cells offers unique immunotherapeutic advantages, including inherent tumor-specificity, high cytotoxic potential, and long persistence. For more information, please visit: https://windmiltherapeutics.com.
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