Artiva Biotherapeutics Appoints Laura Bessen, M.D., to Its Board of Directors
SAN DIEGO, March 3, 2022 — Artiva Biotherapeutics, Inc., an oncology company with a mission to deliver highly effective, off-the-shelf, allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell-based therapies that are safe and accessible to cancer patients, today announced the appointment of Laura Bessen, M.D., as an independent member of the Company’s board of directors. Dr. Bessen brings to Artiva two decades of global pharmaceutical industry experience in medical leadership roles spanning clinical development, medical affairs, and product launches. She was most recently Vice President, Head of US Medical from 2012 to 2016 at Bristol Myers Squibb, where she was responsible for all US Medical Affairs, including phase IV clinical trials.
“Laura has an impressive track record, with extensive experience in late-stage clinical development, product launches, and patient access,” said Fred Aslan, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Artiva.
Dr. Bessen retired in 2016 from Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) after 15 years in leadership positions, most recently as Vice President, Head of US Medical. Previously at BMS, she was Vice President, Head of US Medical Immunoscience and Neuroscience; and before that, Head of Immunoscience and Oncology Global Medical Affairs. Prior to BMS, Dr. Bessen was at DuPont Pharmaceuticals in medical affairs leadership roles. She currently provides strategic and board level advice as managing partner of Maxsam Advisors LLC. Dr. Bessen received her M.D. degree from New York University School of Medicine and B.S. in biochemistry from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She trained in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, NY, and infectious diseases at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
About Artiva Biotherapeutics
Artiva’s mission is to deliver highly effective, off-the-shelf, allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell-based therapies, utilizing our Manufacturing-First approach, that are safe and accessible to cancer patients. Artiva’s pipeline includes AB-101, an ADCC enhancer NK-cell therapy candidate for use in combination with monoclonal antibodies or innate-cell engagers. The company is currently advancing a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of AB-101 in combination with rituximab for the treatment of relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphomas. Artiva’s pipeline also includes AB-201, an anti-HER2 CAR-NK cell therapy candidate for the treatment of HER2-overexpressing tumors, such as breast, gastric, and bladder cancers, and AB-202, a CD19-specific CAR-NK cell therapy candidate for the treatment of B-cell malignancies. The company has entered into therapeutic NK cell collaborations with Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and with Affimed GmbH. Artiva’s AlloNK™ platform incorporates cell expansion, activation, and engineering technology developed by the Company’s strategic partner, GC Cell Corporation, a member of the GC family of companies, a leading healthcare company in Korea. Artiva is headquartered in San Diego.
Contacts
Media: Jessica Yingling, Ph.D., Little Dog Communications, Inc., jessica@litldog.com, +1.858.344.8091
Investors: Michael E. Faerm, Artiva Biotherapeutics, Inc., ir@artivabio.com