CAR-T Pioneer Dr. Stephan A. Grupp to Join Cellectis Clinical Advisory Board

September 19, 2018 – New York – Cellectis (Euronext Growth: ALCLS; Nasdaq: CLLS), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing immunotherapies based on gene-edited CAR T-cells (UCART), today announced that Stephan A. Grupp, MD, Ph.D., a leading pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Chief of the Section of Cellular Therapy and Transplant at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) joined the Company’s Clinical Advisory Board (CAB).

Dr. Grupp is a world-renowned pediatric oncologist and cancer researcher who initiated the first pediatric CAR T-cell trial for acute lymphoblastic leukemia at CHOP in 2012. He also delivered CAR T-cell therapy to the first pediatric patient in the world, paving the way for clinical development of engineered T-cell therapies. Dr. Grupp then led the first multicenter global study of Kymriah®, which became the first CAR-T therapy to receive approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Dr. Grupp is one of the true pioneers that have marked the history of CAR T-cell therapies whose decades of work and distinction as a true visionary will continue to shape and inform the future of these transformative therapies in the service of pediatric patients suffering from cancer,” said Dr. André Choulika, Cellectis CEO. “His experience in pediatric oncology and groundbreaking work in CAR-T therapy will be an enormous asset for Cellectis’ CAB, and his firm belief in Cellectis’ unique approach lends additional credence to our innovative work developing allogeneic CAR-T therapies.”

“Over the course of my career, I have devoted a great deal of attention to both autologous and allogeneic cellular therapies for pediatric cancer patients, and I believe universal CAR-T products can change the paradigm of cancer treatment and address urgent unmet medical needs. I have great hopes that allogeneic CAR-T therapy can open up treatment options for patients who don’t have enough T-cells to undergo an autologous CAR-T therapy, or who live in regions where the technology is not available,” added Dr. Grupp. “My mission throughout my career has been to change the standard of care for pediatric patients who are battling difficult cancers, so joining Cellectis’ CAB presents a unique opportunity to strategically guide and advance the development of these lifesaving therapies.”

Dr. Grupp is Chief of the Cell Therapy and Transplant Section, Director of the Cancer Immunotherapy Program, Director of Translational Research for the Center for Childhood Cancer Research and Medical Director of the Stem Cell Laboratory at CHOP, as well as an attending physician in the Cancer Center at CHOP, where he has worked for more than two decades. Dr. Grupp completed a pediatric residency at Boston Children’s Hospital, and a pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital. He also completed a research fellowship in immunology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Grupp has published numerous papers on various therapies for the treatment of children with cancers, including CAR T-cell therapies, and has been honored by numerous prestigious organizations for his work, including the American Society of Pediatric Hematology / Oncology and American Pediatric Society.