Cheng Liu, Ph.D., appointed Chief Scientific Officer; continues as President and as a member of the Board of Directors<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
EMERYVILLE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE<\/a>)– \nMs. Pussinen is an accomplished biotechnology and pharmaceutical executive with more than three decades of global leadership experience, including more than 15 years in C-suite and board-level positions. Throughout her career, she has led the development, regulatory approval, commercialization and delivery of more than 15 innovative medical therapies and healthcare solutions, contributing to products generating more than $5 billion in aggregate peak-year sales. Her experience spans cell and gene therapies, biologics, oncology, rare diseases and other advanced therapeutic modalities, along with corporate transformation, strategic partnerships, capital formation and operational excellence.<\/p>\n \nMs. Pussinen’s appointment comes at an important inflection point for Estrella as the Company advances its proprietary ARTEMIS\u00ae T-cell therapy platform and progresses its lead clinical candidate, EB103, through the STARLIGHT-1 Phase I\/II clinical trial in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).<\/p>\n \nEarly clinical findings with EB103 have demonstrated encouraging anti-tumor activity, durable complete responses in evaluable patients and a favorable safety profile to date, including no treatment-related serious adverse events in the initial dose-escalation population. These findings have supported advancement into the dose-expansion phase of STARLIGHT-1.<\/p>\n \n\u201cOn behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Cynthia to Estrella,\u201d said Cheng Liu, Ph.D., Estrella’s President and Chief Scientific Officer. \u201cCynthia brings a rare combination of public-company leadership, hands-on experience in cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing, and a strong track record of building strategic and financial partnerships. As Estrella enters its next phase of clinical development, the Board and I are confident that she is the right leader to build on the progress we have made with EB103 and the ARTEMIS\u00ae platform. I look forward to working closely with Cynthia to ensure a seamless transition.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am absolutely delighted to join Estrella Immunopharma at such a pivotal moment in the Company’s evolution,\u201d said Cynthia Pussinen, Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Board.<\/b> \u201cThroughout my career, I have been driven by the opportunity to translate groundbreaking science into meaningful, life-changing therapies for patients. What attracted me to Estrella is the compelling combination of differentiated science, strong early clinical validation and the extraordinary potential of the ARTEMIS\u00ae platform to redefine what is possible with engineered T-cell therapies.<\/p>\n \n\u201cWhile CAR-T therapies have transformed the treatment landscape for certain cancers, significant unmet needs remain, particularly with respect to response durability, treatment-related toxicity and access for patients who may not be eligible for currently marketed therapies. ARTEMIS\u00ae represents an exciting opportunity to address these limitations, with the potential to deliver deeper and more durable responses and improved tolerability. The early clinical results are encouraging, and I believe we have an exceptional foundation upon which to build.<\/p>\n \n\u201cEqually exciting is the opportunity to extend this innovative technology beyond hematologic cancers into additional oncology indications and autoimmune diseases, where more effective, durable and potentially transformative treatment options are desperately needed. I am honored to work alongside Estrella’s talented scientists, clinicians, partners and Board to advance these promising therapies, accelerate clinical development, build long-term shareholder value and, most importantly, bring new hope to patients and families around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \nPrior to joining Estrella, Ms. Pussinen served as Managing Director, Biotech Investments at Sorbie Bornholm, where she evaluated and advanced strategic investments in publicly traded biotechnology companies. She previously served as Chief Executive Officer and Board Director of Sernova Corp., a publicly traded biotechnology company developing regenerative medicine and cell therapy technologies. During her tenure, she led a corporate transformation spanning governance, operations and investor engagement.<\/p>\n \nEarlier, Ms. Pussinen served as Chief Technical Officer at Spark Therapeutics, a member of the Roche Group, where she led global gene therapy development, manufacturing and technical operations. Her leadership helped secure Roche Board approval for an approximately $750 million capital investment supporting advanced gene therapy infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities, while delivering substantial improvements in operational performance.<\/p>\n \nMs. Pussinen also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Ipsen Bioscience and Biomeasure, where she led a major organizational turnaround and oversaw research, development and technical operations. She has held senior executive roles at Pfizer, Honeywell International and Actinium Pharmaceuticals.<\/p>\n \nMs. Pussinen has served on the boards or scientific advisory boards of Xelcis Bio, Spes Bio and Spark Therapeutics subsidiaries, and has advised emerging life sciences and healthcare technology companies.<\/p>\n \nMs. Pussinen holds a Master of Science in Management of Research and Development from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, with a minor in Nuclear Engineering, from the University of Connecticut.<\/p>\n \nAs Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Board, Ms. Pussinen will lead Estrella’s corporate and clinical development strategy, including advancing EB103, strengthening strategic and financial partnerships, expanding the potential applications of the ARTEMIS\u00ae technology platform and positioning the Company for its next phase of growth.<\/p>\n About EB103<\/b><\/p>\n \nEB103, a T-cell therapy, also referred to as Estrella\u2019s \u201cCD19-Redirected ARTEMIS\u00ae<\/sup> T-Cell Therapy,\u201d utilizes ARTEMIS\u00ae<\/sup> technology licensed from Eureka Therapeutics, Inc. (Eureka), Estrella\u2019s parent company. Unlike a traditional CAR-T cell, the unique design of an ARTEMIS\u00ae<\/sup> T cell, such as EB103, allows it to be activated and regulated upon engagement with cancer targets through a cellular mechanism that more closely resembles that of an endogenous T-cell receptor. Once infused, EB103 T cells bind to and destroy CD19-positive cancer cells.<\/p>\n About Estrella Immunopharma<\/b><\/p>\n \nEstrella is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing CD19- and CD22-targeted ARTEMIS\u00ae<\/sup> T-cell therapies to treat cancers and autoimmune diseases. Estrella\u2019s mission is to harness the evolutionary power of the human immune system to transform the lives of patients fighting cancer and other diseases. To accomplish this mission, Estrella\u2019s lead product candidate, EB103, utilizes Eureka\u2019s ARTEMIS\u00ae<\/sup> technology to target CD19, a protein expressed on the surface of almost all B-cell leukemias and lymphomas. Estrella is also developing EB104, which utilizes Eureka\u2019s ARTEMIS\u00ae<\/sup> technology to target not only CD19, but also CD22, another protein expressed on the surface of most B-cell malignancies.<\/p>\n \nFor more information about Estrella, please visit www.estrellabio.com.<\/p>\n Forward Looking Statements<\/b><\/p>\n \nThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, those regarding the expected benefits of the leadership transition and Ms. Pussinen\u2019s anticipated contributions to the Company; Estrella\u2019s corporate, clinical development and partnering strategy and its plans for future growth; the potential safety, efficacy and therapeutic benefits of EB103 and Estrella\u2019s other ARTEMIS\u00ae<\/sup> T-cell product candidates; the potential benefits of a multiple-dose regimen of EB103, including the potential for deeper or more durable responses; the tolerability of EB103 and the durability of responses observed to date, which are based on a small number of patients and limited follow-up; the design, conduct, progress and timing of the STARLIGHT-1 Phase I\/II clinical trial and any future clinical trials of EB103; Estrella\u2019s expectations regarding the recommended Phase II dose, the expansion phase and the use of data from the expansion phase to inform any future pivotal trial strategy; Estrella\u2019s ability to advance EB103 and EB104 in development; and the expected timing of enrollment and dosing of additional patients and of the reporting of data from the expansion cohort. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking expressions, including, but not limited to, \u201canticipate,\u201d \u201cbelieve,\u201d \u201ccould,\u201d \u201cestimate,\u201d \u201cexpect,\u201d \u201cintend,\u201d \u201cmay,\u201d \u201cplan,\u201d \u201cpotential,\u201d \u201cpredict,\u201d \u201cproject,\u201d \u201cshould,\u201d \u201ctarget,\u201d \u201cwill,\u201d \u201cwould\u201d and similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. These statements relate to future events or our financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those listed under \u201cRisk Factors\u201d and elsewhere in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent our views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Information contained on, or accessible through, Estrella\u2019s website or the websites referenced in this press release is not incorporated by reference into, and does not form a part of, this press release.<\/p>\n View source version on businesswire.com: <\/span>https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20261026021449\/en\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \nInvestor Relations KEYWORDS:<\/b> California United States North America<\/p>\n INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:<\/b> Oncology Health Genetics Clinical Trials Pharmaceutical Biotechnology<\/p>\n
\nEstrella Immunopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESLA) (\u201cEstrella\u201d or the \u201cCompany\u201d), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation ARTEMIS\u00ae T-cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of Cynthia Pussinen as Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of its Board of Directors<\/b>, effective October 25, 2026. Ms. Pussinen succeeds Cheng Liu, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Liu has been appointed Chief Scientific Officer and will continue to serve as the Company’s President and as a member of the Board of Directors.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Estrella Immunopharma, Inc.
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IR@estrellabio.com<\/a><\/p>\n
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