Eterna Therapeutics Announces Expansion of Scientific Advisory Board

Dr. Jerome Zeldis and Dr. Blythe Sather bring exceptional backgrounds in cell therapy and solid tumors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eterna Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ERNA), a leader in cell therapies for the treatment of advanced solid tumors, today announced the addition of Jerome Zeldis, M.D., Ph.D., and Blythe Sather, Ph.D., to the company's scientific advisory board.

"We are fortunate to welcome Dr. Zeldis and Dr. Sather," said Sanjeev Luther, President & CEO of Eterna Therapeutics. "Their extensive experience in developing transformative, high-profile cell therapies for solid tumors has been pivotal in advancing innovative treatments for patients. Their deep expertise will be invaluable as we continue to advance our cell therapies."

Dr. Zeldis brings decades of experience in developing oncology therapies. Coupling his medical expertise with his business acumen, Dr. Zeldis' unique and critical perspectives allowed for the development and advancement of dozens of cancer therapies. He served as Celgene's Chief Medical Officer and other leadership roles for over a decade. He also brings experience as an executive or board member at NexImmune, Sorrento Therapeutics, Sandoz Research Institute, Janssen Research Institute, PTC Therapeutics, Soligenix, and NexGel. He has published 122 peer-reviewed articles and holds 44 U.S. patents.

Dr. Sather is an immunologist with a deep expertise in delivering genetic and epigenetic modifications to a variety of cell types to treat disease. Her work spans early discovery to clinical stage programs in both ex vivo cell therapy and in vivo genetic medicines. Her work includes studying the function and trafficking of regulatory T cells, CRISPR-mediated gene editing, lentiviral gene therapies, chimeric antigen receptor $(CAR)$ and T cell receptor next-generation products for solid tumors, and epigenetic modulation to regulate gene expression. She has held research leadership roles at organizations including Juno Therapeutics, Celgene, and Lyell Immunopharma and is currently the head of research at Tune Therapeutics. She brings strong expertise and passion for creating innovative therapeutic solutions for cancer.

With their deep insight and experience in cell therapy, Dr. Zeldis and Dr. Blythe will play a vital role in advancing ERNA-101 in solid tumors and ERNA-102 in autoimmune diseases through their preclinical studies.

About Eterna Therapeutics

Eterna Therapeutics is a publicly traded, preclinical-stage company focused on developing highly innovative, effective, safe off-the-shelf synthetic induced allogenic mesenchymal stem cell (iMSC) therapies. Eterna's lead product ERNA-101 is an allogeneic pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-7/IL-15)-secreting iMSC. ERNA-101 capitalizes on the intrinsic tumor-homing and infiltration ability of MSCs to slip through the tumor's defenses and to deliver potent pro-inflammatory factors directly to the tumor microenvironment $(TME)$, limiting systemic exposure and potential toxicity while unleashing potent anti-cancer immune responses including enhancement of T-cell anti-tumor activity. The company's initial focus is to develop ERNA-101 in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer $(PROC)$. The company is also investigating ERNA-102, anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10)-secreting iMSCs in inflammatory/auto-immune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. The company is actively seeking strategic partnerships to co-develop or out-license therapeutic assets and engage with potential collaborators to expand developmental opportunities. For more information, please visit https://www.eternatx.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, in some cases, can be identified by terms such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "design," "intend," "expect," "could," "plan," "potential," "predict," "seek," "should," "would," "contemplate," "project," "target," "objective," or the negative version of these words and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Eterna's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to: progress and possible outcomes of the Company's lead research project, ERNA-101, and future research projects. Forward-looking statements are based upon Eterna's current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. For a detailed description of Eterna's risks and uncertainties, you are encouraged to review its documents filed with the SEC including its recent filings on Form 8-K, Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Eterna does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date hereof, except as required by applicable law.

Media & Investor Relations Contact

investors@eternatx.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 28, 2025 08:30 ET (13:30 GMT)