Exhibit 99.1
Adaptimmune Announces Appointment of New Vice President of Investor Relations
OXFORD, UK and PHILADELPHIA, Pa., May 12, 2015 — Adaptimmune (NASDAQ: ADAP), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the use of T-cell therapy to treat cancer, today announced that it has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of William (Will) Roberts as Vice President, Investor Relations.
Mr. Roberts will lead the company’s investor communications strategies, along with involvement in wider communication programs and activities.
Mr. Roberts brings over 20 years of investor relations, communications, and scientific experience in small, global mid-cap and large cap biotechnology companies to Adaptimmune. He spent ten years (2004-2014) with ViroPharma Incorporated (acquired by Shire in 2014) with responsibility for investor and media relations, patient and physician advocacy, certain branded communications regarding Cinryze® (C1 esterase inhibitor [human]) and other commercial products, and disease awareness, culminating in his service as Vice President, Corporate Communications. His record includes developing award-winning communications programs such as ViroPharma’s investor relations program which won IR Magazine’s 2013 ‘IR Professional of the Year — Small Cap’ and ‘Grand Prix, Best Overall Investor Relations Program — Small Cap’ awards. Previously, Mr. Roberts spent 12 years (1992-2004) with MedImmune Inc. (acquired by AstraZeneca in 2007) in various scientific and investor relations roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, he served as Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications for Discovery Labs.
“I am delighted to welcome Will to Adaptimmune,” said James Noble, Chief Executive Officer of Adaptimmune. “Adaptimmune has only recently evolved into a public company, and his wealth of communications experience in U.S. biotechnology companies that have been highly lauded for their investor communications programs and transparency will be essential in order for us to continue our evolution.”
Mr. Roberts said, “Adaptimmune has come a long way in a short amount of time, thanks to its remarkable people and technology. I am thrilled to join this excellent team, and look forward to contributing as we move forward.”
About Adaptimmune
Adaptimmune is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on novel cancer immunotherapy products based on its T-cell receptor platform. Established in 2008, the company aims to utilize the body’s own machinery — the T cell — to target and destroy cancer cells by using engineered, increased affinity T cell receptors (TCRs) as a means of strengthening natural patient T cell responses. Adaptimmune’s lead program is an affinity enhanced TCR therapeutic targeting the NY-ESO cancer antigen. Its NY-ESO TCR therapeutic candidate has demonstrated signs of efficacy and tolerability in Phase 1/2 trials in solid tumors and in hematologic cancer types. In June 2014, Adaptimmune