jCyte Announces Promotion of Dr. Shannon Blalock to Chief Executive Officer

- Dr. Blalock brings more than 25 years of commercialization and operational expertise as jCell therapy advances toward its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial program.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--jCyte Inc., a biotech company dedicated to improving the lives of patients with retinal degenerative diseases, today announced the Board of Directors has promoted Dr. Shannon Blalock to Chief Executive Officer and an elected member of the Board. Dr. Blalock joined jCyte last year as its Chief Operating Officer.

“I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Shannon as jCyte’s new CEO at this important point in the company’s evolution. Shannon has contributed significantly to our company since joining jCyte last year. His outstanding operational expertise and corporate leadership experience will be invaluable as we advance our transformative jCell therapy, which received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation from the FDA, towards its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial program,” said Dr. Henry Klassen, Founder and Executive Chairman of jCyte.

“This is an exciting time for jCyte and the global development program of our regenerative cell therapy,” said Dr. Blalock. “I look forward to working with jCyte’s executive team and Board to advance the clinical development of jCell therapy to improve the lives of patients with retinal degenerative diseases who currently have no treatment options.”

Dr. Blalock brings more than 25 years of commercialization and operational expertise within the pharmaceutical industry. He joined jCyte, from Santen Pharmaceuticals, where he served as the Global Leader for Portfolio Development & Global R&D Strategy. Prior to Santen, Shannon co-founded and was the Chief Commercial Officer of AltheaDx after working at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for more than a decade where he led both US and International businesses of increasing size and scope. Dr. Blalock earned his undergraduate and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

About jCyte, Inc.

jCyte, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing its first-in-class regenerative cell therapy, jCell, for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and other retinal degenerative disorders. The treatment is minimally invasive and given as an intravitreal injection. There are currently no FDA approved therapies for RP. The company is pioneering a new era of regenerative therapies to address the significant unmet medical needs of patients suffering from a broad set of retinal degenerative diseases. For more information, visit www.jcyte.com.

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Kimberly Ha
KKH Advisors
917-291-5744
kimberly.ha@kkhadvisors.com