Cellular and immune therapeutics company, Gamida Cell has announced the appointment of Julian Adams as chairman and chief executive officer.

Dr. Adams has more than 30 years of drug discovery and development experience.

Dr Adams said, “Gamida Cell’s proprietary NAM technology platform has unprecedented potential to create curative cellular and immune therapeutics for a diverse population of patients in need. I am excited to be joining such a talented team as we begin to prepare for the commercialization of our lead program, NiCord, which is currently in phase 3 clinical testing. I would like to thank Yael for her dedication throughout her time as CEO, and look forward to partnering with her to realize the potential of this promising pipeline for patients with cancer and rare genetic diseases.”

Prior to this appointment, Dr. Adams served as president and chief scientific officer at Clal Biotechnology Industries (CBI), where he oversaw the Boston office, evaluating investment opportunities and supporting portfolio companies, including Gamida Cell.

Before joining CBI, he served as the president of research and development at Infinity Pharmaceuticals, where he built and led the company’s R&D efforts. He also served as senior vice president of drug discovery and development at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, where he played a key role in the discovery of Velcade® (bortezomib) which is a therapy widely used for treatment of the blood cancer, multiple myeloma.

Earlier in his career, he was credited with discovering Viramune® (nevirapine) for HIV at Boehringer Ingelheim. He has also held senior leadership roles in research and development at LeukoSite and ProScript.

Dr. Adams received a B.S. from McGill University and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also earned a Doctor of Science, honoris causa, from McGill University in 2012.

Dr. Margolin, President, Gamida Cell said, “Julian is one of the most respected leaders in the biotechnology industry and has successfully led the global development and registration of multiple clinical programs. This is a dynamic time at Gamida Cell and as we advance the pipeline including our lead candidate, NiCord, we are excited to have Julian join us and support our objectives of expanding Gamida Cell’s global presence in the U.S. market.”