CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sigilon Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGTX), a biotechnology company that seeks to develop functional cures for chronic diseases through its Shielded Living Therapeutics™ platform, today announced the appointment of Philip Ashton-Rickardt, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). Most recently, Dr. Ashton-Rickardt served as Senior Vice President for Immunology at AZTherapies, Inc., where he was responsible for preclinical development of cell therapies, biologic and small molecule platform technologies to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
“We are excited to announce the addition of Philip to our leadership team. He is a highly regarded scientific leader, and we believe his experience in cell therapy and successful track record of developing platform technologies will be tremendous assets,” said Rogerio Vivaldi, M.D., President and CEO of Sigilon. “He’s joining us at an important time for the Company as we strategically advance our growing pipeline of novel therapeutics for the treatment of a wide range of chronic diseases. The breadth and depth of Philip’s experience will be instrumental in helping us leverage the modularity of our Shielded Living Therapeutics™ platform as we advance multiple programs.”
Dr. Ashton-Rickardt joined AZTherapies in 2019 in connection with its acquisition of Smith Therapeutics, a private company founded by Dr. Ashton-Rickardt to develop a cutting-edge technology platform that he invented using modified T cells designed to restore a healthy balance of inflammatory and regulatory cells in the brain. Prior to launching Smith Therapeutics in 2017, Dr. Ashton-Rickardt was Chair in Immunology at Imperial College London, Visiting Professor, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Chicago. He was awarded tenure by The University of Chicago and is the recipient of the Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President Bill Clinton. He has published more than 65 peer-reviewed papers in more than 30 academic journals (including Cell, Science, Immunity, and Nature Immunology), has served as an editor for several academic journals, and has been a member of grant review boards globally. Dr. Ashton-Rickardt earned a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of London, King’s College and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Edinburgh.
Added Dr. Ashton-Rickardt: “I am thrilled to be joining this talented team. I look forward to exploring the potential of this novel platform technology in hopes of further expanding Sigilon’s robust pipeline and delivering on its commitment to improve the lives of patients living with chronic diseases.”
About Sigilon Therapeutics
Sigilon Therapeutics seeks to develop functional cures for chronic diseases through its Shielded Living Therapeutics™ platform. Sigilon’s product candidates are non-viral engineered cell-based therapies designed to produce the crucial proteins, enzymes or factors needed by patients living with chronic diseases such as hemophilia, lysosomal diseases and diabetes. The engineered cells are protected by Sigilon’s Afibromer™ biomaterials matrix, which shields them from immune rejection and fibrosis. Sigilon was founded by Flagship Pioneering in conjunction with Daniel Anderson, Ph.D., and Robert Langer, Sc.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
