BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: BCLI), a groundbreaking developer of adult stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, has just welcomed Dr. Kirk Taylor to its executive team as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (EVP, CMO). Starting May 1, 2023, Dr. Taylor will report directly to co-CEO Stacy Lindborg, Ph.D., to help further BrainStorm’s mission of transforming lives through revolutionary medical technologies.
Dr. Taylor is set to revolutionize the medical industry, leading the global medical affairs function to launch activities such as product launches, post-approval commercialization efforts and building relationships with the medical community. His strategic capability and experience will also be leveraged to support clinical development and the Company’s long-term business model. This is sure to be an exciting journey for both Dr. Taylor and the medical industry.
BrainStorm is thrilled to welcome Kirk as its newest addition to the team, as his appointment marks an important step in bolstering the company’s medical, regulatory and advocacy teams. With his extensive experience as a practicing neurologist and leading global medical teams, BrainStorm is confident that Kirk will be a major asset in advancing NurOwn to regulatory review with the goal of making it widely available to individuals with ALS. His expertise and insight will be invaluable as BrainStorm works to build its capabilities and prepare for anticipated growth.
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics is on the brink of a major milestone, as the company readies for a pivotal regulatory review of NurOwn® for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). On March 27, 2023, BrainStorm announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set to hold an Advisory Committee meeting to review the BLA for NurOwn, bringing the company one step closer to providing a potential treatment for those living with ALS.
Dr. Taylor is delighted to be joining BrainStorm, a company revolutionizing the ALS community with its innovative treatments, such as NurOwn. Optimistic of the FDA’s regulatory flexibility in rapidly progressing neurological illnesses, such as ALS, she is eager to review the clinical evidence with the whole stakeholder community. Knowing the importance of time for ALS patients, she is ready to take action and make a difference in their lives.
Dr. Taylor brings an impressive 26 years of experience in global drug development programs to BrainStorm, having worked on projects from Phase 1 through post-approval studies in a variety of therapeutic areas, such as neurology and rare diseases.
Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of North American Medical Affairs at EMD Serono (a Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany company), where he was responsible for leading the medical team’s efforts across four therapeutic areas and the launch of three new treatments.
Previous to that, Dr. Taylor held high-level medical roles at Biogen, Pfizer, Sanofi-Genzyme and Verastem Oncology, where he spearheaded the strategy and late-phase development of the company’s internal assets.
Dr. Taylor is a highly-qualified physician, having earned a B.A. from Harvard University, a M.D. from University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, completed a neurology residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and a postdoctoral fellowship in pain management at the University of California, San Francisco.
His dedication to training the next generation of physicians is demonstrated by his two years of teaching pain management to neurology residents at Yale VA Hospital. To top it off, he has also completed executive leadership training at Harvard, Stanford, and INSEAD business schools.
About NurOwn®
The NurOwn® technology platform provides an innovative and potentially groundbreaking approach to treating neurodegenerative disorders. Autologous MSC-NTF cells are produced by expanding and differentiating bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) ex vivo and exposing them to patented conditions that promote the release of neurotrophic factors (NTFs) and immunomodulatory cytokines. This approach seeks to slow or stabilize disease progression by delivering these therapeutic agents directly to the site of damage, providing an effective and targeted treatment.
About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is revolutionizing neurodegenerative disease treatment through its exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement for the NurOwn® technology platform which produces autologous MSC-NTF cells. This innovative therapy has received Orphan Drug designation status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
To further its research into autologous MSC-NTF cells, BrainStorm has completed Phase 3 pivotal trial in ALS and a Phase 2 open-label multicenter trial in progressive MS, both of which were supported by grants from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM CLIN2-0989) and the National MS Society (NMSS) respectively.