Sensei Biotherapeutics Appoints Ildiko Csiki, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer

GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company developing immuno-oncology therapies that teach the immune system to recognize and attack cancer, today announced the appointment of Ildiko Csiki, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Csiki brings nearly two decades of leadership experience in oncology drug development and research, most recently serving as Vice of President of Immuno-Oncology Clinical Development at Inovio Pharmaceuticals.

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Sensei CMO Ildiko Csiki (Photo: Business Wire)

“It is with great excitement that we welcome such an accomplished oncologist and clinical leader to Sensei. Ildiko brings an outstanding intellect, expertise and passion for patients to our team,” said John Celebi, CEO of Sensei Biotherapeutics. “She is joining Sensei at a time when we are taking bold steps in discovering and developing the next generation of cancer immunotherapies, and we look forward to her contributions to building our oncology drug development capabilities and developing the clinical strategies for SNS-301 and the other programs in our pipeline.”

Dr. Csiki joins Sensei at a pivotal time with promising clinical data from the Phase I trial of its lead drug candidate SNS-301 expected in the fall of 2018, and the continued development of its proprietary SPIRIT drug development platform that is generating a pipeline of innovative immuno-oncology therapies.

“I am excited to join Sensei and have the opportunity to play a leadership role in advancing innovative immuno-oncology drug candidates and bring new medicines to cancer patients,” said Ildiko Csiki, CMO of Sensei Biotherapeutics “Our SPIRIT platform offers an innovative mechanism for detecting and eliminating cancer. I am eager to move forward with the clinical program for Sensei’s lead drug candidate, SNS-301, as well as creating the clinical strategy for the company’s pipeline of immuno-oncology therapies with the potential to have a profound impact for cancer patients.”

In her most recent role, Dr. Csiki served as Vice of President of Immuno-Oncology Clinical Development at Inovio Pharmaceuticals where she led the advancement of Inovio’s DNA-based cancer immunotherapies based on T cell immunotherapeutic vaccines, including responsibility for overseeing clinical programs, clinical strategy, medical monitoring and regulatory submissions. Previously, Dr. Csiki was a Senior Director of Oncology Clinical Development at Merck, as a clinical development lead for pembrolizumab (Keytruda®), and she was Director of Clinical Development at GSK focused on a lymphoma and other oncology programs. Before that, Dr. Csiki was an Assistant Professor in the Perelman Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania where she had an active clinical practice and a translational science laboratory focused on thoracic malignancies. She holds an M.D. and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Her postdoctoral training included an internship in Internal Medicine and residency in radiation oncology at Vanderbilt and subsequently, a Holman Pathway Research Fellowship.

About Sensei Biotherapeutics

Sensei Biotherapeutics is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company developing immuno-oncology therapies that stimulate the immune system to ‘teach’ it to recognize cancer-specific antigens and attack cancer cells. The company’s patented and proprietary technology platform, called SPIRIT, creates novel therapies that target Tumor Specific Antigens (TSAs) – including neoantigens or selective self-antigens – that are designed to overcome immune tolerance by eliciting a potent cellular and humoral immune response to eliminate cancer cells. With leading-edge technology for the discovery of TSAs, Sensei’s precision medicine approach to immuno-oncology includes developing novel cancer vaccines and CAR-T therapies along with companion diagnostics. The company’s lead drug candidate, SNS-301, is a first-in-class cancer vaccine that targets a novel embryonic self-antigen and has successfully completed a Phase 1 clinical study. Sensei Biotherapeutics is located in Gaithersburg, MD. For more information, please visit www.senseibio.com.

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