CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vor Biopharma, an oncology company pioneering engineered hematopoietic stem cells (eHSCs) for the treatment of cancer, today announced the appointment of Matthew R. Patterson, a biotechnology executive with nearly 30 years of experience in research, development, and commercialization of innovative treatments, to its Board of Directors.

“Matt is a highly respected leader in biotech, and for good reason,” said Robert Ang, MBBS, MBA, Vor’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “His expertise, guidance, and insights will be critical as we continue to advance our science towards the goal of developing potentially transformative therapies for patients with blood cancers.”

Mr. Patterson has held senior leadership positions in both private and publicly-traded biotechnology companies. He is the co-founder of Audentes Therapeutics and was its Chief Executive Officer for eight years until its acquisition by Astellas Pharma in 2020; he also chaired the company’s Board of Directors and continues to serve as a strategic advisor to the company. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Homology Medicines, Inc., and the Board of Directors of 5:01 Acquisition Corp. Mr. Patterson also currently serves as the Chairman of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the international advocacy organization representing the gene and cell therapy and broader regenerative medicine sector.

Prior to Audentes, Mr. Patterson was an entrepreneur-in-residence with OrbiMed. Earlier in his career, he worked for Genzyme Corporation, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, and Amicus Therapeutics. Mr. Patterson received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Bowdoin College.

“Vor’s innovative approach to cell therapy and passionate team have the potential to transform the lives of cancer patients,” Mr. Patterson said. “I am excited to provide guidance and mentorship to Robert and the team as they continue to build a world class cell therapy company.”

About Vor Biopharma

Vor Biopharma aims to transform the lives of cancer patients by pioneering engineered hematopoietic stem cell (eHSC) therapies. By removing biologically redundant proteins from eHSCs, these cells become inherently invulnerable to complementary targeted therapies while tumor cells are left susceptible, thereby unleashing the potential of targeted therapies to benefit cancer patients in need.

Vor’s platform could be used to potentially change the treatment paradigm of both hematopoietic stem cell transplants and targeted therapies, such as antibody drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies, and CAR-T cell treatments.

Vor is based in Cambridge, Mass. and has a broad intellectual property base, including in-licenses from Columbia University, where foundational work was conducted by inventor and Vor Scientific Board Chair Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, DPhil.

About VOR33

Vor’s lead product candidate, VOR33, consists of engineered hematopoietic stem cells (eHSCs) that lack the protein CD33. Once these cells are transplanted into a cancer patient, we believe that CD33 will become a far more cancer-specific target, potentially avoiding toxicity to the normal blood and bone marrow associated with CD33-targeted therapies. Vor aims to improve the therapeutic window and effectiveness of CD33-targeted therapies, thereby potentially broadening the clinical benefit to patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia.