– Oncology research leader poised to advance Kite’s robust next-generation cell therapy portfolio –
Santa Monica, Calif. – October 2, 2023 – Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), today announced that Priti Hegde, PhD, will join the company as Senior Vice President and Global Head of Kite Research, effective October 9. Dr. Hegde will oversee Kite’s Research organization across hematological malignancies and next-generation cell therapies.
“As we drive the next wave of cell therapy innovation, I’m thrilled to welcome Priti to the Kite team. We’re at a critical inflection point with cell therapy, and I’m confident that Priti’s deep expertise in accelerating scientific discovery will help advance our research efforts with the goal of improving upon the strong results we have today so more patients can benefit from cell therapies,” said Cindy Perettie, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Kite.
Dr. Hegde brings more than 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry to Kite and an impressive track record in drug discovery and development in oncology and cancer immunotherapy. Most recently, she served as the Chief Scientific Officer and a member of the executive team at Foundation Medicine, leading the company’s strategic research roadmap – including early-stage research, diagnostic product development and cancer genomics – shaping the vision for oncology diagnostics and patient care. Prior to Foundation Medicine, Dr. Hegde spent over a decade at Genentech, where she established and led the global team accountable for translational science strategies in cancer immunotherapy. She was responsible for both forward and reverse translation of clinical trial data to enable registration of the immunotherapy treatment, Tecentriq®, and target discovery, establishing the tumor immunity continuum framework.
“There has never been a more exciting time in the field of cell therapy, as the science rapidly evolves to include new platforms and the clinical potential extends to earlier lines of therapy, solid tumors and even disease areas beyond oncology. I’m honored to join the global cell therapy leader at this exciting time in their journey and continue to build on Kite’s tremendous success in autologous CAR T-cell therapy, while advancing the next-generation of cell therapy research,” said Dr. Hegde.
About Kite
Kite, a Gilead Company, is a global biopharmaceutical company based in Santa Monica, California, focused on cell therapy to treat and potentially cure cancer. As the global cell therapy leader, Kite has treated more patients with CAR T-cell therapy than any other company. Kite has the largest in-house cell therapy manufacturing network in the world, spanning process development, vector manufacturing, clinical trial production and commercial product manufacturing.
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California. Gilead Sciences acquired Kite in 2017.
For more information on Kite, please visit the company’s website at www.kitepharma.com. Follow Kite on social media on
X ( @KitePharma ) and LinkedIn.