Humacyte Expands Leadership Team with Appointment of Shamik Parikh, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer
--Seasoned physician, scientist and life science executive brings expertise in clinical research and development across product life cycle--
--Key appointment as Humacyte advances HAV through multiple late-stage clinical trials in initial vascular applications--
DURHAM, N.C., April 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Humacyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:HUMA), a clinical-stage biotechnology platform company developing universally implantable bioengineered human tissue at commercial scale, today announced the appointment of Shamik J. Parikh, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer. In this role, Dr. Parikh will lead the company's global clinical development strategy, including oversight of the preclinical and clinical development, clinical operations, and medical affairs functions.
"We are pleased to welcome Shamik to Humacyte's leadership team as Chief Medical Officer. Shamik's combination of experience across clinical development, medical affairs and patient safety will be invaluable to Humacyte as we advance our pipeline of bioengineered tissue products," said Laura Niklason, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Humacyte. "His expertise taking a product from the clinical development stage through approval and commercialization will be an asset as we continue to progress our lead candidate, the Human Acellular VesselTM (HAVTM), through late-stage clinical trials in vascular trauma, arteriovenous (AV) access for hemodialysis, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD)."
Dr. Parikh brings more than two decades of leadership experience in academia and at global pharmaceutical companies, where he oversaw clinical and drug strategy, research and development, and product launches across multiple therapeutic areas. He most recently served as Vice President, Head of Patient Safety Center for Excellence at AstraZeneca, where he led the enterprise-wide patient safety efforts, oversaw the development and execution of strategic initiatives and global pharmacovigilance of multiple products, and served as a core member of the AstraZeneca Executive Safety Board. During his 16-year tenure at AstraZeneca, Dr. Parikh also served in various roles of increasing responsibility, including as the Senior and Executive Director and Global Clinical Lead for type 2 diabetes medicine Farxiga®, responsible for its development from Phase 2 through the successful drug approval and commercial launch in the U.S. and EU.
"Humacyte is on the leading edge of regenerative medicine, with an engineered human tissue platform and product candidates poised to make a profound impact on the treatment of acute vascular injuries and chronic health conditions needing vascular access or replacement," said Dr. Parikh. "It is a privilege to join the Humacyte team at such an important time in the company's trajectory, and I look forward to contributing to the important work ahead to make the HAV a reality for patients in need."
Earlier in his career, Dr. Parikh led clinical development and medical affairs strategy, including design and oversight of multinational clinical trials, at GlaxoSmithKline. He began his career as a clinical investigator for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Parikh has authored more than 25 publications and 60 abstracts, with a focus on diabetes, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Dr. Parikh holds a medical degree from the Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai, India, with post-graduate training and fellowship in the United States, and has held U.S. board certifications in adult endocrinology, internal medicine and general pediatrics.
About Humacyte
Humacyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:HUMA) is developing a disruptive biotechnology platform to deliver universally implantable bioengineered human tissues and organs designed to improve the lives of patients and transform the practice of medicine. The Company develops and manufactures acellular tissues to treat a wide range of diseases, injuries and chronic conditions. Humacyte's initial opportunity, a portfolio of human acellular vessels (HAVs), is currently in late-stage clinical trials targeting multiple vascular applications, including vascular trauma repair, arteriovenous access for hemodialysis, and peripheral arterial disease. Preclinical development is also underway in coronary artery bypass grafts, pediatric heart surgery, treatment of type 1 diabetes, and multiple novel cell and tissue applications. Humacyte's 6mm HAV for arteriovenous (AV) access for performing hemodialysis was the first product candidate to receive the FDA's Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation, and the HAV technology received priority designation for the treatment of vascular trauma by the U.S. Secretary of Defense. For more information, visit www.Humacyte.com.
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