Yellowstone Biosciences has appointed James (Jim) MacDonald as chief executive officer and member of its Board of Directors.
The company, a spin-out from the University of Oxford, is developing soluble bispecific T cell receptor (TCR)-based therapies that target human leukocyte antigen (HLA) Class II antigens for oncology applications.
“Jim’s leadership comes at a critical moment for Yellowstone,” commented Professor Paresh Vyas, co-founder and chief scientific officer. “His experience in scaling high-growth biotech companies will be invaluable as we translate our HLA Class II science into a pipeline and progress towards the clinic.”
MacDonald brings more than 25 years’ experience in the biotech sector. He most recently served as venture partner at Altitude Life Sciences Ventures. Prior to that, he co-founded Sana Biotechnology, where he served as executive vice president and general counsel. He also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Juno Therapeutics.
“I am excited to join Yellowstone at this pivotal stage,” said MacDonald. “The company’s pioneering HLA Class II platform has the potential to transform treatment outcomes for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and solid tumours, and I look forward to working with the team to realise that vision.”