IGM Biosciences Announces the Appointment of Chris H. Takimoto, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.P., as Chief Medical Officer

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IGM Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: IGMS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on creating and developing engineered IgM antibodies, today announced the appointment of Chris H. Takimoto, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.P., to the role of Chief Medical Officer, effective today. Dr. Takimoto will be responsible for global development of IGM’s clinical pipeline of proprietary IgM antibodies. He joins IGM with 30 years of experience in cancer research and development, most recently as Senior Vice President, Oncology, Gilead Sciences, Inc. Daniel S. Chen, M.D., Ph.D., will continue to assist the Company in a consulting capacity.

“Dr. Takimoto has a proven track record of shepherding novel oncology product candidates through clinical development together with broad expertise in oncology and pharmacology gained through a distinguished industry, academic, and public service career,” said Fred Schwarzer, Chief Executive Officer of IGM Biosciences. “We look forward to working with him and our clinical team in continuing to advance our growing clinical pipeline of IgM antibodies. We would also like to thank Dr. Chen for the significant contributions he has made to the Company, including managing the initial dose escalation portion of our Phase 1 clinical trial of IGM-2323, our CD20 x CD3 T cell engager IgM antibody for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and successfully launching our Phase 1 clinical trial of IGM-8444, our Death Receptor 5 agonist IGM antibody for solid and liquid tumors, and we sincerely wish him continued success in his career.”

“As the pioneers of a groundbreaking new technology, IGM Biosciences has the potential to make a real difference for patients in therapeutic areas from oncology to infectious diseases to immunology and inflammation by harnessing the power of nature’s strongest antibodies, IgMs,” said Dr. Takimoto. “IGM Biosciences has solved many of the challenges historically associated with engineering and manufacturing these complex molecules, and I look forward to participating in their clinical development and helping to demonstrate their full potential.”

Prior to Gilead, Dr. Takimoto served as Chief Medical Officer, since February 2016, of Forty Seven, Inc., a biotechnology company formed out of Stanford University and acquired by Gilead Sciences in 2020. From September 2010 to January 2016, Dr. Takimoto served as Vice President of Experimental Medicine Early Development, Oncology Therapeutic Area for Janssen Research and Development, LLC. From 2008 to 2010, Dr. Takimoto served as Senior Director of Translational Medicine of Ortho Biotech Oncology Research and Development. He has over thirty years of experience in industry and academia, including academic positions at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the National Cancer Institute, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He also served as a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. Dr. Takimoto received a B.S. in Chemistry from Stanford University, a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Yale University, and an M.D. from Yale University School of Medicine.

About IGM Biosciences, Inc.

Headquartered in Mountain View, California, IGM Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on creating and developing engineered IgM antibodies. Since 2010, IGM Biosciences has worked to overcome the manufacturing and protein engineering hurdles that have limited the therapeutic use of IgM antibodies. Through its efforts, IGM Biosciences has created a proprietary IgM technology platform for the development of IgM antibodies for those clinical indications where their inherent properties may provide advantages as compared to IgG antibodies.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements relating to IGM’s plans, expectations and forecasts and to future events. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the potential of, and expectations regarding IGM’s technology platform, its product candidates and clinical pipeline; statements regarding IGM’s Phase 1 clinical trials of IGM-2323 and IGM-8444; and statements by Mr. Schwarzer and Dr. Takimoto. Such statements are subject to numerous important factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially, including but not limited to: potential delays and disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and governmental responses to the pandemic, including any future impacts to IGM’s operations, the manufacturing of its product candidates, the progression of its clinical trials, enrollment in its current and future clinical trials and progression of its collaborations and related efforts; IGM’s early stages of clinical drug development; risks related to the use of engineered IgM antibodies, which is a novel and unproven therapeutic approach; IGM’s ability to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its product candidates; IGM’s ability to successfully and timely advance its product candidates through preclinical studies and clinical trials; IGM’s ability to enroll patients in its clinical trials; the potential for the results of clinical trials to differ from preclinical, preliminary or expected results; the risk of significant adverse events, toxicities or other undesirable side effects; IGM’s ability to successfully manufacture and supply its product candidates for clinical trials; the risk that all necessary regulatory approvals cannot be obtained; the risk that the potential benefits of combination therapies do not outweigh their costs; IGM’s ability to obtain additional capital to finance its operations, if needed; uncertainties related to the projections of the size of patient populations suffering from the diseases IGM is targeting; IGM’s ability to obtain, maintain and protect its intellectual property rights; developments relating to IGM’s competitors and its industry, including competing product candidates and therapies; risks related to collaborations with third parties, including the risk of the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of any such collaboration; general economic and market conditions; and other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in IGM’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including IGM’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 30, 2021, IGM’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 6, 2021 and in IGM’s future reports to be filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and IGM specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.

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David Pitts
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igmbio@argotpartners.com