Oryon Cell Therapies Appoints Kenny Choi, Ph.D. as Chief Technical Officer

Leader in cell and gene therapy technical operations brings more than fifteen years of manufacturing and development experience

Contributed directly to more than a dozen INDs and three BLAs for autologous cell therapies

WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oryon Cell Therapies (“Oryon”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing autologous neuron replacement medicines for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, today announced the appointment of Kenny Choi, Ph.D., as Chief Technical Officer (CTO). Dr. Choi will lead Oryon’s technical operations and Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) strategy, including transfer of the manufacturing process for the company’s autologous iPSC-derived dopaminergic neuron therapy from Mass General Brigham (MGB) to Oryon’s own manufacturing facilities, and building the capabilities required for late-stage clinical development and commercial launch.

Dr. Choi has more than fifteen years of experience in technical operations, process development and CMC strategy for cell therapies. He has built and scaled technical organizations from early development through commercial readiness and has directly contributed to more than a dozen cell and gene therapy INDs and three Biologics License Applications (BLAs) for autologous cell therapies.

“Kenny joins Oryon at a pivotal point in the development of our autologous neuron replacement therapy,” said Ron Cohen, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Oryon. “We are moving from an academic manufacturing environment to manufacturing at the scale needed for later-stage clinical development and commercialization. Kenny's hands-on and leadership experience in cell process and analytical development, facility build-out, regulatory submissions and commercial readiness make him exceptionally well suited to lead this effort.”

Dr. Choi joins Oryon from Arcellx, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Gilead, where he served as Vice President, CMC, leading process development, CMC program management and external manufacturing sciences. He previously held technical leadership roles at Instil Bio, Mustang Bio and Kite Pharma, a Gilead company, spanning process and analytical development, automation, technology transfer, facility build-out and CDMO partnership management across sites in the United States and Europe. He began his career in cell therapy at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

“I was drawn to Oryon by the rigor of the science, the clinical data, and the opportunity to help move Parkinson's treatment beyond symptom management," said Dr. Choi. "I look forward to working with the Oryon team to build a manufacturing platform that will advance this therapy through clinical development, and deliver it to all patients who can benefit.”

Dr. Choi holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington and a doctorate in Systems Engineering from George Washington University.

Oryon’s lead program currently is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial assessing autologous dopaminergic neuron replacement therapy in people with Parkinson’s disease. Interim data presented at the AD/PD™ 2026 International Conference in Copenhagen showed sustained motor improvements in all treated participants.

About Oryon Cell Therapies

Oryon Cell Therapies is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing autologous cell therapies for neurodegenerative disorders, with an initial focus on Parkinson’s disease. The company’s technology is designed to restore synaptic function and motor control by replacing neurons lost to the disease, with the goal of achieving functional restoration. Visit oryoncelltherapies.com for more information.