Eterna Therapeutics Appoints Biopharma Industry Veteran Dorothy Clarke to Board of Directors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eterna Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ERNA) (“Eterna” or the “Company”), a life science company committed to realizing the potential of mRNA cell engineering to provide patients with transformational new medicines, today announced the appointment of Dorothy Clarke to its Board of Directors.

“We are delighted to welcome Dorothy to our Board,” said Matt Angel, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Eterna. “Dorothy’s extensive regulatory and legal expertise and experience as a Fortune 100 executive in the biopharmaceutical and healthcare sector will be invaluable as we continue to execute on our business and partnering strategies to deliver on the promise of mRNA cell engineering.”

Ms. Clarke added, “I believe Eterna’s mRNA cell engineering platform holds significant potential for collaborative opportunities, and look forward to working with the leadership team and my fellow Board members to advance Eterna’s growth and corporate strategy.”

Ms. Clarke held various leadership positions at Johnson & Johnson over 20 years across the company’s pharmaceutical, medical devices & diagnostics, and consumer sectors. She initially joined the Law Department, serving as Assistant General Counsel in the Regulatory and Medical Devices Groups, and later served as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs; Vice President, Chief Privacy Officer; Chief Compliance Officer for Medical Devices & Diagnostics, and most recently Vice President, Research & Development, Innovation and Business Development Compliance. During her tenure at Johnson & Johnson, Ms. Clarke led compliance, regulatory and data protection functions, addressed regulatory inquiries and investigations, and conducted due diligence for numerous acquisitions. Prior to Johnson & Johnson, she was an attorney at the law firms Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, S.C., and Fox, Bennett & Turner, where she represented pharmaceutical companies and patient advocacy groups, as well as healthcare organizations and professionals including hospitals, nursing homes and physicians. Ms. Clarke holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

About Eterna Therapeutics Inc.
Eterna Therapeutics is a life science company committed to realizing the potential of mRNA cell engineering to provide patients with transformational new medicines. Eterna has in-licensed a portfolio of over 130 patents covering key mRNA cell engineering technologies, including technologies for mRNA cell reprogramming, mRNA gene editing, the NoveSlice™ and UltraSlice™ gene-editing proteins, and the ToRNAdo™ mRNA delivery system from Factor Bioscience. NoveSlice™, UltraSlice™, and ToRNAdo™ are trademarks of Factor Bioscience. For more information, please visit www.eternatx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are any statements that are not statements of historical fact and may be identified by terminology such as “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “project,” “will” or other similar words and the negatives of such words. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, uncertainties related to: (i) the evolution of Eterna’s business model into a platform company focused on mRNA, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell and gene editing technologies; (ii) Eterna’s ability to successfully, cost-effectively and efficiently develop its technology and products; (iii) Eterna’s ability to successfully commence clinical trials of any products on a timely basis or at all; (iv) Eterna’s ability to successfully fund and manage the growth of its development activities; and (v) Eterna’s ability to obtain regulatory approvals of its products for commercialization. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The forward-looking statements made in this communication speak only as of the date on which they were made, and Eterna does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date hereof, except as required by applicable law. Factors that may cause Eterna’s actual results to differ from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements contained in this press release are more fully disclosed in Eterna’s periodic public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly under the heading “Risk Factors” in Eterna’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as well as under similar headings in Eterna’s subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

Investor Relations Contact:
investors@eternatx.com

Media Contact:
EternaPR@westwicke.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4072f2f1-de68-4422-9cb2-2423b7e665da