Sonoma Biotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing engineered regulatory T cell (T_reg) therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, today announced the appointments of Katina Dorton, J.D., MBA, and John Davis, M.D., MPH, to its Board of Directors.

“Katina has an exceptional business acumen and financial expertise honed from an international career spanning investment banking and finance in biotechnology and life sciences,” said Jeff Bluestone, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO of Sonoma Biotherapeutics. “John is a highly-respected and accomplished leader in drug development and a rheumatologist with vast experience in industry and academia. He will provide critical expertise as we move our T_reg therapies into the clinic to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. We are pleased to welcome Katina and John to our board.”

Katina Dorton, J.D., MBA, is an experienced financial executive, corporate director and Chief Financial Officer. She has served as CFO at multiple private and public biotechnology companies, including Nodthera, Inc., a company developing NLRP3 inhibitors for inflammatory diseases, Repare Therapeutics, Inc., AVROBIO, Inc., and Immatics GmbH, where she guided early adoptive cell therapies. Early in her career, Ms. Dorton served as a Managing Director in investment banking for Morgan Stanley and Needham & Company, and as an attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell. She currently sits on the boards of Fulcrum Therapeutics, Inc., and TScan Therapeutics, Inc., and previously served on the boards of directors of Pandion Therapeutics and US Ecology. She earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and MBA from George Washington University.

“Sonoma Bio has put the capabilities in place to truly shift the treatment paradigm of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases,” said Ms. Dorton. “I’m pleased to join the board and help guide the company through its continued growth and evolution.”

John Davis, M.D., MPH, serves on the Board of Directors at Rheos Medicines and is a strategic advisor and member of the Scientific Advisory Boards at HIBio Therapeutics and Oak Hill Bio. He is also an attending volunteer physician at the Boston VA Medical Center Rheumatology Clinic, and President of Norte Health Consulting. Dr. Davis has held numerous executive leadership roles at biopharmaceutical companies including Head of Research and Development/Chief Medical Officer at Magenta Therapeutics, Senior Vice President of Early Clinical Development at Pfizer, Global Head of Immunology and Vice President at Baxalta and Therapeutic Area Head and Senior Group Director at Genentech. He was also Professor of Clinical Medicine, Director of the Clinical Research Center, Lupus Clinic, and Spondylitis Clinic at UCSF. Dr. Davis earned an M.D. and M.S. from the University of Maryland and holds an MPH in epidemiology from University of California, Berkeley. He trained in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology/Autoimmune Disease at UCSF and NIH and is a Fellow in both the American College of Physicians and the American College of Rheumatology.

“Sonoma Bio has a compelling approach to solving the autoimmunity puzzle, built on decades of research by pioneers in immune tolerance and T_reg biology,” said Dr. Davis. “As a drug developer and rheumatologist, I am inspired by their mission to develop durable therapies that restore balance to the immune system for patients suffering from these diseases.”

About Sonoma Biotherapeutics

Sonoma Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing engineered regulatory T cell (T_reg) therapies to treat serious autoimmune and inflammatory diseases by restoring balance to the immune system. Founded by pioneers in T_reg biology and cell therapy, the company is employing proprietary platform technologies and approaches to develop a new generation of targeted and durable T_reg cell therapies designed to cure autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Sonoma Biotherapeutics is based in South San Francisco and Seattle. For more information visit sonomabio.com and follow on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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