Medicenna Announces Changes to Board Composition
MWN-AI** Summary
Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. recently announced significant changes to its board of directors, reflecting its commitment to strengthen leadership as it advances in the field of immunotherapy. Effective February 12, 2026, Mr. Richard Sutin and Mr. Angelos Georgakis were appointed to the Board, which was earlier marked by the retirement of Ms. Karen Dawes, who has contributed significantly to the Company since 2019.
Dr. Fahar Merchant, Medicenna's President and CEO, expressed enthusiasm for the new appointments, highlighting Sutin's extensive background in capital markets and mergers and acquisitions, alongside Georgakis' strategic advisory experience in biotech. Dr. Merchant emphasized their capabilities will be vital for the company's future growth and value creation for stakeholders.
Ms. Dawes’ retirement marks the conclusion of her valuable tenure, during which she served on key committees and was influential in guiding Medicenna's development within the industry. Dr. Merchant conveyed deep gratitude for her contributions and indicated that the Company would continue to seek her expertise in a consulting role.
Angelos Georgakis is recognized for his strategic mentorship to biotech leaders and facilitating financing, IPOs, and acquisitions. His previous experience at prominent investment banks enhances his ability to guide Medicenna through critical phases of innovation. Richard Sutin, with a distinguished legal career focusing on corporate and securities law, brings extensive experience in advising businesses and mediating disputes.
Medicenna itself focuses on developing novel immunotherapy solutions, particularly its innovative Superkines targeting cancer treatment. The recent board changes align with the Company’s strategy to enhance its leadership as it pursues breakthrough therapies in the evolving biotech landscape. For more information, visit Medicenna’s official website.
MWN-AI** Analysis
The recent changes in the board composition of Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. (TSX: MDNA, OTCQB: MDNAF) could signal a bullish shift for the company, making it an intriguing prospect for investors. The appointment of seasoned veterans Mr. Richard Sutin and Mr. Angelos Georgakis comes at a pivotal time for Medicenna, which specializes in innovative immunotherapy solutions.
Mr. Sutin brings a wealth of experience in capital markets and M&A, having served as a senior partner at Norton Rose Fulbright. His legal expertise in corporate governance and capital transactions may suggest that future fundraising initiatives or strategic partnerships are on the horizon. This aligns well with Medicenna’s ambitions in advancing its leading drug candidates, including the proprietary Superkines platforms, which aim to revolutionize cancer treatment.
On the other hand, Mr. Georgakis’ background as a strategic advisor to biotech leaders, particularly in financing and guiding through pivotal growth phases, can help steer Medicenna toward significant value realization. His relationships with venture capital firms and familiarity with the biotech landscape can not only bolster capital-raising efforts but also enhance strategic decision-making.
As the company transitions away from Ms. Karen Dawes, who played a key role in shaping its strategy, these appointments may generate renewed investor confidence and could potentially attract institutional interest. Moreover, given the market's focus on innovative therapeutics and next-generation technologies, Medicenna's progress and expert leadership may make it a compelling investment, especially if they can demonstrate clinical success with their Superkine candidates.
In conclusion, potential investors should consider the reshaping of Medicenna's board as a decisive factor in its growth narrative, aligning with the ongoing trends in the IP and biotech spaces, warranting close attention to the company's forthcoming developments. However, it remains essential to monitor clinical outcomes and market conditions closely, as these can significantly influence investment viability.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
TORONTO and HOUSTON, Feb. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. (“Medicenna” or the “Company”) (TSX: MDNA, OTCQB: MDNAF), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on the development of Superkines, announces that Mr. Richard Sutin and Mr. Angelos Georgakis have been appointed, effective as of February 12, 2026, to the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”).
“We are excited to welcome Mr. Richard Sutin and Mr. Angelos Georgakis to the Medicenna board of directors” commented Dr Fahar Merchant, President and CEO of Medicenna. “Mr. Sutin’s extensive knowledge in capital markets and mergers and acquisitions, and Mr. Georgakis’ experience in advising biotech leadership through critical inflection points make them outstanding additions to our Board. Their expertise and strategic acumen will be instrumental in advancing our Company’s growth and stewardship in the future. We look forward to benefiting from their insights and experiences to create long-term value for our stakeholders.”
Mr. Sutin and Mr. Georgakis’s appointments to the Board follow the retirement, effective as of February 12, 2026, of Ms. Karen Dawes, who has served on the Board since 2019, most recently as Chair of the Compensation Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee.
The Board wishes to thank Ms. Dawes for her contributions to the Company during her tenure as a director of Medicenna. She has played an important role in guiding the Company to its current position within the industry.
“On behalf of myself and our Board, I want to thank Karen for all of her work, commitment and support these past years. We are deeply grateful for her leadership, vision and investment in the Company and we look forward to continuing to draw on her expertise as a consultant” concluded Dr Fahar Merchant, President and CEO of Medicenna.
About the new directors:
Angelos Georgakis is a strategic advisor to biotech leaders and a long-term supporter of Medicenna. He acts as a close and trusted ally, helping executives become great leaders and navigate their journey of bringing breakthrough medicines to patients. He has guided his clients in raising financing from top-tier venture capital firms, navigating through IPOs and follow-on equity offerings, and securing acquisitions. His strategic guidance has not only accelerated innovation in life sciences but also delivered transformative outcomes for stakeholders, fostering breakthroughs in therapeutics. He is the author of The Biotech Leader's Handbook: Becoming a Great Leader and Building a Winning Team. He mentors entrepreneurs at Harvard's i-Lab and Nucleate, contributes thought leadership on biotech leadership to outlets like The Timmerman Report and Gen Biotechnology, and delivers keynote speeches at biotech industry events. In his earlier career, Angelos worked at leading investment banks in London, including Barclays Capital and Merrill Lynch.
Richard (Rick) Sutin provides corporate legal and ancillary business advisory services to early-stage businesses. From 1983 to December 2018, he was a senior partner at Norton Rose Fulbright where he handled capital market transactions and mergers and acquisitions for private and publicly traded corporations, provided ongoing corporate and securities law advice to issuers and financial intermediaries, advised boards of directors and special board committees, and mediated shareholder disputes. Rick has a LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School (1975) and is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. He is recognized in Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada 2012-2013 as one of the most frequently recommended in the area of Corporate Mid-Market. Rick currently sits on the board of directors of JC Clark, an investment manager firm.
About Medicenna Therapeutics
Medicenna is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on developing novel, highly selective versions of IL-2, IL-4 and IL-13 Superkines and first-in-class Empowered Superkines. Medicenna’s long-acting IL-2 Superkine, MDNA11, is a next-generation IL-2 with superior affinity toward CD122 (IL-2 receptor beta) and no CD25 (IL-2 receptor alpha) binding, thereby preferentially stimulating cancer-killing effector T cells and NK cells. Medicenna’s first-in-class targeted PD-1 x IL-2 bispecific, MDNA113, is in development for solid tumors and was designed using the Company’s proprietary BiSKITs ™ (Bifunctional SuperKine ImmunoTherapies) and T-MASK™ (Targeted Metalloprotease Activated SuperKine) platforms. Medicenna’s IL-4 Empowered Superkine, bizaxofusp (formerly MDNA55), has been studied in 5 clinical trials enrolling over 130 patients, including a Phase 2b trial for recurrent GBM, the most common and uniformly fatal form of brain cancer. Bizaxofusp has obtained FastTrack and Orphan Drug status from the FDA and FDA/EMA, respectively.
For more information, please visit www.medicenna.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, express or implied statements regarding the future operations of the Company, estimates, plans, strategic ambitions, partnership activities and opportunities, objectives, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance, outlook or other statements that are not historical facts. You should not place undue reliance on these statements.
Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as “will”, “may”, “should”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “believe”, “seek”, “potentially” and similar expressions, and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions believed by the Company to be reasonable at the date of this news release. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and may be based on assumptions that could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations include the risks detailed in the latest annual information form of the Company and in other filings made by the Company with the applicable securities regulators from time to time in Canada.
The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or implied in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and except as required by law, we do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements.
This news release contains hyperlinks to information that is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in this new release.
Investor/Media Contact:
Shushu Feng
Investor Relations, Medicenna Therapeutics
(416) 964-5442
[email protected]
FAQ**
How might the appointments of Richard Sutin and Angelos Georgakis to the board of Medicenna Therapeutics impact the company's investment strategies and shareholder value, particularly in relation to Mandatum Pankki Oyj MDNAF?
What unique insights or strategic guidance can Mr. Georgakis provide to Medicenna Therapeutics regarding biotech leadership, and how could this influence investor confidence in Mandatum Pankki Oyj MDNAF?
Considering Medicenna's focus on immunotherapy and their recent appointments, what future developments can investors expect that may affect the stock performance of Mandatum Pankki Oyj MDNAF?
How do the recent leadership changes at Medicenna Therapeutics align with industry trends in biotech, and what implications could this have for long-term investors in Mandatum Pankki Oyj MDNAF?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. (TSXC: MDNA:CC).
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