Natera Appoints Minetta Liu, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer of Oncology
Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA) has appointed Minetta Liu, M.D., as its new chief medical officer of oncology. Dr. Liu will lead the company's clinical and scientific efforts to establish the clinical utility of Signatera™ and integrate it into standard medical practice. Previously, she served at Mayo Clinic, contributing significantly to blood-based biomarker development. She succeeds Alexey Aleshin, now general manager for early cancer detection. This leadership change aims to enhance Natera's mission to improve cancer patient outcomes.
- Appointment of a highly experienced CMO, Minetta Liu, expected to strengthen Natera's oncology initiatives.
- Dr. Liu's expertise in blood-based biomarkers could enhance the clinical utility of Signatera, potentially increasing market adoption.
- Leadership transition may lead to continuity challenges in ongoing oncology programs.
AUSTIN, Texas, May 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA), a global leader in cell-free DNA testing, today announced the appointment of Minetta Liu, M.D., as its new chief medical officer (CMO) of oncology. In this role, Dr. Liu will set the direction for the company's clinical and scientific roadmap in oncology, primarily to prove the clinical utility of Signatera™ and incorporate it into standard medical practice across tumor types.
"I am very pleased to welcome Dr. Liu to Natera," said Solomon Moshkevich, general manager of oncology at Natera. "As a highly regarded and accomplished leader in the field, her vision and expertise will be invaluable as we pursue our mission to help cancer patients live longer, happier lives."
Dr. Liu most recently served as professor of oncology and chair of research in the Department of Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. In her role at Mayo, she also held a dual appointment in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and served as co-leader of the Genomics in Action Strategic Priority for the Center of Individualized Medicine. Dr. Liu brings a wealth of experience in developing blood-based biomarkers to predict treatment benefit and outcomes in solid tumors and in developing novel therapeutics to improve survival, with a particular focus in breast cancer. She chaired the Circulating Biomarker Working Group of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. She also co-chaired the Correlative Science Working Group and led several multi-institutional clinical trials through the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium. Dr. Liu received her B.A. from Princeton University, her M.D. from Jefferson Medical College and completed her residency and hematology/oncology fellowship at Georgetown University Medical Center.
"As a pioneer in personalized MRD testing, Natera is uniquely positioned to change the way cancer patients manage their disease and make treatment decisions, and it could not be a more exciting time for me to join the company," said Dr. Liu. "I'm inspired by the patients, clinicians and communities we serve and I look forward to working with the incredible teams at Natera to bring Signatera into standard clinical practice."
In her new position as CMO, Dr. Liu will succeed Dr. Alexey Aleshin, who was recently appointed Natera's general manager of early cancer detection.
About Signatera
Signatera is a custom-built circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) test for treatment monitoring and molecular residual disease (MRD) assessment in patients previously diagnosed with cancer. The test is available for both clinical and research use, and has been granted three Breakthrough Device Designations by the FDA for multiple cancer types and indications. The Signatera test is personalized and tumor-informed, providing each individual with a customized blood test tailored to fit the unique signature of clonal mutations found in that individual's tumor. This maximizes Signatera's accuracy for detecting the presence or absence of residual disease in a blood sample, even at levels down to a single tumor molecule in a tube of blood. Signatera is intended to detect and assess how much cancer is left in the body, to identify recurrence earlier and to help optimize treatment decisions.
About Natera
Natera™ is a global leader in cell-free DNA testing, dedicated to oncology, women's health, and organ health. We aim to make personalized genetic testing and diagnostics part of the standard of care to protect health, and inform earlier, more targeted interventions that help lead to longer, healthier lives. Natera's tests are validated by more than 100 peer-reviewed publications that demonstrate high accuracy. Natera operates ISO 13485-certified and CAP-accredited laboratories certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) in Austin, Texas and San Carlos, California. For more information, visit www.natera.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements and are not a representation that Natera's plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. These forward-looking statements represent Natera's expectations as of the date of this press release, and Natera disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including with respect to our efforts to develop and commercialize new product offerings, whether the results of clinical or other studies will support the use of our product offerings, the impact of results of such studies, our expectations of the reliability, accuracy and performance of our tests, or of the benefits of our tests and product offerings to patients, providers and payers Additional risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in "Risk Factors" in Natera's recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q and in other filings Natera makes with the SEC from time to time. These documents are available at www.natera.com/investors and www.sec.gov.
Contacts
Investor Relations: Mike Brophy, CFO, Natera, Inc., 510-826-2350
Media: Kate Stabrawa, Communications, Natera, Inc., pr@natera.com
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SOURCE Natera, Inc.
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