- Dr. Bo Rode Hansen, current Board member and Corporate Development Officer named Interim CEO
- Alex Blyth, Founder and CEO to step down and will continue to work with the Company at a Board level
- LIfT BioSciences is currently advancing its first IMAN-based product and preparing to initiate a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial. This groundbreaking next-generation immunotherapy aims to target patients with treatment-resistant cancers.
London, January 7, 2026 – LIfT BioSciences (‘LIfT’ or ‘the Company’) today announced the appointment of accomplished biopharmaceutical executive Bo Rode Hansen, PhD, as interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective as of today. He is succeeding founder and outgoing CEO Alex Blyth, who has stepped down and in future will serve as a Board Director. Dr. Hansen, a member of the LIfT Board and the Company’s Corporate Development Officer, assumes the interim CEO role as LIfT enters its next phase of growth as a clinical-stage company. The Board sincerely thanks Alex for his pioneering leadership in founding LIfT and advancing its neutrophil-based therapies toward the clinic and is excited that Dr. Hansen will provide strong interim leadership as the Company moves to its next level of development.
Bo brings more than 20 years of transformational leadership experience at global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Roche, Genevant and Santaris Pharma. He has a successful track record of building and leading both private and public biopharmaceutical innovators and has also served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Biorigin, Novo Seeds (Novo Holdings). His expertise will support LIfT BioSciences as it pioneers a new class of immunotherapy based on its proprietary allogeneic Immuno-Modulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs)®. The Company’s lead programme is on track to enter a Phase 1 clinical trial in cervical cancer and head and neck cancer in early 2027.
“LIfT has developed the world’s only long-lived, off-the-shelf neutrophil-based immunotherapy backed by robust preclinical data demonstrating IMANs’ potential to penetrate solid tumours and their inherent dual mechanism of cytotoxicity and potent immunomodulatory effects,” said Dr. Bo Rode Hansen, interim Chief Executive Officer at LIfT BioSciences. “With the promise of our preclinical data and as we prepare for clinical development, I look forward to working with the talented team at LIfT to unlock a new frontier in solid tumour immunotherapy and potentially reshape outcomes for patients who currently have limited options.”
“Bo’s outstanding track record in leading and building cutting-edge life science companies brings tremendous value to LIfT. His strategic insights and business leadership come at the right time as we prepare for the next stage of clinical development,” said Antonin de Fougerolles, Chairman of the Board at LIfT BioSciences. “I would also like to thank Alex, whose vision and leadership have been pivotal in establishing LIfT and advancing neutrophil-based therapies towards the clinic. Together with the Board, I look forward to continuing our work and bringing this potentially transformative therapy one step closer to the patients.”
Dr. Hansen has held key global executive positions and Board roles, contributing significantly to company growth through strategic planning across immunology, oncology, and rare disease indications. Dr. Hansen joined LIfT’s Board of Directors as a Non-Executive Director and currently serves as Chairman of the Board at TECregen and Heqet Therapeutics, as well as a Member and Executive Advisor on the Board at Spirea Ltd. He previously held several leadership positions, including serving as CEO and President of Scandion Oncology and as CEO and Founding President of Genevant Sciences. He was Global Head of RNA Therapeutics at Roche pRED, CEO and GM of Roche Innovation Centre Copenhagen, and Vice President of Drug Discovery & Alliance at Santaris Pharma (acquired by Roche). Dr. Hansen holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Copenhagen and an MBA from Henley Business School.
About LIfT BioSciences
LIfT BioSciences is pioneering a new class of immunotherapy for hard-to-treat cancers based on allogeneic Immuno-Modulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs)®. Our proprietary, long-lived IMANs harness neutrophils’ innate tumour-homing and infiltrating attributes, combined with their ability to directly kill cancer cells and safely orchestrate broader immune responses, offering a powerful and antigen-agnostic treatment option to overcome cancer resistance mechanisms, like suppressive tumour environment and immune evasion. Backed by deep neutrophil biology expertise and a scalable manufacturing process, LIfT’s platform represents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to reshape medicine and drive forward a pipeline of new therapeutics with major impact for patients.
For more information, please contact:
LIfT BioSciences
Bo Rode Hansen
Email: info@LIfTBioSciences.com
Media enquiries
Trophic Communications
Jacob Verghese
Phone: +49 151 7441 6179
Email: LIfT@trophic.eu