Kenai Therapeutics Appoints Mark Gergen to Board of Directors

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kenai Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering next generation approaches to cure neurological conditions, today announced the appointment of Mark J. Gergen, J.D., to the company's Board of Directors. Mr. Gergen is a biotech executive and strategic advisor with more than 30 years of operational and transactional experience in the life science industry.

"Mark's proven track record building and scaling multiple companies and broad expertise make him an exceptional addition to our Board of Directors," said Nick Manusos, Chief Executive Officer of Kenai Therapeutics. "As the company enters our next phase of growth, his deep expertise in financial and operational strategy will be invaluable as we work to bring RNDP-001 and our broader pipeline closer to patients."

Mr. Gergen has extensive operational and transactional experience in the life science industry. Most recently at Poseida Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing off-the-shelf CAR-T cell therapies and genetic medicines, Mr. Gergen held positions including Executive Chairman, Board Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Business Officer, and Chief Financial Officer. Earlier in his career, Mr. Gergen held executive roles at numerous life science companies including Halozyme, Mirati Therapeutics, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, CardioNet, and Medtronic.

Mr. Gergen received his B.A. in Business Administration from Minot State University and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

About RNDP-001

RNDP-001 is an off-the-shelf, allogeneic neuron replacement cell therapy designed to restore motor function by replacing the dopamine-producing neurons lost to Parkinson's disease. The therapy is currently being investigated in the Phase 1b/2a REPLACE™ clinical trial, an open-label, multi-center study evaluating the safety and tolerability of RNDP-001, as well as brain imaging evidence of cell survival, engraftment and new brain network function, in adult patients with moderate to moderate-severe idiopathic Parkinson's disease. RNDP-001 has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in recognition of the urgent need for new treatments for Parkinson's disease. The REPLACE trial was supported in part by funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), a state of California Agency that funds regenerative medicine, stem cell, and gene therapy research (Grant Numbers CLIN1-14300; CLIN2-19068).

About Kenai Therapeutics

Kenai Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering next generation approaches to cure neurological conditions. By leveraging a proprietary, Nobel Prize-winning induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) platform, Kenai is developing off-the-shelf, allogeneic neuron replacement and gene-modified cell therapies designed to be disease-modifying. Kenai's lead candidate, RNDP-001, is in Phase 1b/2a clinical development for moderate to moderate-severe forms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The company's additional programs target inherited and genetically driven subtypes of Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions, with the goal of delivering long-lasting restoration of function. Kenai's exclusive manufacturing partnership with FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc. enables scalable, cryopreserved production of high-potency cell therapies. Founded in 2022, Kenai is backed by leading life science investors and is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information, visit www.kenaitx.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

About the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is a state agency created by California voters to accelerate stem cell and gene therapies for people with unmet medical needs. Since 2004, Californians have entrusted CIRM with $8.5 billion to accelerate promising discoveries through clinical trials, train a regenerative medicine workforce, strengthen the state's biotechnology economy, and expand access to transformative treatments. Today, CIRM is pioneering new models of therapy development and accelerating medical breakthroughs that change lives — in California and around the world. For more information, visit www.cirm.ca.gov.

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SOURCE Kenai Therapeutics/BIOCOM