Press release

MENLO PARK, CA, June 4, 2025 – Orca Bio, a late-stage biotechnology company committed to transforming the lives of patients through high-precision cell therapy,  today announced the appointment of senior leaders to support the company as it advances its lead investigational allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy, Orca-T®, toward potential commercial launch.

Steve Gavel has joined Orca Bio as Chief Commercial Officer after most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Global Cell Therapy Commercial Development at Legend Biotech. Orca Bio has also strengthened its broader commercial organization with the addition of several senior leaders with extensive cell therapy experience to oversee Market Access, Commercial Operations and Medical Affairs.

In addition to these key commercial appointments, Allison Frisbee has joined Orca Bio as a Senior Vice President, Legal, following roles at Kronos Bio, Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Bristol Myers Squibb, and as outside counsel to life science companies at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe.

Steve Gavel - Chief Commercial Officer

Gavel brings over 30 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, with deep expertise in the commercialization of cell and gene therapies having led strategy and execution since the earliest days of the field.

“We are thrilled to welcome Steve to the Orca Bio team. Steve is a cell therapy veteran with a proven track record of building and scaling organizations in preparation for commercialization,” said Nate Fernhoff, Ph.D., Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Orca Bio. “As we prepare for the commercial launch of Orca-T, Steve brings a perfect combination of background, experience and strategic vision to lead Orca Bio into this next phase of growth and maturation.”

At Legend Biotech, Gavel grew and scaled its commercial organization across multiple CAR-T therapies, including leading the successful global launch of Carvykti®, a treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. There he oversaw the global commercial development efforts including launch readiness, market access and commercial operations. Prior to Legend Biotech, Gavel led U.S. commercial strategy and development at Celgene (now Bristol Myers Squibb). Before then, he held commercial roles of increasing seniority at companies including Millennium Pharmaceuticals, IMS Health, West Pharmaceutical Services and Discovery Labs.

“I’m honored to join Orca Bio as it prepares to bring its groundbreaking cell therapy to patients with high-risk blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome,” said Steve Gavel, Chief Commercial Officer at Orca Bio. “The company’s pioneering team has achieved remarkable progress, and with approximately 500 patients treated on trial to date, the potential of its novel high-precision platform is already being realized. I look forward to joining the company as we work to unlock new opportunities for growth and transform the therapeutic landscape for patients with blood cancer.”

Allison Frisbee - Senior Vice President, Legal

Frisbee joins with strong experience as a legal and operations leader in the life science industry, with a focus on translating complex legal and regulatory challenges into clear, strategic solutions. Prior to joining Orca Bio, Frisbee served as the Chief Administrative Officer at Kronos Bio, where she oversaw a broad portfolio including Legal, HR, Facilities, IT and Compliance. Before joining Kronos, she held senior legal roles at Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Bristol Myers Squibb.

“I’m thrilled to join the team at Orca Bio and help continue shaping a thoughtful, values-driven legal and compliance function,” said Allison Frisbee, Senior Vice President, Legal at Orca Bio. “It’s a privilege to partner with teams who are not only advancing transformative therapies, but leading with a deep commitment to integrity, accountability and an unwavering commitment to doing what’s right for patients.”