8 January 2019 - - UK-based T Cell Receptor biotechnology company Immunocore Ltd has appointed Bahija Jallal as chief executive officer and director of the board, the company said.

With more than 25 years of international leadership experience within the pharmaceutical industry, Bahija joins Immunocore from AstraZeneca, where she is president of MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, and a member of the senior executive team reporting to the CEO.

Since joining MedImmune in 2006, Bahija has overseen the development of several new medicines, including Imfinzi, Fasenra, Lumoxiti, Siliq andFluMist Quadrivalent.

Under Bahija's leadership, MedImmune has significantly boosted its pipeline, expanding from 40 to more than 130 molecules in research and development targeting cancer; respiratory, inflammation, and autoimmunity; cardiovascular, renal and metabolic; and infectious diseases.

Bahija has fostered an entrepreneurial culture that resulted in hundreds of patent applications and significant growth in the publication of MedImmune science in high impact journals.

She forged industry-first collaborations and led efforts to acquire four independent biotech, big data and technology companies. Bahija also laid the foundation for the creation of an inflammation and autoimmunity carve out as an independent biotech.

Bahija has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and holds more than 15 patents.

She serves on the board of Anthem, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana and on the board of trustees of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a member of the government-University-Industry Research Roundtable (GUIRR) of the National Science Foundation and is the immediate past president of the board of the Association of Women in Science.

In 2017, Bahija was named Woman of the Year by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association.

Immunocore, a T Cell Receptor biotechnology company, is focused on delivering first-in-class biological therapies that have the potential to transform the lives of people with serious diseases.

The company's primary therapeutic focus is oncology and it also has programs in infectious and autoimmune diseases.

Immunocore has a pipeline of proprietary and partnered programmes in development and the lead program, IMCgp100, has entered pivotal clinical studies as a treatment for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma.

Collaboration partners include Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Lilly, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Immunocore is headquartered at Milton Park, Oxfordshire, UK, with an office outside Philadelphia, USA.