Stratus Therapeutics Strengthens Executive Team with Appointment of Michael P. Cooke, PhD as Chief Scientific Officer
Veteran biopharma executive, Michael P. Cooke, PhD, joins Stratus to accelerate development of its pioneering Stratus Prime™ hematopoietic stem cell platform
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stratus Therapeutics, Inc. (“Stratus”), a biotechnology company developing on-demand hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) therapies, today announced the appointment of Michael (Mike) P. Cooke, PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer. A seasoned R&D leader with over 30 years of experience at companies including Vertex Pharmaceuticals, IFM Therapeutics, Magenta Therapeutics, and Novartis, Dr. Cooke brings a proven track record of advancing transformative therapies from discovery through early clinical development.
Dr. Cooke’s appointment marks a critical milestone in Stratus’ growth as the company advances its proprietary Stratus Prime™ platform, designed to deliver durable blood and immune system restoration. His deep scientific expertise and leadership in stem cell biology, immunology, and transplant medicine will help drive the development of Stratus’ lead program, ST-101, an on-demand hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) therapy designed to achieve durable, curative outcomes with full immune compatibility and greatly diminish or eliminate the risk of Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD).
“We are excited to welcome Mike to the Stratus leadership team, as we bolster our ability to develop off-the-shelf hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) therapies,” said Avanish Vellanki, CEO of Stratus. “Mike’s vast expertise in bone marrow transplant and stem cell biology, along with his passion for transforming scientific discovery into breakthrough therapies, aligns with our mission to make full-system blood and immune restoration available on demand. I know Mike shares our passion to deliver profound global impact across a multitude of indications.”
Dr. Cooke added, “I am excited to join Stratus at such a pivotal time. The company’s bold vision to deliver on-demand, immune-compatible stem cell therapies has the potential to fundamentally transform treatment for a wide range of diseases. I look forward to working alongside this talented team to advance the Stratus Prime™ platform and make these innovations a reality for patients.”
Dr. Cooke most recently served as Senior Vice President of Cell and Genetic Therapies Research at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where he led the Cell and Genetic Research Team. Prior to Vertex, he was Chief Scientific Officer at IFM Therapeutics, and previously at Magenta Therapeutics, where he built and led the R&D organization focused on curative therapies in hematologic malignancy, genetic disease, and autoimmunity through bone marrow transplant innovation. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) and SyStemix Inc.
Dr. Cooke holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a BA in Biochemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has authored more than 60 publications in high-impact journals and serves on multiple scientific boards and advisory committees.
About Stratus Therapeutics
Stratus Therapeutics is redefining regenerative medicine with Stratus Prime™ — a platform for full hematopoietic system renewal, on demand. Our proprietary product, ST-101, includes both hematopoietic stem cells (Prime HSCs™) and hematopoietic progenitor cells (Prime HPCs™) to drive durable, long-term engraftment with full hematopoietic system restoration, while supporting near-term immune reconstitution. ST-101 is uniquely engineered to deliver a high proportion of Prime HSCs™ in the absence of T-cells, positioning it as a next-generation allogeneic graft, but with immediate availability. ST-101 aims to offer enhanced engraftment outcomes while diminishing the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). As an off-the-shelf therapy with full HLA immune compatibility, ST-101 aims to eliminate the search associated with finding donors and potentially mitigate the challenges of conventional conditioning regimens. Stratus Therapeutics hopes to position ST-101 as a scalable path to curative blood and immune system replacement. Additional information can be found at www.stratustx.com.
Company Contact
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LifeSci Advisors
+1.617.430.7576
Daniel@lifesciadvisors.com
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