Logo

BC Platforms: Ben Illigens, Carolin Bender

Sep 07, 2023

BC Platforms has hired Ben Illigens as chief medical officer as current CMO Carolin Bender prepares to take maternity leave. Illigens, a physician and neuroscientist, will initially have global responsibility for the multinational company, but will focus on serving the US market from his home base in Boston once Bender returns from her leave. Illigens comes to BC Platforms after serving as US VP of medicine for Novadiscovery, maker of a clinical trial simulation platform. He also recently served as CEO of Partners for Patients, a nongovernmental organization that advocates for global access to healthcare.   

Breaking News
The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.