Renowned ?d T cell and T cell engager (TCE) expert brings two decades of drug discovery and development experience to IN8bio
Appointment strengthens IN8bio's leadership and domain expertise as they advance their novel ?d T cell engager platform
NEW YORK, Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IN8bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: INAB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative gamma-delta (?d) T cell therapies and T cell engagers for cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of Oxana Polyakova, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President of Research & Development. Dr. Polyakova is a recognized leader in ?d T cell biology and the discovery and development of ?d T cell engagers (TCEs), with 20 years of experience spanning oncology, immunology, cell therapies, antibodies and engager-based therapeutics.
Dr. Polyakova joins IN8bio from LAVA Therapeutics, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing bispecific ?d T cell engagers, where she served as Chief Scientific Officer. She previously served as Chief Scientific Officer at LIfT Biosciences, a biotechnology company developing a first-in-class neutrophil-based therapy for the treatment of solid tumors, deepening her expertise in innate immunity. She was Scientific Founder and Head of Discovery at Adaptate Biotherapeutics, a ?d TCE focused spinout of GammaDelta Therapeutics, which was acquired by Takeda. At Adaptate, she designed and led its R&D strategy, established its laboratories and built its R&D team. Prior to Adaptate, Dr. Polyakova served as the Protein and Molecular Leader at GammaDelta Therapeutics. Early in her career, she held scientific and R&D leadership positions at Kesios Therapeutics, Immunocore and GlaxoSmithKline (now GSK).
"Oxana is one of the leading scientific minds in ?d T cell biology, with deep expertise in ?d T cell engagers," said Lawrence Lamb, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of IN8bio. "Her experience and success translating novel ?d T cell biology into therapeutic programs makes her an exceptional addition to our leadership team. We have enjoyed working with Oxana over the past year and welcome her full-time as we advance our TCE pipeline towards the clinic. Oxana's expertise will be instrumental in accelerating the development of a new generation of ?d T cell-based therapies for patients."
"IN8bio is a leading company in ?d T cells that has a differentiated understanding of its biology and how these cells can be harnessed to attack cancer and autoimmune disease," said Dr. Polyakova. "I have spent much of my career exploring the unique therapeutic potential of ?d T cells, including both T cell engagers and cell-based therapies. I am excited to join IN8bio at this stage of its evolution and to work to advance their novel ?d TCE platform into the clinic and to new indications that have the potential to meaningfully improve outcomes for patients."
In her new role, Dr. Polyakova will help lead IN8bio's research and development strategy, with a particular focus on strengthening and accelerating the Company's T cell engager programs and expanding the potential of its platform across therapeutic areas in autoimmune and oncology.
About IN8bio
IN8bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing ?d T cell and ?d T cell engager (TCE) product candidates to address unmet medical needs. ?d T cells are a specialized population of T cells that possess unique properties, including the ability to differentiate between healthy and diseased tissue. The Company's pipeline is anchored by INB-600, a novel ?d T cell engager platform with potential applications across oncology and autoimmune indications. IN8bio is also advancing INB-100, an allogeneic ?d T cell candidate for adult patients with high-risk leukemias undergoing haploidentical stem cell transplantation, and INB-200/400, an autologous genetically modified ?d T cell candidate for newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM). For more information about IN8bio, visit www.IN8bio.com.
Investors and Corporate Contact:
IN8bio, Inc.
Patrick McCall
646.933.5603
pfmccall@IN8bio.com
Media Contact
Kimberly Ha
KKH Advisors
917.291.5744
kimberly.ha@kkhadvisors.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fe724a34-a144-448e-81c3-f14ca2105673
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