Gianfranco Pittari
Chief Medical Officer
Gianfranco Pittari (MD, PhD) is a physician-scientist and biopharmaceutical executive with over 20 years of international experience in oncology, immunology, and advanced therapeutics. He has extensive experience in the clinical development of immune-based therapies and in the leadership of biotech programs from early development through late-stage studies and regulatory interactions.
Gianfranco has held senior leadership roles across leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Most recently, he served as Chief Medical Officer at MaaT Pharma, where he oversaw clinical development, medical affairs, pharmacovigilance, clinical operations, and regulatory activities. In this role, he was instrumental in the EMA Marketing Authorization Application submission for a novel microbiome-based therapeutic in hemato-oncology.
Prior to this, Gianfranco was Executive Medical Director at Autolus Therapeutics, where he was a key contributor to the clinical development of next-generation CAR T-cell therapies across oncology and autoimmune indications, including late-stage development and regulatory interactions in the U.S. and Europe. Earlier, at Bristol Myers Squibb and Celgene, he held senior roles in global clinical development across CAR T-cell therapies and broader immuno-oncology programs.
His experience spans Phase I–III clinical development and includes work with cellular therapies, immune modulation strategies, and combination approaches in oncology. His scientific background is in tumor immunology, with a focus on immune cell biology and tumor–immune interactions, including mechanisms of immune response and resistance.
Earlier in his career, Gianfranco held clinical and academic positions in Europe, the United States, and Qatar and conducted research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Institut Gustave Roussy.
Gianfranco earned his MD and Clinical Fellowship with highest honors in Italy and completed a PhD in Immunology (cum laude) through joint work in France and the United States. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and is an inventor on patents in immunotherapy.
