GEMMA Biotherapeutics—a new therapeutics company founded by gene therapy pioneer Dr. Jim Wilson—has named May Orfali, MD, MBA, as Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Orfali brings nearly three decades of experience in clinical development and medical affairs. She has expertise in multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, infectious diseases, and rare and orphan diseases. She has led clinical development, clinical operations, biostatistics, medical affairs, patient affairs, and regulatory and strategy execution for several successful companies.

“We are thrilled to welcome May to our team, whose multi-faceted background in pharmaceuticals and international health coupled with her proven leadership in advancing clinical programs will be hugely impactful to our growing company,” said Dr. Wilson, President and CEO of GEMMABio.

Experience

Prior to joining GEMMABio, Orfali was the Chief Medical Officer at Harbinger Health, a company focused on the development of multicancer early detection products using AI technology, where she was responsible for clinical development, operations, medical and regulatory strategy.

Orfali was previously the Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Sigilon Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on acute and chronic diseases, which was acquired by Eli Lilly in 2023.

Earlier in her career, Orfali held positions at Pfizer, Boston Scientific Corporation, World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), among other organizations.

Orfali earned her Medical Degree from the University of Baghdad and a Pharmaceutical Science Master of Business Administration from Cambridge University. She completed her Fellowship in Pediatric Oncology/Hematology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital, and she practiced medicine and conducted clinical research in medical oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Research Institute.

“I am deeply inspired by GEMMABio’s mission to advance innovative gene therapy research and deliver effective therapeutics globally, which will revolutionize the field of genetic medicines,” said Orfali. “I am excited to work with such a dynamic and experienced team to help shape our strategy to improve the lives of patients and their families around the world.”