CAMBRIDGE, Mass., September 6, 2016 -- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing a pipeline of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) based on its proprietary Fleximer® technology, today announced the appointment of Kristen M. Hege, M.D., to its board of directors.

“I am delighted to welcome Kristen to the board of directors,” said Anna Protopapas, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mersana. “She has extensive experience and an impressive track record in the development of novel oncology therapeutics, which complements and enhances our board composition. Her experience, coupled with her passion for science and patients, will be invaluable as we advance our growing pipeline into first-in-human trials.”

“Mersana’s platform is highly differentiated and has the potential to deliver the next generation of innovation to the promising field of antibody drug conjugates,” said Dr. Hege. “The company has generated a compelling pipeline supported by strong pre-clinical data, and has built a solid foundation with top-tier investors, strategic partnerships and a seasoned leadership team. I look forward to working with Mersana to advance its pipeline for the benefit of cancer patients.”

Dr. Hege brings more than two decades of oncology clinical leadership experience to Mersana’s board. Since 2010, she has served as Celgene Corporation’s medical lead for Translational Development, currently as a Corporate Vice President, where she is responsible for early phase development of the company’s significant oncology and hematology pipeline. In her role, she is also a critical member of Celgene’s business development efforts and serves as a key interface on multiple partnerships. She is also a professor of Hematology/Oncology and an attending physician at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Prior to Celgene, Dr. Hege was a senior medical advisor to development-stage biotech companies including Aragon and Theraclone. A pioneer in immuno-oncology, she began her career at Cell Genesys Inc. where she spent 14 years in various roles of increasing responsibility. Dr. Hege holds a M.D. from the UCSF School of Medicine and a B.A. in biochemistry from Dartmouth College. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and completed a subspecialty fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at UCSF. She was also a visiting bone marrow transplant fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

About Mersana Therapeutics                                     

Mersana Therapeutics is advancing a proprietary pipeline of targeted oncology therapeutics leveraging its game-changing Fleximer® immunoconjugate technology. Mersana's product candidates XMT-1522 and XMT-1536 have the potential to address significant unmet needs and improve patient outcomes in multiple oncology indications. Fleximer-based immunoconjugate molecules have been shown to have superior efficacy, including with targets previously considered not amenable to antibody-drug conjugate approaches. Mersana has collaborations utilizing Fleximer technology with Takeda, Merck KGaA, and Asana BioSciences. For more information, please visit www.mersana.com.

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