Key Takeaways
- • AbCellera appoints Dr. Lynn Seely as independent director — The NASDAQ-listed antibody-focused biotech company (ABCL) added the experienced biopharma executive to its board on July 6, 2026, strengthening governance in clinical and commercial execution.
- • Seely brings deep expertise across endocrinology, oncology, and women's health — Her background includes successful commercialization of Myfembree and Orgovyx at Myovant Sciences, clinical leadership on Xtandi (enzalutamide) at Medivation prior to its $14 billion Pfizer acquisition, and current role as President and CEO of Lyell Immunopharma.
- • Lyell Immunopharma positioned as late-stage CAR-T innovator under Seely's leadership — The immunotherapy company is advancing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, representing a high-value clinical pipeline in cell therapy markets.
- • Board appointment signals AbCellera's focus on antibody-based drug development — CEO Carl Hansen emphasized Seely's strategic and clinical execution capabilities as directly relevant to AbCellera's mission of discovering first-in-class antibody medicines.
Summary
AbCellera Biologics Inc. (NASDAQ: ABCL) announced on July 6, 2026, the appointment of Dr. Lynn Seely to its Board of Directors as an independent director, effective immediately. The appointment reflects AbCellera's strategic priority to strengthen board-level expertise in drug development and commercialization as the company executes its antibody-focused pipeline.
Dr. Seely currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Lyell Immunopharma Inc., a late-stage clinical biotech company developing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. She has held this position since December 2022 and joined Lyell's board in May 2021. Her appointment to AbCellera's board expands her governance footprint across multiple therapeutic modalities and development stages.
Seely's executive background spans multiple high-value biopharma outcomes. At Myovant Sciences, where she served as president, CEO, board member, and founding employee, she successfully commercialized Myfembree (relugolix, estradiol, and norethindrone acetate) for women's health and Orgovyx (relugolix) for men's health. Prior to Myovant, she served as Chief Medical Officer at Medivation Inc., where she led clinical development of Xtandi (enzalutamide) from first-in-human trials through global regulatory approval, culminating in Medivation's $14 billion acquisition by Pfizer Inc. in 2016.
Carl Hansen, AbCellera's founder and CEO, characterized Seely as "a respected executive leader with a proven track record of successfully developing new medicines in endocrinology, oncology, and women's health," emphasizing her strategic, clinical, and commercial capabilities as highly relevant to AbCellera's work in antibody-based therapeutics. Seely herself noted her enthusiasm for supporting AbCellera's mission of discovering and developing first-in-class antibody medicines.
The appointment underscores a broader trend among discovery-stage biotech companies to recruit board members with proven track records in clinical-to-commercial execution, particularly as antibody and cell therapy modalities advance through late-stage development and regulatory pathways.
Dr. Seely currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Lyell Immunopharma Inc., a late-stage clinical biotech company developing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. She has held this position since December 2022 and joined Lyell's board in May 2021. Her appointment to AbCellera's board expands her governance footprint across multiple therapeutic modalities and development stages.
Seely's executive background spans multiple high-value biopharma outcomes. At Myovant Sciences, where she served as president, CEO, board member, and founding employee, she successfully commercialized Myfembree (relugolix, estradiol, and norethindrone acetate) for women's health and Orgovyx (relugolix) for men's health. Prior to Myovant, she served as Chief Medical Officer at Medivation Inc., where she led clinical development of Xtandi (enzalutamide) from first-in-human trials through global regulatory approval, culminating in Medivation's $14 billion acquisition by Pfizer Inc. in 2016.
Carl Hansen, AbCellera's founder and CEO, characterized Seely as "a respected executive leader with a proven track record of successfully developing new medicines in endocrinology, oncology, and women's health," emphasizing her strategic, clinical, and commercial capabilities as highly relevant to AbCellera's work in antibody-based therapeutics. Seely herself noted her enthusiasm for supporting AbCellera's mission of discovering and developing first-in-class antibody medicines.
The appointment underscores a broader trend among discovery-stage biotech companies to recruit board members with proven track records in clinical-to-commercial execution, particularly as antibody and cell therapy modalities advance through late-stage development and regulatory pathways.
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