Arovella Therapeutics (ASX:ALA) is entering a period of board renewal as the biotechnology company advances toward a critical clinical inflection point.
Two long-serving non-executive directors are stepping down following progress in its cell therapy program.
The ASX-listed company announced that Dr Elizabeth Stoner will retire as Non-Executive Director and Interim Chair, alongside the retirement of fellow Non-Executive Director Gary Phillips, effective 9 February 2026. The departures come at a time of significant momentum for Arovella, which has recently achieved acceptance of its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its lead program, ALA-101.
The company said Dr Stoner has played a central role in shaping the company’s strategic direction during a period of transformation. Appointed to the board in November 2021, she later served two terms as Interim Chair, including during Arovella’s pivot to a cell-therapy-focused business. Her tenure coincided with the progression of the company’s CAR-iNKT platform from preclinical development to clinical trials.
Mr Phillips, who joined the board in July 2022, also departs, having contributed commercial insight and drug development experience during a formative stage for the company. Together, the outgoing directors helped guide Arovella to an IND-ready position, laying the groundwork for first-in-human dosing of ALA-101 and advancing its solid tumour program, ALA-105.
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Dr Michael Baker acknowledged the impact of both directors, crediting their leadership and advocacy as instrumental in the company’s recent achievements. With regulatory clearance now in place, Arovella is preparing to dose its first patient and continue expanding its invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell therapy platform.
Arovella said it will undertake a formal skills review to assess future governance needs. The company has indicated that it will provide further updates after completion of this process, including details on the appointment of a new Chair.
Reflecting on her decision, Dr Stoner described her departure as difficult but timely, noting the strength of the management team and the significance of the IND acceptance for ALA-101. Mr Phillips echoed this sentiment, highlighting the company’s progress and expressing confidence in its trajectory toward clinical execution.