Kiromic BioPharma Appoints Frank Tirelli and Dr. Karen Reeves to Company’s Board of Directors

– Frank Tirelli Will Serve as Chair of Kiromic’s Audit Committee –

– Dr. Reeves Brings Deep Biopharmaceutical, Regulatory, and Clinical Expertise to Board Role –

HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–$KRBP #KRBP—Kiromic BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: KRBP) (“Kiromic” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage fully integrated biotherapeutics company using its proprietary DIAMOND^® artificial intelligence (AI) and big data mining platform to discover and develop cell and gene therapies with a therapeutic focus on immuno-oncology and other diseases, today announces the appointment of two outside directors to the Company’s Board of Directors: Frank Tirelli and Karen Reeves, M.D.

Frank Tirelli was appointed to the Company’s Board effective on January 28, 2022. Mr. Tirelli has assumed the role of Chair of Kiromic’s Audit Committee. The previous Chair was Pietro Bersani, who is now the Company’s Interim Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Reeves appointment to the Board will be effective on February 14.

“It is my distinct pleasure to welcome Dr. Karen Reeves and Mr. Frank Tirelli to our Board of Directors. Both of these executives bring a tremendous wealth of experience in their respective sectors, which will strengthen and round out our Board for the very important work we plan to accomplish over the coming months and years ahead,” stated Pietro Bersani, Kiromic Biopharma’s Interim Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to their significant contributions,” continued Mr. Bersani.

Mr. Tirelli, a licensed CPA, has 30 years of experience with one of the world’s premier accounting firms, including service as Chairman and CEO of Deloitte Italy and Vice Chairman of Deloitte U.S. Mr. Tirelli currently serves as Chairman of Professional Services at alliantgroup, LP, an international consulting firm that provides professional services to businesses and their professional advisor firms on methodologies to enhance their investments in innovation, research, development, technology, cyber security, and job creation. Mr. Tirelli also serves on the Strategic Advisory Board of alliantgroup LP and on the Strategic Advisory Board of Alliant Cybersecurity. From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Tirelli served as the President and CEO of Herbalife International Inc., a publicly traded nutrition company that conducted business in 52 countries and generated $2 billion in sales. Mr. Tirelli brings a tremendous depth of public company financial reporting experience to his new Board role.

“I am excited to join the Kiromic Board, and assume the role of Audit Committee Chair,” commented Frank Tirelli. “This is a role that is very familiar to me, and I look forward to utilizing my extensive career experience in business, auditing, financial reporting, and leadership on behalf of the Company.”

Karen Reeves, M.D. is President and Chief Medical Officer at AZTherapies, a Boston-based private life science company developing treatments for serious neurological illnesses targeting neuroinflammation. Dr. Reeves began her biopharmaceutical career at Pfizer and served in roles of increasing responsibility throughout her twice tenure at the Company, most recently as Vice President, Head, Global Clinical Submissions Quality. Dr. Reeves has more than 25 years of biopharma experience in clinical research and development (R&D), business development, regulatory, operational development, and management. She has provided leadership across multiple therapeutic areas including neuroscience, oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, urology, and rare diseases. She has experience in early- and late-stage drug development, participated in numerous successful regulatory filings, and has led positive meetings with the FDA, as well as with other global regulatory authorities.

In addition, Dr. Reeves served as Global Head of Medical Science at Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc. working across development therapeutic areas, including oncology. She represented Astellas at the European pharmaceutical trade organization, EFPIA, in the Scientific, Regulatory, and Manufacturing Committee in Brussels, and led the OSI Oncology Clinical Integration Team.

Dr. Reeves received her BA degree from Yale University and an M.D. degree from the University of Vermont Medical School. She has also served on the faculty of Harvard University and Tufts Medical School.

Dr. Reeves stated: “Joining the Kiromic Board and utilizing my diverse life sciences experience to help guide the Company during this exciting time is a privilege. I have been following the Company’s very impressive science in the immuno-oncology arena and helping to move these important advances forward for patients is especially meaningful for me as a physician.”

About Kiromic BioPharma

Kiromic BioPharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage, fully integrated biotherapeutics company using its proprietary DIAMOND® artificial intelligence (AI) platform to discover and develop cell and gene therapies with a therapeutic focus on immuno-oncology and other diseases. Kiromic is in the process of developing a multi-indication allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy that exploits the natural potency of Gamma Delta T-cells to target solid cancers. From its heritage as a cancer vaccine development company, Kiromic is focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel immuno-oncology applications through its robust product pipeline. The pipeline development is leveraged through the Company’s proprietary target discovery engine called “DIAMOND.” Kiromic’s DIAMOND is where big data science meets target identification to dramatically compress the man-years and billions of drug development dollars required to develop a live drug. The Company maintains offices in Houston, Texas. To learn more, visit www.kiromic.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. We make such forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and other federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

• our goals and strategies;
• our future business development, financial condition and results of operations;
• expected changes in our revenue, costs or expenditures;
• growth of and competition trends in our industry;
• our expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, our products;
• our expectations regarding our relationships with investors, institutional funding partners and other parties we collaborate with;
• fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in the markets in which we operate; including those fluctuations caused by COVID-19; and
• relevant government policies and regulations relating to our industry.

In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “could,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “project” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could materially affect results. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those listed under the heading “Risk Factors” included in our Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended (file no. 333-257427) , originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 25, 2021 and in our Current Report on Form 8-K dated January 27, 2022 and filed with the SEC on February 2, 2022 . If one or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual events or results may vary significantly from those implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance.

The forward-looking statements made in this report relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this report. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, there is no undertaking to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or any other reason.

Contacts

Linda Phelan Dyson, MPH

Global Head, Corporate Communications

[email protected]
973-986-5973