Defence Therapeutics announced that Dr. Svetlana Selivanova has joined its board of directors, bringing more than two decades of experience in radiopharmaceutical development to the Canadian biopharma firm.
Board appointment and professional background
Effective immediately, Dr. Selivanova will serve on the board of the firm that focuses on radiopharmaceuticals, antibody‑drug conjugates and immune‑oncology vaccines. She holds a Master of Science in chemistry and a Ph.D. in radiopharmaceutical chemistry and radiobiology. Currently she leads the Radiochemistry and Medical Applications section at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and teaches as an adjunct professor at Université Laval’s Faculty of Pharmacy.
Before joining CNL, Dr. Selivanova held senior research and management roles at CHU de Quebec‑Université Laval, Sherbrooke University Hospital, and the Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences at ETH Zurich. Her career includes work on technetium‑99m production via cyclotron technology and investigational agents targeting the prostate‑specific membrane antigen for prostate cancer.
Industry involvement and advisory roles
She is an executive member of the Canadian Association of Radiopharmaceutical Scientists and presides over the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Council. Dr. Selivanova also sits on the SNMMI Committee on Radiopharmaceuticals and advises the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Research Council.
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Her research interests span the development and clinical translation of novel radiopharmaceuticals and the use of nuclear imaging to study biochemical pathways in vivo. These activities align with Defence Therapeutics’ focus on radio‑immuno‑conjugates built on its Accum® platform.
“We are proud to have Dr. Svetlana Selivanova joining our board of directors,” said Sébastien Plouffe, President, CEO and Founder of Defence Therapeutics. “She is a very strong addition to our company. Defence’s strategy is to develop radio‑immuno‑conjugates using our Accum® platform. Dr. Selivanova has extensive knowledge and experience in this field and will strengthen and accelerate our radiopharmaceutical programmes.”
In a brief statement, Dr. Selivanova expressed enthusiasm for the partnership: “I am honoured to join Defence Therapeutics board of directors. I believe that Defence’s Accum® technology platform has great potential for the development of targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies.”
The firm granted her 100,000 incentive stock options, each exercisable at 60 cents per share with a three‑year term. The options vest immediately, reflecting the intent to align her interests with long‑term growth.
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Dr. Raimar Lobenberg also left the board.
From a practical standpoint, Dr. Selivanova’s addition could help the firm manage regulatory pathways more efficiently, given her experience with both Canadian and European agencies. For patients awaiting new targeted treatments, the move may translate into faster access to clinical trials that leverage the Accum® platform’s ability to deliver radiation directly to tumor cells.
While the appointment signals a clear strategic direction, the immediate impact on Defence Therapeutics’ pipeline remains to be seen. The organization continues to develop its radio‑immuno‑conjugate candidates, and the board’s composition may influence future funding rounds and partnership opportunities.
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