Professor Itescu has distinguished himself as an innovator in the field of regenerative medicine. In 2004, he founded Mesoblast, which has become the world’s largest regenerative medicine company and is in late-stage development of biotherapeutics based on its broad, proprietary adult mesenchymal precursor cell technology platform for a diverse range of intransigent diseases. Professor Itescu has established an outstanding reputation as a physician scientist in the fields of stem cell biology, autoimmune diseases, organ transplantation and heart failure. Under his leadership, in 2010 Mesoblast entered into a strategic alliance to develop cardiovascular and neurologic indications with global biopharmaceutical company Cephalon, Inc., later acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. The Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada), Inc., acknowledged the deal with the 2011 Deals of Distinction™ Award, conferred for the most compelling licensing and intellectual property-related deal in the life sciences sector. In 2011, he was named BioSpectrum Asia Person of the Year. Professor Itescu is an active faculty member of Melbourne and Monash universities in Australia and previously a faculty member of Columbia University in New York.
