Lumicell Appoints Biotech and Medtech Leader Cheryl R. Blanchard, Ph.D., to Board of Directors

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Lumicell announced the appointment of Cheryl R. Blanchard, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors on February 4, 2026. Dr. Blanchard brings 30+ years of biotech and medtech leadership, will remain Executive Chair on Anika Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ANIK) board, and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

The company highlighted her commercial and regulatory experience as relevant to advancing LumiSystem™ adoption in surgical oncology.

NEWTON, Mass., Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumicell, Inc., a leader in developing innovative fluorescence-guided imaging technologies for cancer detection, today announced the appointment of Cheryl R. Blanchard, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors. Dr. Blanchard is an accomplished biotech and medtech CEO and board member with more than 30 years of experience building, scaling, and transforming public and private life sciences companies.

Dr. Blanchard most recently served as President, CEO, and Director of Anika Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ANIK), where she led the successful implementation of a high-growth commercial strategy. During her tenure, Anika divested non-core assets, commercialized innovative regenerative orthopedic and osteoarthritis pain products, delivered double-digit commercial channel growth, and advanced multiple programs through U.S. clinical and regulatory pathways. Dr. Blanchard will remain on the Anika Board as Executive Chair.

Her prior leadership roles include serving as CEO of Microchips Biotech and as Senior Vice President & Chief Scientific Officer of Zimmer.

"Cheryl brings a rare combination of scientific depth, operational rigor, commercial leadership, and board experience—paired with a proven track record of transforming organizations and launching category-defining products," said Andrey J. Zarur, Ph.D., Co-Founder & Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lumicell. "Her strategic acumen and her commitment to patient-focused innovation will be tremendously valuable as Lumicell continues our mission to bring LumiSystem™ to more surgeons and patients."

Dr. Blanchard is a seasoned board director with service across public, private, and private-equity-backed companies, including Vigil Neuroscience, Daré Bioscience, SeaSpine Holdings, Neuronetics, CeramTec, ISTO Technologies, and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. She is widely recognized as an industry leader and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

"Lumicell's technology has the potential to meaningfully elevate standards of care in cancer surgery," said Dr. Blanchard. "I'm honored to join the Board at this pivotal time and look forward to working with the team to support the company's next phase of growth and scale impact."

About Lumicell
Lumicell is a privately held life sciences company revolutionizing the intraoperative detection of cancer with its real-time fluorescence imaging technology. Lumicell's proprietary technology is FDA-approved for use in the treatment of breast cancer and is also being explored for further development across a wide variety of solid tumor indications. For more information, please visit www.Lumicell.com and www.Lumisystem.com. Follow the company on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Lumicell's current views about future events and are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and changes in circumstances that may cause its actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the regulatory process to approve pharmaceutical drugs or medical devices.

Media Contact: media@lumicell.com

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SOURCE Lumicell, Inc.

FAQ

Who is Cheryl R. Blanchard and why did Lumicell appoint her to the board (ANIK mentioned)?

Dr. Cheryl R. Blanchard is a biotech and medtech CEO with over 30 years of experience. According to Lumicell, her commercial, regulatory, and board experience will support advancing LumiSystem™ adoption and strategic growth as the company scales surgical fluorescence imaging.

Will Cheryl Blanchard remain on the Anika Therapeutics (ANIK) board after joining Lumicell?

Yes. According to Lumicell, Dr. Blanchard will remain on the Anika Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ANIK) board as Executive Chair. The announcement says she will concurrently serve Lumicell on its Board of Directors while maintaining her role with Anika.

What expertise does Dr. Blanchard bring to Lumicell that could impact LumiSystem™ commercialization?

She brings commercial strategy, regulatory pathway experience, and product commercialization leadership. According to Lumicell, her track record includes divesting non-core assets and delivering double-digit channel growth, skills relevant to commercial rollout and surgeon adoption of LumiSystem™.

Does Lumicell say how Dr. Blanchard's appointment will change company strategy or timeline?

The company frames the appointment as strategic support for growth but did not state specific timeline changes. According to Lumicell, her role is intended to help bring LumiSystem™ to more surgeons and patients rather than announce discrete operational milestones.

What board and industry roles has Cheryl Blanchard held previously that relate to Lumicell and ANIK (ANIK)?

Dr. Blanchard has served as CEO of Anika Therapeutics and other life sciences companies, and has board roles across public and private firms. According to Lumicell, her prior positions include leadership at Anika, Microchips Biotech, Vigil Neuroscience, Daré Bioscience, and SeaSpine Holdings.