Dr. Lynn Seely joins AbCellera (NASDAQ: ABCL) board as independent director
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
8-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
AbCellera Biologics Inc. has appointed Lynn Seely, M.D., as a new Class III independent director on its Board of Directors. She will serve until the company’s 2029 annual meeting of shareholders and until a successor is elected and qualified or she departs earlier.
The Board determined that Dr. Seely is independent under Nasdaq rules and the company’s corporate governance guidelines. She will receive compensation under AbCellera’s Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy on the same terms as other non-employee directors, with no related-party transactions or appointment arrangements disclosed.
Dr. Seely is president and CEO of Lyell Immunopharma Inc. and previously led Myovant Sciences Inc. and served as chief medical officer of Medivation Inc., where she oversaw development of the oncology drug Xtandi. A press release with additional background is included as Exhibit 99.1.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
8-K Event Classification
2 items: 5.02, 9.01
2 items
Item 5.02
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers
Governance
Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.
Key Figures
Director term: Until 2029 annual meeting
Medivation acquisition value: $14 billion
Blueprint Medicines acquisition value: $9.1 billion
+1 more
4 metrics
Director term
Until 2029 annual meeting
Class III director term for Dr. Seely
Medivation acquisition value
$14 billion
Pfizer acquisition of Medivation after Xtandi development
Blueprint Medicines acquisition value
$9.1 billion
Sanofi acquisition while Dr. Seely was lead independent director
Press release date
July 6, 2026
Date of AbCellera press release on appointment
Key Terms
independent director, Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy, Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K, clinical-stage biotechnology company, +1 more
5 terms
independent director financial
"appointed Lynn Seely, M.D as a new Class III director ... independent director."
An independent director is a member of a company's board of directors who is not involved in the company's day-to-day operations and has no significant relationships with the company that could influence their judgment. Their role is to provide unbiased oversight and ensure the company is managed in the best interests of all shareholders. This helps build trust and confidence among investors by promoting transparency and accountability.
Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy financial
"she will participate in the Company's Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy on the same terms"
Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K regulatory
"Dr. Seely has no direct or indirect material interest in any transaction pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K."
clinical-stage biotechnology company financial
"AbCellera (Nasdaq: ABCL) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing"
CAR T-cell therapies technical
"a pipeline of next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors."
CAR T-cell therapies are treatments that remove a patient’s immune cells, reprogram them to recognize specific cancer markers, and return them to the body so they act like specially trained soldiers hunting tumor cells. They matter to investors because they can offer powerful, long-lasting benefits for hard-to-treat cancers but come with high development, manufacturing and regulatory costs, pricing and reimbursement uncertainty, and concentrated market risk that can drive big gains or losses.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
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CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 30, 2026
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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150 W 4th Avenue | |||||
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(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) | ||||||||
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) | ||||||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) | ||||||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) | ||||||||
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Emerging growth company o
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
Appointment of Director
On June 30, 2026, the Board of Directors (the "Board") of AbCellera Biologics Inc. (the "Company") appointed Lynn Seely, M.D as a new Class III director. Dr. Seely will serve until the Company’s 2029 annual meeting of shareholders and until her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until her earlier resignation or removal..
The Board has affirmatively determined that Dr. Seely is independent under the rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC and the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines. Dr. Seely has not been appointed to serve on committees of the Board.
In connection with Dr. Seely’s service as a director, she will participate in the Company's Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy on the same terms as the Company’s other non-employee directors, as previously disclosed in the Company's Definitive Proxy on Schedule 14A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 29, 2026.
Dr. Seely has no direct or indirect material interest in any transaction pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. There are no arrangements or understandings between Dr. Seely and any other person pursuant to which Dr. Seely was appointed as a member of the Board.
A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d)Exhibits
| Exhibit No. | Description | |||||||
| 99.1 | Press Release issued by AbCellera Biologics Inc. on July 6, 2026. | |||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded as Inline XBRL document) | |||||||
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Date: July 6, 2026 | ABCELLERA BIOLOGICS INC. | |||||||
| By: | /s/ Carl L. G. Hansen | |||||||
| Carl L. G. Hansen, Ph.D. | ||||||||
Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | ||||||||
150 W 4th Ave Vancouver, BC V5Y 1G6 T 1. 604.559.9005 abcellera.com NEWS RELEASE AbCellera Appoints Dr. Lynn Seely to its Board of Directors 2026-07-06 VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AbCellera (Nasdaq: ABCL) today announced the appointment of Lynn Seely, M.D., to its Board of Directors as an independent director. “Dr. Seely is a respected executive leader with a proven track record of successfully developing new medicines in endocrinology, oncology, and women’s health. I am pleased to welcome her to AbCellera’s Board of Directors and look forward to having her on our team,” said Carl Hansen, Ph.D., founder and CEO of AbCellera. Dr. Seely’s experience as a biopharmaceutical executive and board member includes an extensive background in strategic, clinical, and commercial execution, which are highly relevant to AbCellera's work in discovering and developing impactful antibody-based medicines. Dr. Seely currently serves as president and CEO of Lyell Immunopharma Inc., a late-stage clinical company advancing a pipeline of next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Prior to Lyell, she was president, CEO, board member, and �rst employee of Myovant Sciences Inc., where she successfully commercialized innovative therapies for women’s and men’s health, including Myfembree® (relugolix, estradiol, and norethindrone acetate) and Orgovyx® (relugolix). Dr. Seely also served as the chief medical o�cer of Medivation Inc., where she led the clinical development of the oncology drug Xtandi® (enzalutamide) from �rst-in-human trials through global approvals, prior to its $14 billion acquisition by P�zer Inc. “I look forward to serving on AbCellera’s Board of Directors as the Company advances its mission of discovering 1
and developing �rst-in-class antibody-based medicines,” said Dr. Seely. “AbCellera is well positioned for growth as it moves multiple product candidates, developed by its exceptional research team and designed to bring meaningful new treatments to patients, into early- and late-stage clinical development.” Dr. Seely currently serves on the Board of Managers of Life Science Cares Bay Area. She previously served as the lead independent director for Blueprint Medicines Corp. prior to its $9.1 billion acquisition by Sano�, and was a member of the Board of Managers for TORL BioTherapeutics LLC. Dr. Seely received her M.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. She completed her residency and served as chief resident in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and completed a basic science and clinical fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism at the University of California, San Diego. About AbCellera Biologics Inc. AbCellera (Nasdaq: ABCL) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing �rst- in-class antibody-based medicines in the areas of endocrinology, women’s health, immunology, oncology, and more. For more information, please visit www.abcellera.com. Inquiries Media: Tiffany Chiu; media@abcellera.com, +1(236)521-6774 Partnering: Murray McCutcheon, Ph.D.; partnering@abcellera.com, +1(604)559-9005 Investor Relations: Peter Ahn; ir@abcellera.com, +1(778)729-9116 Source: AbCellera Biologics Inc. 2
FAQ
What board change did AbCellera (ABCL) announce in this 8-K filing?
AbCellera appointed Lynn Seely, M.D., as a new Class III independent director. She joins the Board effective June 30, 2026, and will serve until the 2029 annual meeting of shareholders, subject to earlier resignation or removal under standard governance terms.
Is Dr. Lynn Seely considered independent under Nasdaq rules at AbCellera (ABCL)?
Yes, AbCellera’s Board determined Dr. Seely is independent under Nasdaq rules. The company also confirms she meets its Corporate Governance Guidelines for independence, supporting standard public company board practices and aligning her status with other non-employee directors at AbCellera.
How will Dr. Lynn Seely be compensated as an AbCellera (ABCL) director?
Dr. Seely will participate in AbCellera’s Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy. She is entitled to the same compensation terms provided to other non-employee directors, as previously described in AbCellera’s definitive proxy statement filed on April 29, 2026, with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
What is Dr. Lynn Seely’s current role outside AbCellera (ABCL)?
Dr. Seely currently serves as president and CEO of Lyell Immunopharma Inc. Lyell is described as a late-stage clinical company advancing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, providing relevant biopharmaceutical leadership experience to AbCellera’s Board.
What prior experience does Dr. Seely bring to AbCellera (ABCL)’s board?
Dr. Seely previously led Myovant Sciences Inc. as president, CEO, board member, and first employee, and served as chief medical officer at Medivation Inc. She oversaw development of Xtandi and helped commercialize Myfembree and Orgovyx, bringing clinical and commercial expertise.