Meet Jonathan Rigby

Jonathan became CEO of Sernova in August 2024, bringing both personal and professional experience to the company’s work in type 1 diabetes. Diagnosed with T1D at 18 after an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis, he has long been active in the diabetes community while building a career as a biotech executive, founder, board member, and company builder.

At Sernova, Jonathan is leading development of the Cell Pouch, an implantable bio-hybrid organ designed to create a vascularized environment where therapeutic cells can survive and function in the body. Clinical data from Sernova’s ongoing Phase 1/2 trial in T1D have shown long-term survival of functional islets and insulin independence in some patients. The company is now looking to combine the Cell Pouch with scalable stem-cell-derived islets produced with partner Evotec, with the aim of moving cell therapy for diabetes closer to a durable, practical treatment option.

“Although it is likely many years away, I believe there is a future in which cell and gene therapy technologies offer a functional cure for type 1 diabetes. With the technology at Sernova, as well as innovations at other companies, I am encouraged that people living with T1D will one day be able to move on from the burdensome realities of the disease.”