OncoSec Medical Inc. (OTCQB:ONCS),
a company developing its ImmunoPulse DNA-based intratumoral cancer
immunotherapy, has appointed Dr. Soldano Ferrone, M.D., Ph.D., to the
company’s Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Ferrone is an internationally
renowned expert in tumor immunology, and will contribute his
considerable expertise to the company as it works to advance an
expanding intratumoral immunotherapy pipeline.
Dr. Ferrone’s research program focuses on the characterization of escape
mechanisms deployed by tumor cells to avoid immune-mediated recognition
and destruction. He has also studied how combined immunotherapeutic
strategies can counteract these tumor escape mechanisms. These studies
are greatly facilitated by the large panel of HLA antigen- and human
tumor antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies he has developed and shared
with the scientific community over the years.
He has described the results of his studies in more than 600 papers
published in peer-reviewed journals. Moreover he has been the editor of
14 books and the guest editor of five special issues of oncology
journals.
“Dr. Ferrone brings considerable expertise to our growing panel of
distinguished experts and key opinion leaders,” said Punit Dhillon,
President and CEO. “We believe his guidance will prove invaluable as we
work to advance our immune oncology pipeline and establish OncoSec as a
leader in intratumoral immunotherapy.”
Dr. Ferrone received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees in 1964 and in 1971,
respectively, from the University of Milan, Milan, Italy. He has held
faculty positions at the University of Milan, Scripps Clinic and
Research Foundation, La Jolla, CA, Columbia University, New York, NY,
New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, Roswell Park Cancer Institute,
Buffalo, NY and at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine,
Pittsburgh, PA. Since 2012 he has been a faculty member of the
Department of Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical
School, Boston, MA.
Dr. Ferrone has received numerous awards and honors. For the last 30
years he has been a member of many review committees including NIH Study
Sections, and of the editorial boards of many scientific journals.
Furthermore he is a member of several external scientific advisory
boards.
“Long before immuno-oncology was recognized as an important field,
Soldano was in the forefront of the attempt to understand how tumors
subvert the immune system — particularly, how they disrupt normal
mechanisms of antigen processing and presentation,” said Dr. Robert
Pierce, M.D., Chief Medical Officer. “We believe Soldano’s expertise
will help us further define the mechanism by which intratumoral
electroporation of IL-12 leads to a reversal of these pathologic defects
and augments immunogenicity.”
About OncoSec Medical Inc.
OncoSec Medical Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company developing its
ImmunoPulse immunotherapy to treat solid tumors. OncoSec Medical's core
technology leverages a proprietary electroporation platform to
enhance the local delivery and uptake of IL-12 and other DNA-based
immune-modulating agents. Clinical studies of ImmunoPulse have
demonstrated an acceptable safety profile and preliminary evidence of
anti-tumor activity in the treatment of various skin cancers, as well as
the potential to initiate a systemic immune response without the
systemic toxicities associated with other treatments. OncoSec's clinical
programs currently include three Phase 2 trials targeting metastatic
melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. As the
company continues to evaluate ImmunoPulse in these indications, it is
also investigating additional indications and combination therapeutic
approaches. For more information, please visit www.oncosec.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Any statements in this release that are not historical facts may be
considered such “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements
are based on management’s current preliminary expectations and are
subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause our results to
differ materially and adversely from the statements contained herein.
Some of the potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ from those predicted include our ability to raise
additional funding, our ability to acquire, develop or commercialize new
products, uncertainties inherent in pre-clinical studies and clinical
trials, unexpected new data, safety and technical issues, competition,
and market conditions. These and additional risks and uncertainties are
more fully described in OncoSec Medical’s filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. Undue reliance should not be placed on
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are
made. OncoSec Medical disclaims any obligation to update any
forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or
circumstances after the date they are made, or to reflect the occurrence
of unanticipated events.
Copyright Business Wire 2014