OncoSec Medical Inc. (OTCQB: ONCS),
a company developing DNA-based intratumoral cancer immunotherapies, has
appointed Mai H. Le, M.D. to the position of Chief Medical Officer. In
this role, Dr. Le will oversee worldwide clinical development and
regulatory activities for OncoSec’s intratumoral cancer immunotherapy
programs. In addition, Robert Pierce, M.D., who previously served as
Chief Medical Officer, has been named to the newly created position of
Chief Scientific Officer and Global Head of R&D. Furthermore, Tu Diep,
M.Sc., who has served as Executive Director, Clinical Development, will
now assume the position of Vice President of Operations.
Punit Dhillon, President and CEO, said, “These changes enhance OncoSec’s
R&D capabilities and add valuable insight and expertise at a time when
the Company is making significant steps toward advancing its growing
pipeline and becoming a key player in the emerging field of intratumoral
immunotherapy.”
Dr. Le has a strong background in drug development, with extensive
experience in clinical research and regulatory affairs. Prior to joining
OncoSec, Dr. Le was medical director at Calithera Biosciences, Inc.,
where she formulated and launched the early clinical development plans
for a novel small molecule inhibitor of glutaminase for a variety of
solid and hematological tumor indications. From 2008 to 2013, she was
associate medical director and medical director at Proteolix, Inc., Onyx
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Plexxikon Inc. Her work at Proteolix and,
later, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, was critical to the accelerated approval of
carfilzomib (Kyprolis®), a second-generation proteasome
inhibitor for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
Prior to entering medical school, Dr. Le managed clinical trials for
PAREXEL International Corporation in Waltham, Massachusetts. Dr. Le
received her medical degree at the University of Rochester School of
Medicine and Dentistry and completed her residency in Clinical
Pathology/Laboratory Medicine at the University of California at San
Francisco. She received her bachelor of arts in biology from Cornell
University.
Mr. Dhillon said, “Dr. Le brings a wealth of experience leading
successful development efforts for multiple cancer therapeutics. Her
expertise will prove invaluable to our current research and clinical
development efforts in intratumoral cancer immunotherapy, specifically
in advancing our melanoma program forward toward commercialization.”
Dr. Le said, “I am deeply impressed by OncoSec’s innovative drug
development approach, as well as the Company’s ability to put science
and patients at the core of its values. I’m very excited to work
alongside such a dedicated team and look forward to contributing my best
to help bring this technology to patients in need.”
In his new role of Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Pierce will lead an
integrated approach to building a pipeline of new clinical candidates
and devices focused on intratumoral immunotherapy.
Mr. Dhillon said, “Dr. Pierce has been successful in transforming our
business since joining OncoSec in October 2013. We now have a clear
strategy for advancing our flagship program, intratumoral IL-12, toward
commercialization in melanoma. In addition, Dr. Pierce has spearheaded
the development of an internal R&D organization, which we believe is the
cornerstone of our Company’s future, as we expand our existing
intratumoral electroporation platform to build out a pipeline of
potential agents for patients with cancer. Dr. Pierce’s extensive
multidisciplinary expertise in drug development and immunotherapy, in
particular his experience with the development of Merck’s anti-PD-1
drug, make him an excellent fit for the role.”
Dr. Pierce said, “With the growth of our R&D efforts, it is in the
Company’s best interest to differentiate the Chief Medical Officer and
Chief Scientific Officer roles. As CSO, I’m looking forward to leading
our talented R&D team to fulfill our mission and find new ways to
discover, develop and deliver innovative immunotherapy products. I am
confident Mai and the rest of the team will strive toward delivering on
the Company’s vision of becoming a leading company focused on
intratumoral cancer immunotherapy.”
Mr. Diep has been a key member of OncoSec’s core management team since
its founding, and will continue his invaluable work with the Company as
Vice President of Operations. He will be responsible for leading
corporate operations, including business development and licensing,
commercial planning, and maintaining his ongoing responsibilities in
supporting clinical development of the Company’s ImmunoPulse pipeline.
Since joining OncoSec in March 2011, Mr. Diep has held positions of
increasing responsibility, initially as Director of Corporate
Communications and Development, where he managed the Company’s
communications strategy and supported the early development of the Phase
II clinical trials. From there, he moved into the role of Executive
Director, Clinical Development where he has been integral in the
management and execution of the ImmunoPulse program. Prior to joining
OncoSec, he spent four years at Protox Therapeutics Inc. (now Sophiris
Inc.), where he gained extensive experience in preclinical research and
development, clinical protocol development and design, clinical
operations and biologics manufacturing. Mr. Diep holds a masters of
science in physiology from the University of Toronto.
Mr. Dhillon said, “Tu is a highly accomplished industry executive with
extensive clinical and operational experience, and will be an
outstanding addition to our management team. His impressive background
and demonstrated leadership skills will be key as we continue to build
the corporate infrastructure necessary to support the planned
development of our clinical pipeline and seek to maximize the
significant opportunities ahead for ImmunoPulse.”
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 DNA 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, conducted
in collaboration with several prominent academic medical centers. 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