Abcuro Appoints Alex Martin as Chief Executive Officer

On October 3, 2022 Abcuro, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer through precise modulation of cytotoxic T and NK cells, reported the appointment of Alex Martin as Chief Executive Officer (Press release, Abcuro, OCT 3, 2022, View Source [SID1234621635]). He brings to Abcuro more than 30 years of leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry.

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"We are excited to welcome Alex Martin as CEO of Abcuro, as he brings extensive experience in building and leading biopharmaceutical companies as well as a track record of delivering value for patients, the clinical community, and investors," said John Edwards, Executive Chair of Abcuro. "I look forward to working with Alex as we accelerate Abcuro’s growth and advance our clinical programs in the areas of autoimmune disease and cancer."

Mr. Martin brings over 30 years of experience building companies and closing transactions in the biopharmaceutical industry. He was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Palladio Biosciences, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company which was acquired by Centessa Pharmaceuticals (CNTA), and previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Realm Therapeutics (RLM) which was acquired by ESSA Pharma (EPIX). Prior to this, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Intercept Pharmaceuticals (ICPT), and Chief Finance Officer of BioXell (BXLN) which was acquired by Cosmo Pharmaceuticals (COPN). Mr. Martin began his career at SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals where he held roles of increasing responsibility in marketing and business development and later joined Novartis as Vice President, Global Business Development & Licensing. He holds a BA from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard.

"It’s an honor to join the team at Abcuro, a company built on an unmatched ability to selectively target highly cytotoxic T cells in diseases and conditions with high unmet need, and a strong commitment to delivering novel, life-changing therapies for patients," said Mr. Martin. "I look forward to working with the highly talented team at Abcuro and building on the company’s momentum and promising clinical data from the lead program ABC008, to make a positive impact on the lives of patients."

About ABC008
ABC008 is a first-in-class anti-KLRG1 antibody capable of selectively depleting highly cytotoxic T cells, while sparing regulatory and central memory T cells. ABC008 has been designed to treat diseases mediated by highly cytotoxic T cells, including the autoimmune muscle disease inclusion body myositis (IBM), T cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGLL), and other mature T cell malignancies. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to ABC008 for the treatment of IBM.