On September 7, 2022 CytoImmune Therapeutics, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company that is developing a novel class of engineered natural killer (NK) cell-based cancer therapies, reported the appointment of Remus Vezan, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer (Press release, CytoImmune Therapeutics, SEP 7, 2022, View Source [SID1234619196]). Dr. Vezan is an industry leader who has been responsible for the successful advancement of numerous cell therapies from early-stage development through commercialization, including one of the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- approved CAR T-cell therapies for hematologic malignancies.
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"Remus brings an ideal combination of expertise to CytoImmune, having led the successful implementation and execution of clinical development strategies for several biopharmaceutical companies focused on both immuno-oncology and cell therapies," said Christina Coughlin, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of CytoImmune. "We recently made the important transition to a clinical-stage company with the initiation of our Phase 1 trial of CYTO-102 for non-small cell lung cancer, and I am excited to partner with Remus as we advance this program and others in our pipeline."
"CytoImmune is taking a novel approach to developing cell therapies, leveraging NK cells to create medicines that directly attack cancer cells and broadly stimulate both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system," said Dr. Vezan. "Cell therapies have proven highly effective in treating various hematologic malignancies, with several approved products available today, however, the results obtained in solid tumors to date are underwhelming. Through novel engineering and manufacturing strategies, CytoImmune’s engineered NK cell therapies have the potential to overcome key challenges that have been observed in solid tumors. This will greatly expand the number of patients who could benefit from this therapy. I am pleased to join the team at this exciting time in the evolution of the company."
Dr. Vezan joins CytoImmune from CERo Therapeutics where he served as Chief Medical Officer. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of clinical development at Kite, a Gilead company, where he oversaw the clinical development of CAR T-cell products, including axi- cell/YESCARTA, the first CAR T-cell therapy approved for relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma and brexu-cell/TECARTUS, the first CAR T-cell therapy approved for mantle cell lymphoma and adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In this role, Dr. Vezan supported the overall clinical development strategy and execution of numerous registrational clinical trials and under his leadership, YESCARTA and TECARTUS were granted various global approvals. Before Kite, Dr. Vezan served as Medical Director at Pharmacyclics, an AbbVie Company, where he was the clinical lead for HDACi-abexinostat program and ibrutinib (IMBRUVICA) in lymphoplasmacytic lymphomas (Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia). Dr. Vezan completed his medical training (M.D. and Ph.D.) at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj, Romania and University of Bern, Switzerland.