TargImmune Therapeutics AG, a privately owned Swiss-based biotechnology company dedicated to significantly improving the survival of cancer patients by developing novel targeted anticancer treatments, today announced the further expansion of their management team with the appointment of Veronica Hersberger as Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
The appointment of Dr Hersberger marks another key milestone in the development of the company, following on from the recent appointments of experienced Pharmaceutical Industry executives Peter Braun as CEO and Christoph Rentsch as full-time CFO.
Dr Hersberger joins TargImmune from AstraZeneca, where she was Global Product Leader for the cancer therapies Calquence and Lumoxiti. Prior to this, Dr Hersberger had a long career at F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG where she was involved in the development and delivery of a number of significant cancer therapies, including Herceptin SC, Kadcyla and Perjeta across the full range of clinical development from early stage through to commercialization. She was responsible for the first in human Perjeta studies and was involved in the regulatory interactions for filing Herceptin in adjuvant breast cancer, gastric cancer and 1-weekly dosing and for Kadcyla in metastatic breast cancer. She has a broad experience across many aspects of oncology including most solid tumours and various haematological malignancies, plus experience in non-malignant diseases such as haemophilia.
Speaking about her appointment, Dr Hersberger said, “I am very much looking forward to joining the TargImmune team at this important time. I believe the Ta:RNA™ platform has the potential to transform outcomes for so many patients with cancer, and I am excited by the opportunity to help guide its development into the next phase.”
“Dr Hersberger’s decision to join the TargImmune team reflects the potential of our first-in-class Ta:RNA™ platform,” said Peter Braun, TargImmune CEO. “I am delighted that Dr Hersberger will be bringing her extensive experience in delivering successful anticancer treatments to TargImmune as we move towards filing our Investigational New Drug Application (IND) and Clinical Trial Application (CTA) and beginning our human studies.”
TargImmune is dedicated to significantly improving the survival of cancer patients by developing novel targeted anti-cancer therapies which provide a multi-pronged attack against solid tumours. The company’s novel Ta:RNA™ platform harnesses the body’s own immune system and powerful antiviral defence responses to selectively target and destroy cancer cells. Its immunomodulating therapeutics are designed to be delivered systemically, allowing them to reach distant metastases, which are the leading cause of cancer death.
TargImmune Therapeutics AG Peter Braun, CEO
media@targimmune.com
TargImmune Therapeutics AG is a privately owned Swiss-based biotechnology company based in Basel and founded in 2016.
TargImmune is dedicated to significantly improving the survival of cancer patients by developing novel targeted anti-cancer therapeutics which provide a multi-pronged approach against solid tumours.
The company’s novel Ta:RNA™ platform harnesses the body’s own immune system and powerful antiviral defence responses to selectively target and destroy cancer cells. Its immunomodulating therapeutics are designed to be delivered systemically, allowing them to reach distant metastases, which are the leading cause of cancer death.
Ta:RNA™ is TargImmune’s proprietary, first-in-class platform and is the only targeted nanoparticle to deliver Poly-IC, a synthetic double-stranded RNA, to cancer cells. The Ta:RNA™ platform targets solid tumours through their over-expression of a specific receptor. By replacing only the targeting moiety, Ta:RNA™ can target different receptors and address a range of different solid tumours.
Mimicking the natural processes of viral infection and antiviral defence responses, Ta:RNA™ drives a potent combination of apoptosis (cell death) and immune modulation to target both primary and metastatic heterogeneous tumour cells. TargImmune’s therapeutics are the first in a new class known as targeted apoptosis and immune modulators (TAIMs).
This unique technology and innovative therapeutic approach have the potential to transform outcomes for cancer patients, whether used alone or in combination with existing treatments.
TargImmune’s lead drug candidate, TAR001, targets epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR). EGFR overexpression is prevalent in a significant proportion of solid cancers and is often associated with more aggressive disease. The company is on track to file an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) / Clinical Trial Application (CTA) in the near future with subsequent entry into man. As TargImmune’s lead targeted apoptosis and immune modulator (TAIM) therapy, TAR001 has the potential to be applied to a wide range of cancers and change the lives of a large number of cancer patients.
The company’s second Ta:RNA-based portfolio compound , TAR002, is in pre-clinical development.