TargImmune Therapeutics AG, a privately owned Swiss-based biotechnology company dedicated to significantly improving the survival of cancer patients with their first-in-class Ta:RNA™ platform, today announced two major milestones - the appointment of Dr Marc Thommen as Head of Technical Development, and the successful completion of GLP/Tox studies.
Dr Thommen adds to an impressive senior management team at TargImmune, bringing more than 20 years of experience in biopharmaceutical drug development and scaling biotech manufacturing to clinical supply and commercial launch. His appointment comes at a pivotal time for the company, according to Peter Braun, CEO of TargImmune: “With TAR001, our first-in-class Targeted Apoptotic Immuno-Modulator (TAIM) having successfully completed GLP/Tox studies, we have a clear path forward into human studies with a good therapeutic window. Marc’s strong history of building CMC organisations at this point in their development will give us the expertise we need to continue to progress the development of our Ta:RNA™ platform towards patients.”
Dr Thommen joins TargImmune from Santhera, having previously worked at Polyphor. “I’m very excited to be taking on this new role at such an important time, thanks to the great efforts of the team who have made great progress in developing the technology to deliver on the potential of the Ta:RNA™ platform. I look forward to playing my part in the production of what promises to be an exciting new approach to cancer therapy.”
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 powerful antiviral defence responses to selectively target and destroy cancer cells.
For more information, please contact:
TargImmune Therapeutics AG Peter Braun, CEO media@targimmune.com
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.