– Dr. Petit is a well-established C-suite life sciences executive and innovative inventor/scientist with a primary focus as an immunologist in all medical and scientific aspects of pharmaceutical development –
– Dr. Yung is a preeminent academic expert with a specialization in translational research of lung cancer biomarkers and early cancer detection –
NORTHBROOK, Ill., Jan. 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Immunomodulation Inc. (“Immunomodulation” or the “Company”), a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing breakthrough therapies to modulate immune responses in multiple high-value oncology and serious infectious diseases, today announced the appointments of Robert G. Petit, Ph.D. and Rex Chin-Wei Yung, M.D., F.C.C.P. to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Petit and Dr. Yung as additions to our Scientific Advisory Board. We believe that their research and drug development expertise and successful track record will be a critical asset as we continue to explore the potential of IMM-010 to address significant unmet needs in well-established and growing markets, and specifically for our oncology indications,” commented Dr. Michael Beaubaire, Chief Executive Officer of Immunomodulation.
Immunomodulation expects to add additional members to its SAB over the course of 2019. The SAB will work closely with the Immunomodulation team as it advances its lead product candidate, IMM-010 towards human clinical studies over the next 18 months.
“This is an exciting time for Immunomodulation and I look forward to working with the Company as they continue to execute their clinical strategy with IMM-010. I believe that the broad experience I have amassed over my career will be particularly useful in guiding the Company to advance through its next phases of growth to deliver potentially transformational treatments for multiple high value oncology and serious infectious disease indications,” added Dr. Petit.
Dr. Petit is a well-established C-level executive and innovative inventor/scientist with over 25 years of experience as an immunologist in all medical and scientific aspects of pharmaceutical development with a primary scientific and medical research focus on immunologic based therapies, particularly in immunologic oncology, therapeutic vaccines, medical oncology, supportive care, and anti-infectives. He has led programs in discovery, translational development and intellectual property development and has designed and conducted U.S. and international clinical evaluation programs from Phase 1 to 4. Over the course of his career, Dr. Petit has amassed a broad range of clinical development experience covering multiple disciplines including immuno-oncology, therapeutic vaccines, oncology, anti-inflammatory agents, supportive care (oral and GI mucositis), ophthalmology (glaucoma) and anti-infectives. He has designed, planned, and executed U.S. and global clinical trials and development programs for 13 drugs, 3 immunotherapies, 2 cellular immunotherapies and over a dozen therapeutic vaccine/immunotherapy programs. His experience includes building high functioning research teams and directing emerging private and public companies.
Dr. Petit currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President at Advaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADXS). While serving at Advaxis, Dr. Petit conceived and developed the Advaxis personalized neoantigen program and multiple emerging products for the Advaxis cancer type specific hot-spot mutation immunotherapy programs. Prior to Advaxis, Dr. Petit served at Bristol-Myers Squibb as the U.S. Medical Strategy Lead for the ipilimumab program, Director of Medical Strategy for New Oncology Products, and Director of Global Clinical Research. Prior to joining Bristol-Myers Squibb, he served as Vice President of Clinical Development at MGI Pharma.
Dr. Petit holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Immunology and Viral Oncology, with didactic medical training alongside medical students and a Bachelor of Science in Life Science from Indiana State University.
“I believe that IMM-010 has demonstrated its potential as a breakthrough therapy to modulate immune responses in multiple high value oncology and serious infectious disease indications. I am excited to be joining the Company’s SAB at this time and look forward to leveraging my expertise as we continue the development of IMM-010,” stated Dr. Yung.
Dr. Rex Chin-Wei Yung is an established academic expert with a specialization in translational research of lung cancer biomarkers and early cancer detection through imaging and bronchoscopy. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine. He serves as a Member of Scientific Advisory Board of Lisen Technology (CN) and has previously served on the executive and editorial boards of the American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP) and the Journal of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology, he was treasurer and executive board member of the World Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (WABIP). He has also held leadership positions on various other national and international medical societies (ACCP, APSR).
He currently serves as the Chief Science Officer of ProLung, Inc. and as an adjunct Assistant Professor of Oncology of Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Yung is the co-founder of Achel AI, an artificial intelligence medical analytics company focusing on selection and matching of sponsors of clinical trials with researchers and patients, based in Sweden. Additionally, he has been a key clinical advisor to multiple medical technology device and analytic companies including PneumRx (BTG), Sanovas Inc., Olympus Endoscopy, Uptake Medical, Reframe Health (CN). Previously, Dr. Yung served as the Director of Pulmonary Oncology and Director of Bronchoscopy at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHU), appointed jointly to the departments of medicine and oncology, and remains an adjunct faculty in the Department of Oncology at JHU. Dr. Yung had served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and as an Instructor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where he had obtained his fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine.
Dr. Yung is a Fellow on the American College of Chest Physicians (F.C.C.P.) and a fellow of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (FAPSR). Dr. Yung graduated from Harvard University with a BA (cum laude) in Biology and received his M.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
About Immunomodulation
Immunomodulation is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing breakthrough therapies to modulate immune responses in multiple high value oncology and serious infectious disease indications.
The Company’s lead program, IMM-010 (annexin V) is in preclinical development for the treatment of solid tumors and certain viruses and has the potential for additional pipeline expansion opportunities. IMM-010 binds to phosphatidylserine (PS) on tumor cells and infective organisms. IMM-010 has been demonstrated to be effective in generating immune responses and has shown both tumor size reduction and anti-infective effects in animal models of diseases. Immunomodulation, working in collaboration with a network of leading institutions, is sponsoring research and manufacturing to drive the execution of its development plan. Based on previous clinical experience of the Company’s founders with annexin-V as an imaging agent, Immunomodulation expects to file an IND for IMM-010 in less than 18 months. For more information please visit www.immunomodulation.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including those relating to the Company’s product development, market opportunity, competitive position, possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, potential growth opportunities and other statements that are predictive in nature. The Company has made every reasonable effort to ensure the information and assumptions on which these statements are based are current, reasonable and complete. However, a variety of factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, affect the Company’s operations, performance, business strategy and results and there can be no assurances that the Company’s actual results will not differ materially from those indicated herein. Additional written and oral forward-looking statements may be made by the Company from time to time. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe-harbor for forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking expressions, including, but not limited to, “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. These statements relate to future events or our financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this presentation. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Investor Contact:
Jenene Thomas
Jenene Thomas Communications, LLC
(833) 475-8247
imod@jtcir.com
