Evolveimmune Therapeutics, Inc.

Seasoned leader in drug discovery and developmentGUILFORD, Conn., Jan. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OrphAI Therapeutics Inc. (“OrphAI”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for rare diseases, announced today the appointment of Jay S. Fine, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors. Dr. Fine has a strong track record of drug discovery and development leadership in respiratory diseases, oncology, immunology and fibrotic disease indications. His leadership has contributed to the progression of over 30 new molecular entities into clinical development, leading to the commercial launch of multiple products including Skyrizi™ for Plaque Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis and Crohn’s Disease and Spevigo™ for Generalized Pustular Psoriasis. He has chaired various governance and steering committees at several global pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Fine currently serves as President of Research and Development at EvolveImmune Therapeutics, a development-stage company focused on advancing differentiated immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of cancer. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President and Global Therapeutic Area Head for Immunology and Respiratory Diseases Research at Boehringer Ingelheim and as the Discovery Research Site Head at their Ridgefield, CT location. Dr. Fine also served as Head of Translational Biology at Roche Pharmaceuticals, was a Director in the Inflammation department at Schering-Plough and worked in the Biologic Response Modifiers Program at the National Cancer Institute. He holds a B.S. degree from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester School of Medicine. Dr. Fine has authored over 75 scientific publications and patents and has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards during his career. “Jay Fine represents an extraordinary resource both for the Board as well as for the OrphAI management team, given his years of experience and success in the operational leadership of drug discovery and development. I am personally excited to work with him in this capacity,” said Dr. Brigette Roberts, CEO and Director of OrphAI. “I am very pleased to join the OrphAI Therapeutics’ Board of Directors,” said Dr. Fine. “The company has established an exciting product pipeline which holds tremendous potential to meaningfully improve the lives of patients with rare diseases. I look forward to working closely with the OrphAI team and its board to accelerate the progress of its promising pipeline.” “We are excited to welcome Jay Fine to our Board of Directors,” said David Scheer, Chairman of the Board of Directors at OrphAI. “Jay’s extensive leadership experience and drug development insights will be especially valuable to OrphAI and our Board as we collectively embark on this next stage of the company’s growth.” About OrphAI Therapeutics OrphAI Therapeutics’ mission is to transform the lives of patients with rare diseases. The company is currently developing three investigational therapies across multiple orphan indications: AIT-101, a first-in-class PIKfyve inhibitor, which recently completed a Phase 2a clinical trial in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); LAM-001, a proprietary inhaled form of rapamycin, currently in Phase 2 for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); and AIT-102, a proprietary analogue of mithramycin, in preclinical development for the treatment of SWI/SNF mutated or dysregulated tumors. To learn more, please visit: OrphAI-Therapeutics.com

Expanded Board Will Help Strengthen and Grow BioCT and Connecticut’s Life Sciences Ecosystem NEW HAVEN, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BioCT, the trade organization for the life sciences industry for the State of Connecticut, today announced the addition of four distinguished executives to its Board of Directors. The organization has elected Jean-Michel Boers, US Country Managing Director, President and CEO, Boehringer Ingelheim USA; Kat Kayser-Bricker, Chief Scientific Officer, Halda Therapeutics; Paul Fonteyne, Executive in Residence, Canaan; and Seng H. Cheng, Senior Vice President, Research and Product Development, Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease. “Jean-Michel, Kat, Paul and Seng are deeply committed to partnering with BioCT to grow and strengthen the organization, and the Connecticut life sciences ecosystem,” said Jodie Gillon, President and CEO of BioCT. “Their experience and diverse backgrounds will strengthen the impact of BioCT. I’m thrilled to welcome them to our Board.” BioCT Board co-chairs David Scheer, President of Scheer and Company, and Stan Choy, bioscience entrepreneur, also welcomed the new members. "The addition of Jean-Michel, Kat, Paul, and Seng reinforces our commitment to assembling a dynamic and experienced Board. We look forward to their valuable contributions as BioCT continues to propel Connecticut's life science sector forward.” About BioCT’s Newest Board Members: Jean-Michel Boers, MBA: Appointed US Country Managing Director, President, and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim USA in 2020, Mr. Boers brings an extensive background in international leadership roles. His success in steering the growth and development of the US Human Pharmaceutical business showcases his strategic acumen. Mr. Boers has an impressive track record of driving innovation, achieving business milestones, and building and leading highly successful teams. Mr. Boers' diverse experience, including roles in Europe and the US, adds a global perspective to the board. Kat Kayser-Bricker, PhD.: Dr. Kayser-Bricker, Chief Scientific Officer, Halda Therapeutics and director at Modifi Bio, brings leadership in drug discovery and operational roles within life sciences. Leading Halda since 2019, she pioneered the development of RIPTAC™ Therapeutics, securing significant Series B financing. With a successful track record at FORMA Therapeutics, where she played a key role in several partnerships and products, Dr. Kayser-Bricker is recognized for building and leading teams through innovative small molecule drug discovery in oncology. Her strategic vision and expertise in securing financing will greatly contribute to the board. Paul Fonteyne, MBA: Mr. Fonteyne, retired US Chairman and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim USA, and now Executive in Residence at Canaan, brings over 30 years of pharmaceutical industry expertise. With a proven track record of leadership, Mr. Fonteyne played a pivotal role in the growth of Boehringer Ingelheim USA, focusing on Animal Health and Human Pharmaceuticals. He is committed to company creation in CT, and is personally involved in two Yale spinouts. His extensive board service and executive roles at companies like Merck, Abbott Laboratories, and current board positions at Amylyx, Apellis, Apnimed, and Ypsomed AG underscores his commitment to advancing the healthcare and technology sectors, making him a valuable contributor to BioCT’s board. Seng H. Cheng, PhD: As the Senior Vice President of Research and Product Development at Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, Dr. Cheng has a distinguished career contributing to the development of medicines for rare diseases. With a strong background in biochemistry, Dr. Cheng has held key leadership roles at Pfizer, Sanofi, Genzyme, and now Alexion. Dr. Cheng’s innovative approaches have significantly impacted the industry, resulting in numerous research articles, reviews, and 64 issued US patents in biotechnology, showcasing his remarkable contributions to the field. His expertise in drug discovery, process development, and clinical supply aligns seamlessly with BioCT's mission to holistically advance the life sciences field. Under the leadership of its expanded Board of Directors, BioCT is even better positioned to catalyze the life sciences industry across the State. About BioCT BioCT’s mission is to catalyze and market the growth of Connecticut’s life sciences industry; fostering and promoting the state as nationally recognized for innovation and improving patient lives.

Fundraising Includes Strategic Investment by Bristol Myers Squibb Coupled with Support from Existing Investors EvolveImmune Initiates Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control (CMC) Activities for Lead Multi-Functional T-cell Engager Program, EV-104, Following Presentation of Latest Preclinical Data at SITC 2023 BRANFORD, CT, USA I December 13, 2023 I EvolveImmune Therapeutics, an immuno-oncology company developing first-in-category, multifunctional biotherapeutics to overcome the therapeutic challenges of cancer cell resistance to current immune therapy agents, today provided a corporate and program update related to the advancement of its pipeline of first-in-category precision immuno-oncology agents. The company announced the closing of a $37 million financing round, which was supported by existing investors including Pfizer Ventures, Solasta Ventures, and Takeda Ventures, Inc., along with new strategic investor Bristol Myers Squibb. EvolveImmune intends to use the proceeds from this fundraising to support continued platform and pipeline development including the advancement of its lead multi-functional T-cell engager program, EV-104. To this end, the company also announced the initiation of chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) activities for EV-104 following its recent presentation of preclinical data demonstrating robust anti-tumor efficacy for the program in patient-derived solid tumor models at the 38 th Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). “This new capital raise comes at an exciting time for EvolveImmune,” said Stephen Bloch, M.D., chief executive officer of EvolveImmune. “With our EVOLVE platform, we believe we are at the forefront of unlocking the true potential of immunotherapy for the treatment of solid tumors. Our differentiated CD2 costimulation strategy for T cell engagers together with our recently unveiled pioneering insights on tumor features, which regulate tumor antigen expression and immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment, are laying the groundwork for a new generation of immuno-oncology therapies for solid tumors driven by EVOLVE. This financing, including the investment from Bristol Myers Squibb, offers validation for our work to date on the EVOLVE platform and will enable us to continue to aggressively move our lead programs, including EV-104, through preclinical development and toward first-in-human studies.” The EVOLVE platform uniquely unleashes potent, selective and integrated T cell costimulation, which amplifies and sustains the tumor killing capacity of these T cells. This approach bypasses low tumor immunogenicity, conditionally activates adaptive immunity and reduces T cell dysfunction to address unmet needs for the treatment of solid and hematologic tumors. The platform also takes advantage the company’s understanding of specific tumor cell characteristics to guide tumor antigen prioritization and program differentiation. By pairing its distinctive costimulation strategy with these critical tumor-intrinsic attributes, EvolveImmune is developing an innovative pipeline of first-in-category precision immuno-oncology agents with an enhanced likelihood of clinical success. At the recent SITC 2023 conference, EvolveImmune spotlighted advances to the company’s first-in-class EV-104 program, a novel multi-functional T cell engager with integrated CD2 costimulation which conditionally targets ULBP2. Presented data demonstrated robust single-agent anti-tumor activity for EV-104 in patient-derived tumor models of bladder and lung cancer. Additionally, study results showed promising activity for EV-104 in combination with anti-PD1 therapy in pre-clinical models with patient-derived tumors, providing rationale for combination treatment approaches with checkpoint inhibitors. Importantly, the expression pattern for ULBP2, the target antigen for EV-104, is distinct from that of the solid tumor targets for a number of approved or investigational immunotherapies, suggesting opportunities for meaningful clinical differentiation. About EvolveImmune Therapeutics EvolveImmune Therapeutics, Inc. is an immunotherapy platform company developing first-in-category, multifunctional biotherapeutics designed to overcome cancer-driven immunodeficiency in a range of solid tumors and hematological cancers. First-in-human clinical trials are anticipated in 2024. The company is supported by a syndicate of top-tier life science industry investors including Pfizer Ventures, Solasta Ventures, Takeda Ventures, Inc., Yonjin Ventures and Elm Street Ventures. For more information, please visit: www.evolveimmune.com SOURCE: EvolveImmune Therapeutics