Press Release / BioEclipse
BioEclipse Therapeutics Appoints New Board Member and Names Interim CFO
Jan. 28 2022 | Press Release
BioEclipse
Share
Mahmoud Mahmoudian,Ph.D.,FRSC, Joins BioEclipse
Board; Biopharmaceutical Industry Veteran with Proven Track Record in
R&D,
Venture Investments, and Business Development
StephenGhiglieri, Managing Director atDanforthAdvisors, to Serve as
InterimCFO
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
BioEclipse Therapeutics™ (BioEclipse), a private clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company with a proprietary platform for developing
next-generation cancer immunotherapies, announced
today the appointment of Mahmoud Mahmoudian, Ph.D., FRSC, to the
BioEclipse Board of Directors. Dr. Mahmoudian, an
industry veteran who served as a senior executive at Sumitomo Dainippon
Pharma Oncology (Sumitomo Oncology), brings with
him decades of industry experience spanning venture investing, business
development, and identifying, incubating, and
developing novel therapeutics.
Dr. Mahmoudian joins Catherine Sohn, Pharm. D., Chairman of BioEclipse;
Pamela R. Contag, Ph.D., President and CEO of
BioEclipse; Gregory T. Schiffman; Elona Baum; Oliver Hopkinson; Mark
Frohlich, M.D.; and Biao He, Ph.D., on the Board.
Dr. Mahmoudian most recently served as Senior Vice President and Head of
Global Oncology External Innovation Hub at
Sumitomo Oncology where he led biotechnology investments, venture
creation, company building, and translation of
next-generation scientific innovations into cures for major diseases
that transform patients' lives. During his more
than 30-year career, Dr. Mahmoudian held senior-level positions at
several global biopharmaceutical companies, including
Merck, and GlaxoSmithKline.
In related news, BioEclipse also announced the appointment of industry
veteran Stephen Ghiglieri, Managing Director for
the West Coast Region at Danforth Advisors, as interim Chief Financial
Officer.
“Dr. Mahmoudian and Mr.
Ghiglieri join BioEclipse at a crucial time in the growth of our
company and the advancement of
the clinical program for our novel cancer therapeutic, CRX100,"
stated Dr. Contag.
"Adding an individual of Dr. Mahmoudian's talent and extensive
experience to BioEclipse's Board of Directors is a great
accomplishment as we prepare to enter a new growth phase for our
Company.
Dr. Mahmoudian possesses an exceptional combination of
venture investment acumen and expertise in the identification,
incubation, and development of novel biologics, including vaccines,
cell therapies, and oncolytic viruses. His decades
of experience, which span global pharmaceutical companies and
industry startups, will make him an incredible asset to
our Board."
Dr. Contag continued, "In Stephen Ghiglieri, we have
an industry veteran who has served as CFO of several life sciences
companies where he led public offerings, built partnerships, and raised
capital. On behalf of BioEclipse and its Board
of Directors, I am pleased to welcome Dr. Mahmoudian and Mr. Ghiglieri,
and we look forward to benefiting from their
knowledge and expertise."
The appointments of Dr. Mahmoudian and Mr. Ghiglieri come as BioEclipse
evaluates results from a Phase 1 dose-escalation
trial investigating the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic (PK)
properties of the company's lead drug candidate,
CRX100, in advanced solid tumors that do not respond to standard of
care, including triple-negative breast cancer,
colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, osteosarcoma, epithelial
ovarian cancer, and gastric cancer. Developed with
technology exclusively licensed from Stanford University, CRX100
combines activated immune cells, known as
cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells, with an oncolytic virus. When the
two components were combined in preclinical
animal models, they worked together to attack the cancer.
About Dr. Mahmoud Mahmoudian
Dr. Mahmoudian brings more than 30 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience spanning global drug research and development, venture capital, business development, and creating growth strategies focused on identifying, incubating, and developing novel therapeutics. He was recruited to Sumitomo Oncology in 2018 as Senior Vice President, Head of Global Oncology External Innovation Hub. As Chief Science Scout, he led venture investments and external partnerships with academia to develop new biology, technologies (mRNA vaccines, synthetic lethality, oncolytic viruses, gene editing, RNA therapies, microbiome), and cancer treatments. In this role, Dr. Mahmoudian raised $70 million in capital to build academic and venture hubs and established an oncology research alliance with Columbia University, Wistar Institute, Harvard University, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He led Sumitomo's investment in the MPM Oncology INV Fund ($100 million) as a limited partner and served as a member of the Investor Committee. Previously, Dr. Mahmoudian held senior positions at several biopharmaceutical companies, including Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Merck, and GlaxoSmithKline where he led global drug development teams credited with eight FDA approvals and product launches responsible for $15 billion in sales.
“I am delighted to join the
BioEclipse Board at a dynamic time for the company," stated Dr. Mahmoudian.
"My goal is to
help the BioEclipse Board and management build upon the work that
has been done to bring novel immune therapies to
patients who need them most. Both patients and investors have the
opportunity to benefit from what I believe to be
important therapeutic advancements being developed by BioEclipse in
the treatment of cancer."
About Stephen Ghiglieri
Mr. Ghiglieri currently serves as Managing Director for the West Coast Region at Danforth Advisors. In a career that has spanned almost 30 years, he has served as chief financial officer for several life sciences companies, including Oacis Healthare Systems, Avolent, NeurogesX, Inc., MedData, Galena BioPharma, Inc., and Covalent Health.
“I am excited to step into
the CFO role at BioEclipse and help the company continue executing
its strategic plan, advance
its clinical program for CRX100, and deliver value for patients and
investors," stated Mr.
Ghiglieri.
"I look forward to working with the entire BioEclipse team to
build on the company's momentum and strong business
fundamentals."
About BioEclipse Therapeutics™
BioEclipse Therapeutics™ is an emerging,
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company using a novel platform that
combines
immune cells and an oncolytic virus to expand treatment options for
patients with refractory solid tumors. Our focus is
currently on the treatment of recurring cancers with our unique
multi-mechanistic approach that could address cancers
believed to be untreatable. BioEclipse Therapeutics™ has started a Phase
1 clinical trial with CRX100, a patented, first
in class, intravenously delivered, targeted immunotherapy against solid
tumors. CRX100 is being developed to deliver
potentially curative treatment to patients over a broad range of tumor
types, including some rare pediatric cancers.
For more information, visit www.bioeclipse.com
Contacts:
Johanna Bennett
Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.
jbennett@tiberend.com
Rosalyn Christian
rchristian@tiberend.com
