Distinguished Thought Leaders in Field of Oncology to Support Planned Initiation of First-in-Human Trials of Lead ERAP1 Inhibitor Development Candidate in 2H 2022
Proprietary Neoantigen Generation Technology Platform Represents Potential New Pillar in Oncology Therapeutics
OXFORD, UK – February 15, 2022 – Grey Wolf Therapeutics, a biotechnology company spearheading a new therapeutic approach to immuno-oncology driven by targeted neoantigen generation, today announced the formation of its clinical advisory board featuring distinguished thought leaders in the field of oncology. The combined experience of the inaugural board members spans cutting-edge, early-stage, preclinical and translational cancer research in the development and commercialization of novel cancer therapies, with particular expertise in the rapidly evolving field of immuno-oncology. The newly formed clinical advisory board will provide Grey Wolf Therapeutics with key guidance to support its planned advancement of GRWD5769, the company’s lead ERAP1 inhibitor development candidate, into first-in-human clinical studies in the second half of 2022.
The inaugural board members include:
- Aurelien Marabelle, M.D., Ph.D., visiting professor at Stanford University and clinical director of the cancer immunotherapy program at Gustave Roussy Cancer Center in Paris, and director of the translational research laboratory in immunotherapy at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM).
- Rachel W. Humphrey, M.D., current CEO of an immuno-oncology start-up, former senior vice president and head of immuno-oncology at AstraZeneca, and former vice president, development lead of immuno-oncology at Bristol-Myers Squibb.
“We feel incredibly fortunate to have two of the brightest minds in the immuno-oncology field joining our clinical advisory board as inaugural members. This area of research and development is rapidly maturing, building upon remarkable initial successes to usher in the next generation of therapeutic strategies capable of delivering novel treatments with increased efficacy and tolerability,” said Peter Joyce, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Grey Wolf Therapeutics. “At Grey Wolf, we are on the cusp of entering the clinic with a fundamentally unique approach to immuno-oncology that is not only promising on its own, but that is orthogonal to a broad range of other cancer therapy modalities, including, but not limited to, immunotherapy. We are eager to work closely with these new advisors and leverage their considerable expertise to ensure our lead program is best positioned for success when it enters the clinic later this year.”
“I am thrilled to provide my support and insight to the team at Grey Wolf Therapeutics as they work to advance a truly first-of-its-kind strategy in the area of immuno-oncology. ERAP1 inhibition represents a promising, entirely new approach to oncology drug development. There is a significant unmet need for targeted therapies that induce novel neoantigens and address the disparity in clinical outcomes with current treatment options,” said Dr. Marabelle. “I have been impressed by the data that has emerged from Grey Wolf’s preclinical research to date and look forward to offering my expertise as the company works to prove its therapeutic hypothesis in a clinical setting.”
Aurelien Marabelle, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Marabelle is a physician-scientist with expertise in oncology and immunology presently serving as a visiting professor at Stanford University. His clinical practice is dedicated to early phase clinical trials of cancer immunotherapies within the Drug Development Department (DITEP) of the Gustave Roussy Cancer Center in France. Dr. Marabelle also leads a translational research laboratory within the INSERM unit of Professor Laurence Zitvogel with a focus on mechanisms of action of immune targeted therapies. Additionally, he serves as the director of the Clinical Investigation Center BIOTHERIS dedicated to intratumoral immunotherapies. He is a full professor of clinical immunology at the University of Paris, Saclay. Dr Marabelle was initially trained as a scientist in the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon and King’s College London and as a clinician at the Léon Bérard Cancer Center in Lyon, France where he did his clinical fellowship in pediatric hemato-oncology. He did his post-doctoral research fellowship in the laboratory of Professor Ronald Levy at Stanford University on strategies to overcome the resistance to immune checkpoint targeted therapies.
Rachel W. Humphrey, M.D.
Dr. Humphrey is an accomplished pharmaceutical executive with over 25 years of experience in product development, from pre-investigational new drug (pre-IND) to Phase IV/compound commercialization of small molecules, cytotoxics and biologics in oncology and immuno-oncology. She is currently CEO of an immuno-oncology start-up and has held numerous senior leadership roles in cancer drug development. These include multiple board of director roles, vice president and head of immuno-oncology at Eli Lilly and Company, senior vice president and head of immuno-oncology at AstraZeneca, and vice president, clinical development and immuno-oncology at BMS. Additionally, she has served as chief medical officer at CytomX and Mirati Therapeutics, respectively. Dr. Humphrey’s career is notable for, among other achievements, her overall supervision of the early and late-stage clinical development of ipilimumab (Yervoy®) at BMS and sorafenib (Nexavar®) at Bayer. She received her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University and her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. She conducted her training in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital and began her career as an oncology fellow and staff physician at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD.
Grey Wolf Therapeutics’ first-of-its-kind immuno-oncology approach is centered on dramatically increasing the visibility of tumors to allow for their identification and destruction by the body’s immune system. This is achieved through targeted inhibition of the endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidases (ERAP1 and ERAP2), causing the generation and presentation of novel and potent neoantigens to the surface of tumor cells. The appearance of these neoantigens uncloaks the tumor cells, illuminating them to the immune system and setting in motion powerful, differentiated T cell responses against the tumor. Importantly, this unique approach is orthogonal to a broad range of other cancer therapy modalities, including, but not limited to, immunotherapy. Grey Wolf Therapeutics is developing a portfolio of ERAP inhibitors that it believes represents the first ever application of direct neoantigen generation to the treatment of cancer.
About Grey Wolf Therapeutics
Grey Wolf Therapeutics is a UK-based drug discovery biotechnology company spearheading a new therapeutic approach to immuno-oncology driven by targeted neoantigen generation. The company’s first-of-its-kind immuno-oncology approach is centered on dramatically increasing the visibility of tumors to allow for their identification and destruction by the body’s immune system. Based on this approach, the company is developing a portfolio of first-in-class small molecules that inhibit the endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidases (ERAP1 and ERAP2), which play a key role in the antigen presentation pathway. The company’s lead development candidate, GRWD5769 is a potent and selective ERAP1 inhibitor that is expected to enter the clinic in the second half of 2022. A second program, focused on ERAP2 inhibition, is advancing through the discovery process.
For more information, please visit: www.greywolftherapeutics.com
Contacts:
Grey Wolf Therapeutics
Peter Joyce
Chief Executive Officer
+44 (0) 01865 292 038
Vida Strategic Partners (on behalf of Grey Wolf Therapeutics)
Tim Brons (Media)
415-675-7402