Marengo Therapeutics Announces Formation of Scientific Advisory Board to Advance the Company's Development of Novel Therapeutics for Precision Immuno-Oncology
E. John Wherry, Ph.D., and James L. Gulley, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.P, named as Co-Chairs
Joined by Lillian L. Siu, M.D., Howard Kaufman, M.D., and Aurélien Marabelle, M.D., Ph.D.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marengo Therapeutics, Inc., a company pioneering novel immuno-oncology (IO) therapeutics that directly target the Vβ chain of the T cell receptor (TCR) to activate the right T cell subsets to fight cancer, today announced the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Board Co-Chairs E. John Wherry, Ph.D., and James L. Gulley, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.P, are joined by Lillian L. Siu, M.D., Howard Kaufman, M.D., and Aurélien Marabelle, M.D., Ph.D. This experienced team of scientists, clinicians and thought leaders will bring their invaluable expertise to Marengo as the company advances its pipeline assets towards the clinic and expands its Selective T cell Activation Repertoire (STAR) platform.
"It's a pleasure to announce such an exceptional lineup of seasoned IO experts as members of Marengo's Scientific Advisory Board, many of whom I have had the privilege of working closely with over the past two decades," said Zhen Su, M.D., MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Marengo. "I am confident that our complementary expertise and shared conviction in the power of cancer immunotherapy will accelerate our lead asset into the clinic later this year and advance our portfolio of precision IO therapies."
"It is an honor to co-lead Marengo's distinguished SAB with Dr. James Gulley at this key inflection point for the company," said Dr. E. John Wherry. "Marengo's novel TCR-based approach to T cell activation holds great potential to close the treatment gap for people living with cancer who are in need of effective, durable immunotherapies, and may even have future applications beyond cancer."
"We are delighted to be working with such thoughtful immunologists and oncologists, who will support our progress translating the significant potential of our novel immunology platform into valuable medicines for people living with cancer," said Andrew Bayliffe, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Marengo. "Equally exciting is our opportunity to expand beyond oncology with novel therapies that address significant unmet needs for patients."
Marengo's SAB members include:
Co-Chair Dr. E. John Wherry, Chair of the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics in the Perelman School of Medicine, Director of the UPenn Institute for Immunology, and the Barbara and Richard Schiffrin President's Distinguished Professor.
Dr. Wherry has received numerous honors, including the Distinguished Alumni award from the Thomas Jefferson University, the Cancer Research Institute's Frederick W. Alt Award for New Discoveries in Immunology, and the Stanley N. Cohen Biomedical Research Award from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
Co-Chair Dr. James Gulley, who brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the oncology field. Most notably, he currently serves as Co-Director of the newly formed Center for Immuno-Oncology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, which focuses on the development of strategies to optimize immunological approaches for effective solid tumor therapies.
Dr. Gulley has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, most recently including the Hubert H. Humphrey Award for Service to America, the NCI Director's Group Award, and the SITC Collaborator Award. He earned his Ph.D. and M.D. at Loma Linda University. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Emory University, followed by a fellowship in Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Lillian Siu, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Siu brings over 20 years of experience as a senior medical oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, where she directs the Phase I Clinical Trials Program and co-directs the Tumor Immunotherapy Program. Her main research focus is precision oncology and biomarkers, especially circulating tumor DNA and clinical trials methodology.
Dr. Howard Kaufman, M.D., who joins Marengo's SAB with over 25 years of experience in cancer immunotherapy and drug development. His expertise in local tumor immunotherapy and oncolytic viruses successfully led the first oncolytic virus to approval as a cancer treatment. Previously, he served as a Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) President and is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer at Ankyra Therapeutics. In addition, he served as a Clinical Associate at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Aurélien Marabelle, Ph.D., a physician scientist who brings vast early-phase clinical trial expertise in oncology and immunology to Marengo. He is currently Director of the Clinical Investigation Center BIOTHERIS, full professor of Clinical Immunology at the University of Paris Saclay, and leader of a translational research laboratory within the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM).
Marengo Therapeutics, Inc, an ATP company, is pioneering first-in-class therapeutics that activate the right immune response to promote lifelong protection against cancer. With a passionate team of dedicated scientists experienced in immunology and oncology, Marengo's proprietary Selective T Cell Activation Repertoire (STAR) platform leverages an extensive biological understanding of T cell function and receptor signaling to create a world in which everyone's immune system can defeat cancer. To learn more, visit www.marengotx.com.