BOSTON and STOCKHOLM, Jan. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aprea Therapeutics, a privately held, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel anticancer therapies targeting the tumor suppressor protein p53, today announced the appointment of Phillip Gallacher as Vice President of Global Clinical Operations. Prior to joining Aprea Therapeutics, he worked at Biogen for over 10 years and held roles of increasing responsibility, including Director of Global Clinical Operations and Director of Program Leadership, contributing to Biogen’s portfolio-level strategy and pipeline asset development from late research through Phase III clinical studies.
“We are thrilled to have Phill join the Aprea Therapeutics team,” said Christian S. Schade, President and CEO. “Phill brings the necessary skills and experience to manage our Phase 2 ovarian cancer study and expanding portfolio of Phase 1b clinical studies in different tumor types. By the second half of this year we expect to have at least 5 active clinical studies involving APR-246.”
About Aprea Therapeutics AB
Aprea Therapeutics AB is a Boston, Massachusetts- and Stockholm, Sweden-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel anticancer compounds reactivating the tumor suppressor protein, p53. The Company’s lead program, APR-246, a first-in-class small molecule drug candidate, is in Phase II clinical development in ovarian cancer patients, and additional clinical studies with APR-246 in other cancer indications are planned. In March 2016, Aprea completed a EUR 46 million Series B financing with an international syndicate co-led by Versant Ventures and 5AM Ventures, with additional participation by Sectoral Asset Management, HealthCap, acting as local lead investor, and existing investor, Karolinska Development. For more information, please visit www.apreatherapeutics.com.
About p53 and APR-246
The p53 tumor suppressor gene is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer, occurring in approximately 50% of all human tumors. These mutations are often associated with resistance to anticancer drugs and poor overall survival, representing a major unmet medical need in the treatment of cancer.
APR-246 has been shown to reactivate mutant p53 protein by reconverting mutant p53 into wild-type p53 conformation and function and thereby induce programmed cell death in human cancer cells. APR- 246 has demonstrated compelling pre-clinical antitumor activity in a wide variety of solid and hematological (blood) tumors, including ovarian cancer, small cell lung cancer, esophageal cancer and AML (acute myeloid leukemia), among others. Additionally, strong synergy has been seen with both traditional anticancer agents, such as chemotherapy, as well as newer mechanism-based anticancer drugs and immuno-oncology checkpoint inhibitors. In addition to pre-clinical testing, Phase I clinical studies with APR-246 have been completed, demonstrating a favorable safety profile and both biological and clinical responses in hematological malignancies and solid tumors with mutations in the p53 gene. The Company has commenced a Phase II study on ovarian cancer and is expecting to initiate additional clinical studies of APR-246 in other cancer indications.
Corporate Contacts:
Christian S. Schade
President and Chief Executive Officer
chris.schade@aprea.com
Gregory A. Korbel, Ph.D.
Vice President of Business Development
greg.korbel@aprea.com
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SOURCE Aprea Therapeutics AB
