Batu Biologics Release: Vice Chairman Of Immunology At The Scripps Research Institute To Assist With Vallovax Clinical Development

Argyrios Theofilopoulos, MD, Joins Batu’s Scientific Advisory Board

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Batu Biologics, an immuno-oncology company dedicated to the development of its tumor-angiogenesis targeting immune therapy, ValloVax™, announced today the appointment of Argyrios Theofilopoulos, MD of The Scripps Research Institute to its scientific advisory board. In this role, Dr. Theofilopoulos will assist in the development of the ValloVax program with a focus on optimizing the clinical protocol to maximize patient benefit.

“It is a privilege to work alongside such an esteemed professional in the field of immunology”

“It is a privilege to work alongside such an esteemed professional in the field of immunology,” said Samuel C. Wagner, president and CEO of Batu Biologics. ”Adding Dr. Theofilopoulos to our scientific advisory board will not only facilitate the development of Batu’s lead program, but his keen eye will also help us in the identification of novel technologies to add to our pipeline.”

Dr. Theofilopoulos has been working at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California since 1972, where he was trained in immunopathology under the guidance of the Institute’s director and founder, Dr. Frank Dixon. In 1983, he was promoted to professor and eventually chairman of the Department of Immunology and Microbial Science. After seven years of tenure in this position, he currently serves as vice chairman of the same Department.

Dr. Theofilopoulos’ research is focused on defining the molecular and genetic basis of autoimmune diseases. His current work addresses the pathogenic role of nuclei acid-sensing Toll-like receptors and the immunological cross talk between the innate and adaptive immune system implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases as well as cancer. He has published more than 300 articles and edited several textbooks on these and related topics.

“I am pleased to join the scientific advisory board of Batu, and I am looking forward to assisting the company in advancing its efforts in the development of new treatments for cancer,” said Dr. Theofilopoulos “It is clear that reigniting an effective immune response is an integral, contemporary concept in the treatment of cancer, and incorporating advances in this area will be vital to the development of new treatments by Batu. I am eager to provide advice and new ideas, and I look forward to interacting with the other prominent scientists on this board.”

About Batu Biologics

Batu Biologics is an immuno-oncology company developing novel gene and cellular based therapies for the treatment of cancer. The Company has filed an IND application for its lead therapeutic, ValloVax™, a multivalent therapeutic vaccine for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer targeting several tumor-angiogenesis associated antigens. ValloVax™ has demonstrated strong inhibition of tumor growth in several histologically distinct tumor models, and the company is currently raising funds that will enable the completion of a Phase I clinical study. The company maintains research facilities at JLABS, located in the Torrey Pines-area biotech cluster of San Diego.