WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Sept. 17, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viventia Bio Inc., a late clinical-stage company advancing a broad pipeline of novel anti-cancer agents, today announced that Arthur P. DeCillis, M.D., has been appointed to the position of Chief Medical Officer. Dr. DeCillis will lead the advancement of Viventia’s product pipeline as the Company prepares to commence late stage trials of its two lead candidates, Vicinium™ and Proxinium™, which are being developed for the treatment of patients with high-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and late-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), respectively. Viventia also is progressing an earlier-stage pipeline of de-immunized, systemic anti-cancer Targeted Protein Therapeutic (TPT) candidates. Dr. DeCillis will report to Viventia’s Chief Executive Officer Stephen Hurly.
“Art brings more than two decades of experience in running oncology clinical trial programs focused on innovative drug candidates with the potential to have a profound impact on patient care,” stated Mr. Hurly. “We are thrilled to welcome him to the leadership team and believe his contributions will play an integral role in the success of Viventia and the progress of our advanced-stage pipeline.”
Dr. DeCillis joins Viventia from Exelixis, Inc., where he was Vice President Clinical Research and then Vice President of Medical Affairs. Prior to this, he was Senior and then Executive Director of Phase II/III Oncology Development at Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp. Previously, Dr. DeCillis held positions of increasing responsibility in Oncology Global Clinical Research at Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., attaining the position of Group Director. Prior to his career in the biopharmaceutical industry, Dr. DeCillis was a member of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), a National Cancer Institute Clinical Cooperative Group at the University of Pittsburgh. He received a BA degree from Lehigh University, MD degree from the University Of Rochester School Of Medicine, and MS degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. DeCillis is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the National Board of Medical Examiners, and has served as a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Working Group on Economic Analysis in Phase III Clinical Trials and the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria Review Committee.
Dr. DeCillis commented, “Viventia’s technology of targeted proteins holds great promise to develop new therapies that will improve patients’ lives. I am excited to join the Company and look forward to driving these product candidates forward in clinical development.”
About Viventia Bio
Viventia Bio is a late clinical-stage company advancing a broad pipeline of novel anti-cancer agents based on the Company’s Targeted Protein Therapeutics (TPTs) platform. The Company’s TPTs genetically combine antibody-based fragments with protein toxin payloads to create a single protein molecule through the Company’s proprietary one-step manufacturing process. The Company believes its TPTs can potentially offer significant advantages in treating cancer versus existing antibody drug conjugates, including in tumor targeting and cancer cell-killing properties through the utilization of protein payloads versus small molecules and the ability to trigger an anti-tumor immune response, as well as enhanced linker stability and more efficient manufacturing.
CONTACT: Justin Jackson, Burns McClellan, on behalf of Viventia Bio 212-213-0006, ext.327 jjackson@burnsmc.com Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.
