Ermium Therapeutics Announces the Formation of a Scientific Advisory Board

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ermium Therapeutics, a discovery-stage biotechnology company developing innovative therapies for auto-immune diseases, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus and other interferonopathies, using immunomodulators targeting CXCR4, a well-known G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), is announcing today the establishment of a scientific advisory board (SAB) comprising international leaders in GPCRs pharmacology, immunology, drug discovery and development for auto-immune diseases. The newly formed SAB, chaired by Dr Piet Wigerinck, will work cohesively with Ermium’s management team to advance the company’s CXCR4-targeted immunomodulators towards preclinical and early clinical development.

Joël Crouzet, PhD, CEO said: “The establishment of a SAB marks a significant step for Ermium Therapeutics. Each member will be invaluable as we make progresses on our lead program”.

Annegret Van der Aa, PhD, CSO and CDO said: “I am delighted to welcome each member of our newly formed SAB. They are bringing deep internationally recognized expertise on both the pharmacology of our target, as well as in immunology, and the discovery & development of innovative therapies for auto-immune diseases. We look forward to partnering with them to drive our program forward”.

Piet Wigerinck, PhD, said: “I am proud and delighted to join my colleagues on Ermium Therapeutics SAB and look forward to supporting the company in the role of Chairman of the SAB as it aims to bring their CXCR4-targeted immunomodulators to patients with auto-immune diseases, where there is still a high need for improved therapies.”

The members of the Scientific Advisory Board are as follows:

Piet Wigerinck, PhD, is the former CSO of Galapagos. Under his leadership, Galapagos has developed a large pipeline of novel mechanism of action drugs for auto-immune diseases; Jyseleca was approved for rheumatoid arthritis in 2020 in the EU and Japan. He has supervised multiple successful proofs-of-concept patient studies, including filgotinib and ziritaxestat. Prior to his tenure at Galapagos, he was Vice President, Drug Discovery, Early Development and CM&C at Tibotec-Virco Comm. VA (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson). Under his leadership at Tibotec, Prezista™, Olysio™, and Rekambys™ were selected, moved forward into clinical trials and were later approved. Piet Wigerinck has over 30 years of R&D experience in the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology. He is an independent board member of various Biotech and Pharma including the French pharma company Ipsen SA.

Jean-Philippe Herbeuval, PhD, Director of Research 1^st class at the CNRS, and scientific founder of Ermium Therapeutics, is currently directing the multidisciplinary Chemistry & Biology, Modeling & Immunology for Therapy (CBMIT) team within the CNRS and the Université de Paris. He has specialized for more than 20 years in modulation of type I IFN and inflammation in different models including oncology, HIV infection and autoimmune diseases. His research achievements have been awarded in France and also internationally in the US by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he studied IFN and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. He has a long track record in international collaboration with NIH, Harvard Medical School, Francis Crick Institute, Ulm University and is scientific expert for international institutions: NIH (USA), Medical Research Council (UK), Research Grants Council (Hong-Kong).

Martine Smit, PhD, Professor of Target and Systems Biochemistry at the Faculty of Science of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The research of Prof. Smit focuses on elucidating and targeting (oncogenic) signaling networks activated by human and viral chemokine receptors. GPCR concepts, like constitutive/endosomal signaling, dimerization and EV biology are addressed using GPCR-targeting nanobodies. Martine Smit has initiated numerous national and international research programs, is involved in various projects with the pharmaceutical industry and is the recipient of prestigious personal grants.

Graeme Milligan, PhD, is Gardiner Professor of Biochemistry, and Deputy Head of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences at the University of Glasgow. His research group focuses on the function, pharmacology, and regulation of GPCRs and their interacting proteins. His experience also includes translating knowledge generated into selection of targets, screening, and identification of small molecule regulators of these proteins and progressing such ligands in drug development programs. Prof. Milligan is the co-founder of both Caldan Therapeutics and of Keltic Pharma Therapeutics.

Michel Bouvier, PhD, is Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at the University of Montréal. His research focuses on deciphering the molecular mechanisms that regulate GPCRs. Many of his groundbreaking findings have over the years led to significant paradigm shifts in the field and paved the way for alternative strategies to develop novel and safer drugs targeting GPCRs. His contributions to the field of Molecular Pharmacology were recognized by the attribution of many awards.

About Ermium Therapeutics
Ermium Therapeutics, a Paris-based company, was founded in June 2019 by Jean-Philippe Herbeuval, Kurma Partners, Domain Therapeutics and the SATT Erganeo. It is a discovery-stage biotechnology company developing innovative therapies for auto-immune diseases using CXCR4-specific immunomodulators. The selected therapeutic indications are systemic lupus erythematosus and other interferonopathies including Sjögren’s syndrome, dermatomyositis and monogenic interferonopathies. The company has raised € 6.3 million mid-2019, excluding non-dilutive funding and soft loans and signed a worldwide exclusive license agreement on intellectual property from CNRS and University of Paris through an agreement with Erganeo. In addition, Ermium Therapeutics won the innovation i-Lab 2019 award from the French Ministry of Research and Higher Education.

For more information, go to: www.ermium.com

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