Ymmunobio Welcomes Dr. Kanda and Dr. Khairnar to Advisory Board

Mitsuro Kanda, MD, PhD, and Vishal Khairnar, PhD, join growing biotech company developing antibodies as therapies against various cancers

RIEHEN, SWITZERLAND, March 2, 2023 ─ Ymmunobio, a preclinical stage biotech company specializing in the development of innovative treatments for cancer patients, announced today that Mitsuro Kanda, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Gastroenterological Surgery at Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, and Vishal Khairnar, PhD, Senior Scientist, Preclinical research at Cytovia Therapeutics, Inc. MA, USA, have joined the Ymmunobio Advisory Board. Dr. Kanda and Dr. Khairnar will contribute scientific guidance and insights to assist Ymmunobio in advancing its preclinical drug development efforts.

“We are honored that Dr. Kanda and Dr. Khairnar have elected to join our advisory board and support our strategy to develop cancer treatments through the application of novel and first-in-class antibodies,” said Ymmunobio CEO Katrin Rupalla, PhD, MBA. “Their deep experience and understanding of preclinical drug development are invaluable and we’re grateful for their participation.”

“Ymmunobio demonstrates a strong foundation in novel therapeutic antibodies,” said Dr. Kanda. “Together, we will work to advance research into neuronal pentraxin receptor (NPTXR) antibodies, which have shown its potential utility as a target for the development of therapeutic antibodies in gastro-intestinal cancers.”

Dr. Kanda, inventor of NPTXR antibodies, has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gastroenterological Surgery at the University of Nagoya School of Medicine in Nagoya, Japan, since 2012. He is an editorial board member of Gastric Cancer, Gastroenterology Research and Practice, Annals of Cancer Research and Therapy, and the Journal of Gastric Cancer. He was awarded the 2009 AACR Annual Meeting Scholar-in-Training Award (ITO-EN). Dr. Kanda completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University. He has identified a variety of novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for solid cancers through translational research using clinical samples. Dr. Kanda received his medical degree from Nagoya University in Japan.

Dr. Khairnar has more than 13 years of research experience in Cellular and Molecular Immunology. “I’m pleased to be able to apply my expertise to support Ymmunobio, especially in the area of CEACAM1 immune agonistic antibodies for the development of precision cancer treatments,” said Dr. Khairnar. “It’s a great research team and I’m looking forward to collaborating to achieve effective cancer therapies.”

Dr. Khairnar found a novel role of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) on the function of B-cells and T-cells upon infection with pathogens. He also proposed and provided proof-of-concept data for the use of anti-human-CEACAM1 antibodies to treat chronic diseases and multiple cancers. As a Senior Scientist at Cytovia Therapeutics, he leads an in vivo group of preclinical researchers to develop and test iPSC derived Natural Killer (NK) cells and bi-specific NK cell engagers for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, multiple myeloma, and other cancers. Dr. Khairnar earned his doctoral degree from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.

Ymmunobio recently signed a transfer ownership agreement with Nagoya University for the license to NPTXR antibodies.

To learn more about Ymmunobio’s activities and research, visit the website or reach out to info@ymmuno.bio.

ABOUT YMMUNOBIO

Ymmunobio is a preclinical stage oncology biotech company focused on the development of innovative treatments for cancer patients through new classes of antibodies. Those treatments present a large market potential and broad applicability in solid tumors. Ymmunobio is making extensive progress in developing antibodies that have an influence on the immune system by reinstating its immune response to cancers or directly inhibiting cancer cell proliferation. Learn more on Ymmunobio’s website and follow on LinkedIn.

Investor Relations: Dr. Katrin Rupalla, info@ymmuno.bio

FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation to Ymmunobio’s CEACAM Antibody for the Treatment of Liver Cancer

Ymmunobio developed CEACAM antibody YB-200 for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

RIEHEN, SWITZERLAND, February 28, 2023 ─ Ymmunobio, a preclinical stage biotech company specializing in the development of innovative treatments for cancer patients, announced today that it has been granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for YB-200, a CEACAM1/5 antibody it is studying for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

“This designation is an important milestone in our development of CEACAM antibodies as anti-cancer treatments,” said Ymmunobio Founder and CEO Katrin Rupalla, PhD. “We’re very pleased to continue our investigation into CEACAM antibodies for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.”

YB-200 belongs to a novel class of CEACAM1 antibodies with a dual action. It acts as a checkpoint inhibitor, but also has a direct immune agonistic effect on immune cells. The antibody is currently in preclinical development. The in vivo anti-tumor data in liver cancer were presented at the SITC 37th Annual Meeting in a poster presentation entitled “Novel, immune agonistic CEACAM1/5 antibody (YB-200) demonstrates anti-tumor efficacy and significantly increases B-cell response in syngeneic liver Hepa1-6 tumor microenvironment.”

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver cancer, occur when a tumor grows on the liver. It is responsible for over 12,000 deaths per year in the United States, making it one of the most serious cancers in adults. HCC is most often diagnosed in people aged 50 and over.

The FDA grants ODD to medicines intended for the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of rare diseases or disorders that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the US.

To learn more about Ymmunobio’s activities and research, visit the website or reach out to info@ymmuno.bio.

*carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules

ABOUT YMMUNOBIO

Ymmunobio AG is a preclinical stage oncology biotech company focused on the development of innovative treatments for cancer patients through new classes of antibodies. Those treatments focus on high unmet need indications in gastro-intestinal cancers. Learn more on Ymmunobio’s website and follow on LinkedIn.

Investor Relations: Dr. Katrin Rupalla, info@ymmuno.bio

Ymmunobio Appoints Dr. Caroline Germa to Board of Directors

Medical oncologist & CMO at Transcenta joins the board of growing biotech company

February 16, 2023 ─ Ymmunobio, a preclinical stage biotech company specializing in the development of innovative treatments for cancer patients, announced today that Caroline Germa, MD, a medical oncologist with more than two decades’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, has joined its board of directors.

“With the addition of Dr. Germa’s expertise, we are uniquely positioned to accelerate our asset development from the preclinical stage,” said Ymmunobio Founder and CEO Katrin Rupalla. “We are honored that Dr. Germa has joined our Board and we look forward to working closely to advance our strategy for our novel and first-in-class antibody research.”

“I’m delighted to be joining Ymmunobio’s board,” said Dr. Germa. “The company’s assets represent a strong foundation of novel therapeutic antibodies, and its researchers have a deep understanding of the mechanisms of disease and the importance of cell-to-cell communication to create a response to cancer cells.”

Dr. Germa’s career spans the spectrum of drug development, from early clinical trials to late-phase and registration. Currently the Chief Medical Officer at Transcenta, a clinical-stage biotech company in both oncology and non oncology, Dr. Germa previously served as vice president and head of the Early Development Clinical Group for AstraZeneca’s oncology department. She has also worked for Bristol Myers Squibb as the Vice President and Development Team Lead for a major partnered oncology program and spent seven years at Novartis, where she led the late-phase clinical development of multiple key oncology assets, including the worldwide registration strategy and approval of Ribociclib (CDK4/6 inhibitor – Kisqali®).

Dr. Germa received her medical and medical oncology degrees from Paris and Lille University, France, as well as Breast Disease and Immunology Master Degrees.

Ymmunobio recently signed a transfer ownership agreement with Nagoya University for the license to NPTXR antibodies, which were invented by Professor Mitsuro Kanda, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nagoya University, Japan. The company has begun developing the lead, fully humanized and first in class NPTXR antibody, YB-800, which has demonstrated anti-tumor activity in vivo and in vitro for solid tumors, including several gastro-intestinal and breast cancers.

To learn more about Ymmunobio’s activities and research, visit the website or reach out to info@ymmuno.bio.