Board/Management Information • Feb 2, 2023
Board/Management Information
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BerGenBio Announces the Establishment of Oncology Scientific Advisory Board
- Distinguished global experts appointed to strengthen bemcentinib development
in STK11m NSCLC -
BERGEN, Norway, February 2, 2023 - BerGenBio ASA (OSE: BGBIO), a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company developing novel, selective AXL kinase inhibitors for
severe unmet medical needs, today announced the formation of a scientific
advisory board consisting of four world-renowned non-small cell lung cancer
(NSCLC) experts from top oncology centers around the globe to enhance the
development of bemcentinib for the treatment of NSCLC patients with STK11
mutations (STK11m).
"We are very proud and honored to have assembled a group of leading
international NSCLC experts to guide us as we investigate bemcentinib in 1st
line NSCLC STK11m in combination with today's standard of care," said Cristina
Oliva, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of BerGenBio. "Their expertise will play an
integral role in our evaluation of bemcentinib and its potential to provide
significant benefits to patients who today face a particularly poor prognosis."
Despite significant advances in immuno-oncology treatments, NSCLC is still one
of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Patients harboring
STK11m, which represent approximately ~20% of non-squamous NSCLC cases, almost
universally demonstrate high levels of AXL activation and show lower response
rates to current standard of care therapy of anti-PD-1/L1 combined with
chemotherapy. BerGenBio's lead compound, bemcentinib, is designed to selectively
inhibit AXL, which may potentially sensitize STK11m NSCLC patients to checkpoint
inhibitors and improve the effects of chemotherapy. The Company has initiated a
global Phase 1a/2b trial to assess bemcentinib with standard of care in 1st line
NSCLC patients with STK11m.
Members of the BerGenBio NSCLC Scientific Advisory Board:
Enriqueta Felip, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Enriqueta Felip is the Head of the Thoracic Cancer Unit at Vall d'Hebron
University Hospital, Spain, where she is responsible for thoracic malignancy
management and all lung cancer trials. She is President of the Spanish Society
of Medical Oncology (SEOM) 2021-23, a member of the Spanish Lung Cancer Group
(SLCG) and a Professor of Medicine at the Universitat de Vic. Previously, Dr.
Felip was on the Board of Directors of the International Association for the
Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). She received her M.D. and Ph.D. from Autonomous
University of Barcelona.
John Heymach, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. John Heymach is the Chair of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at the
MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas, and holds the David Bruton Endowed Chair in
Cancer Research. Dr. Heymach is a co-leader of the MD Anderson Lung Cancer Moon
Shot, in addition to serving as a Principal Investigator of lung cancer programs
funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), LUNGevity and American
Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and earning several prestigious awards
for excellence in basic science, translational research and mentoring. He
received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Stanford University.
Tony Mok, M.D., BMSc
Dr. Tony Mok is a Professor and Chairman of the Department of Clinical Oncology
at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Dr. Mok's research was instrumental in
establishing the use of precision medicine in advanced lung cancer. He co
-founded the Lung Cancer Research Group and served as the associate editor for
thoracic oncology for the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Mok is a Fellow of
the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), former President of IASLC and
received the ESMO Lifetime Achievement Award. He received his M.D. and BMSc from
the University of Alberta, Canada.
Solange Peters, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Solange Peters is a Professor and Head of Medical Oncology and Thoracic
Malignancies at the Department of Oncology at Lausanne University, Switzerland,
where she is also building a translational program in collaboration with
molecular oncology laboratories. Dr. Peters was recently the President of the
European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2020-22, and was formerly an IASLC
Board member and co-chair of the Swiss Lung Cancer Research Group. She is
Associate Editor of the Annals of Oncology and Deputy Editor of Lung Cancer. She
received her M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Lausanne.
-End-
Contacts
Martin Olin CEO, BerGenBio ASA
Rune Skeie, CFO, BerGenBio ASA
Investor Relations / Media Relations
Graham Morrell
Media Relations Norway
Jan Lilleby
+47 90 55 16 98
About BerGenBio ASA
BerGenBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing
transformative drugs targeting AXL as a potential cornerstone of therapy for
aggressive diseases, including cancer and severe respiratory infections. The
Company is focused on its proprietary lead candidate bemcentinib a potentially
first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor in development for STK11 mutated NSCLC
and COVID-19.
BerGenBio is based in Bergen, Norway with a subsidiary in Oxford, UK. The
company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: BGBIO). For more
information, visit?www.bergenbio.com
Forward looking statements
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, which as such are not
historical facts, but are based upon various assumptions, many of which are
based, in turn, upon further assumptions. These assumptions are inherently
subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other
important factors. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important
factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations
expressed or implied in this announcement by such forward-looking statements.
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5
-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
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