LYON, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:
ERYTECH Pharma (Paris:ERYP) (ADR:EYRYY) (Euronext Paris: ERYP), the French biopharmaceutical company developing ‘tumor starvation’ treatments for acute leukemia and other oncology indications with unmet medical needs, today announced the appointments of Dr. Alexander Scheer, Ph.D. as the company’s Chief Scientific Officer and Jean-Sébastien Cleiftie, as Chief Business Officer.
“We are delighted to welcome Alexander and Jean-Sébastien to the Erytech leadership team as they both bring invaluable experience from cross-functional areas of the life science industry,” commented Gil Beyen, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of ERYTECH Pharma. “Alexander brings a wealth of knowledge in leading global R&D and drug discovery across multiple disciplines and several therapeutic areas, while Jean-Sébastien’s deep expertise in biopharmaceutical business development and financial valuation will be instrumental to Erytech as we continue to diversify our programs and address unmet medical needs of patients.”
Dr. Scheer said, “Erytech’s ERYCAPS technology represents a novel approach to anti-cancer tumor starvation treatment. The company has demonstrated exceptional progress in preclinical and clinical development of multiple pipeline programs and I look forward to leading the development of these promising therapies.”
Mr. Cleiftie added, “I believe Erytech is very well positioned to be a successful biopharmaceutical company. I am eager to direct the strategic initiatives necessary for continued growth of the company and its operations as it enters the next phase of development.”
Dr. Scheer has over 15 years of experience in R&D and the life science industry. Prior to joining ERYTECH, he served as the Head of Research at Pierre Fabre in France, focused primarily on oncology and central nervous system research, and also served as a Deputy Head of Research at Pierre Fabre. Prior to joining Pierre Fabre, Dr. Scheer served as a Director, Global Research Informatics & Knowledge Management R&D and Project Leader, Neglected Diseases at Merck Serono in Switzerland where, among other responsibilities, he led Merck’s program to develop drugs for neglected diseases in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). He also served as Head of Molecular Screening and Cellular Pharmacology Department, Group Leader of Biochemical Pharmacology and Research Scientist at Serono. Dr. Scheer holds a B.Sc in Natural Sciences and M.Sc. in Chemistry, both from the University of Gottingen, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the German Cancer Research Center.
Mr. Cleiftie brings 15 years of experience in drug development, life science venture capital, and business development and licensing within the U.S. and European biopharmaceutical ecosystem. Prior to joining ERYTECH, he served as Associate Vice-President, Global Business Development & Licensing at Sanofi in Paris, France, where he led licensing transactions across multiple therapeutic areas, financial valuation activities, and other strategic projects. Prior to joining Sanofi, Mr. Cleiftie was a Principal at Innoven Partners, a venture capital firm active as lead investor in healthcare and IT in Europe and the U.S. He was responsible for healthcare investment opportunity assessment, transaction execution, and active portfolio management, and led equity investments in a number of biotech and medtech companies which achieved successful exits. He started his career in drug development in the U.S. as a research scientist with Aventis (now Sanofi) in the fields of immunotherapy and gene therapy for cancer. Mr. Cleiftie earned a M.S. in Biological & Medical Sciences and a M.S. in Immunology from the University of Paris V, and received his M.B.A from Cornell University.
About ERYTECH and eryaspase (eryasp/GRASPA®): www.erytech.com
Founded in Lyon, France in 2004, ERYTECH is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for rare forms of cancer and orphan diseases. Leveraging its proprietary ERYCAPS platform, which uses a novel technology to encapsulate therapeutic drug substances inside red blood cells, ERYTECH has developed a pipeline of product candidates targeting markets with high unmet medical needs. ERYTECH’s initial focus is on the treatment of blood cancers, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), by depriving tumors of nutrients necessary for their survival. ERYTECH has recently filed for European Marketing Authorization for its lead product candidate, eryaspase, also known as ERY-ASP or under the trade name GRASPA®, following positive efficacy and safety results from its completed Phase 2/3 pivotal clinical trial in Europe in children and adults with relapsed or refractory ALL. ERYTECH also has an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of eryaspase in the United States in adults with newly diagnosed ALL, and a Phase 2b clinical trial in Europe in elderly patients with newly diagnosed AML, each in combination with chemotherapy. ERYTECH believes that eryaspase also has the potential as a treatment approach in solid tumors and is conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial in Europe in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Eryaspase consists of an enzyme, L-asparaginase, encapsulated inside donor-derived red blood cells. L-asparaginase depletes asparagine, a naturally occurring amino acid essential for the survival and proliferation of cancer cells, from circulating blood plasma. ERYTECH produces eryaspase at its own GMP-approved and operational manufacturing site in Lyon (France), and at a site for clinical production in Philadelphia (USA). ERYTECH has entered into licensing and distribution partnership agreements for eryaspase for ALL and AML in Europe with Orphan Europe (Recordati Group), and for ALL in Israel with TEVA, which will market the product under the GRASPA® brand name. The EMA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have granted orphan drug designations for eryaspase for the treatment of ALL, AML and pancreatic cancer.
In addition to eryaspase, ERYTECH is developing two other product candidates that focus on using encapsulated enzymes to induce tumor starvation. The company is also exploring the use of its ERYCAPS platform for developing cancer immunotherapies and enzyme replacement therapies.
ERYTECH is listed on Euronext regulated market in Paris (ISIN code: FR0011471135, ticker: ERYP) and is part of the CAC Healthcare, CAC Pharma & Bio, CAC Mid & Small, CAC All Tradable, EnterNext PEA-PME 150 and Next Biotech indexes. ERYTECH is also listed in the U.S. under an ADR level 1 program (OTC, ticker EYRYY).
Forward-looking information
This document may contain forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the financial position, results of operations, business strategy, plans, objectives and anticipated future performance of ERYTECH and of the market in which it operates. Certain of these statements, forecasts and estimates can be recognized by the use of words such as, without limitation, “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “seeks”, “estimates”, “may”, “will” and “continue” and similar expressions. They include all matters that are not historical facts. Such statements, forecasts and estimates are based on various assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable when made but may or may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict and may depend upon factors that are beyond ERYTECH's control. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline product candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. Therefore, actual results may turn out to be materially different from the anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements, forecasts and estimates. Documents filed by ERYTECH Pharma with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (www.amf-france.org), also available on ERYTECH’s website (www.erytech.com) describe such risks and uncertainties. Given these uncertainties, no representations are made as to the accuracy or fairness of such forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates only speak as of the date of the publication of this document. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. ERYTECH disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statement, forecast or estimates to reflect any change in ERYTECH’s expectations with regard thereto, or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement, forecast or estimate is based, except to the extent required by law.
