ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--QUE Oncology, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a novel treatment for breast cancer patients suffering debilitating hot flashes, today announces the appointment of two highly-regarded life science executives to its Board of Directors.
Dr. Julie Cherrington and Elizabeth Cermak have been appointed to the board, each bringing decades of experience from both large pharmaceutical and start-up biotechnology companies, with a particular focus on drug development and commercialisation of oncology and Women’s Health products.
QUE Oncology is developing a novel non-hormonal therapy for breast cancer patients suffering hot flashes and night sweats. Breast cancer survivors are routinely prescribed drugs such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors (known as endocrine therapy) which can reduce or block the action of estrogen, a hormone known to stimulate the growth of breast cancers. However, reducing estrogen in women increases the likelihood and intensity of their hot flashes. Evidence shows that up to 75 percent of women undergoing endocrine treatment suffer hot flashes, with some women facing more than 20 events in one day. QUE is currently carrying out trials across the United States and Australia and will soon launch sites in New Zealand.
“We are delighted to invite two leading healthcare executives to our board. Both Julie and Liz bring a depth of experience covering drug development and healthcare leadership to the QUE Oncology Board. They are an incredibly valuable addition to our Board, and we are certain their expertise will strongly benefit us as a clinical-stage company developing a supportive therapy for breast cancer-related hot flashes,” says QUE Oncology Chief Executive Officer and Board Member Rob Crombie.
Dr. Cherrington says, “Developing new treatment options for patients with cancer has been my professional mission and I am excited to be part of guiding Que Oncology’s plans to address the need to alleviate the debilitating side effects patients with breast cancer currently must endure.”
Ms. Cermak says, “It’s an honour to join one of the most interesting women’s health companies of the moment, and I really looking forward to bringing my experience and expertise to support the success of QUE Oncology.”
Dr. Julie Cherrington
Dr. Cherrington is President and Chief Executive Officer of Arch Oncology, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company. Dr Cherrington is a life science executive with more than 25 years of experience advancing drugs into and through clinical development and to commercialization. She has played a key role in the successful development of several FDA-approved products, including SUTENT™, Palladia™, Vistide™, Viread™, and Hepsera™.
Dr. Cherrington has previously served as President and CEO at Revitope, also an immuno-oncology company, at Zenith Epigenetics, an oncology focused bromodomain inhibitor company, and at Pathway Therapeutics, an oncology and inflammation company. Earlier in her career, she served as Vice President of Preclinical and Clinical Research at SUGEN, a Pharmacia/Pfizer company. Dr. Cherrington began her career at Gilead Sciences, where she held a range of positions of increasing responsibility. Dr. Cherrington currently serves on the Board of Directors at Mirati Therapeutics, a clinical-stage publicly-traded oncology company.
Elizabeth Cermak
Elizabeth (Liz) Cermak brings many years of successful women’s health experience to QUE Oncology. During her 25 years at Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), she led the Women’s Health Pharmaceutical business at Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), marketing and launching new products in hormonal and non-hormonal contraception, hormone replacement therapy, vaginal therapeutics, and interstitial cystitis, among others. She also led the Global Intimate Health Franchise at the Consumer Division of Johnson & Johnson, growing the global presence of products such as K*Y and Monistat. She currently serves on the Board of Clarus Therapeutics, and, previously, was on the Boards of SteadyMed Therapeutics, Inc. (STDY) and Ocean Ridge Charities Association Inc. She also served as CCO for POZEN (POZN), a specialty pharmaceutical company in Chapel Hill.
About QUE Oncology, Inc.
QUE Oncology, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing drugs for large unmet medical needs. The company’s lead drug program, Q-122 is initially focused on the treatment of hot flashes in breast cancer survivors undergoing hormone therapy. Several clinical studies with Q-122 have shown the drug to be safely administered to over 60 patients and healthy volunteers.
QUE Oncology was jointly established by Emory University (Atlanta, GA) and the University of Queensland’s main commercialisation company, UniQuest Pty Limited.
QUE Oncology has now commenced a placebo-controlled Phase 2 study in breast cancer patients, with multiple sites across Australia and the USA with additional sites to commence in New Zealand shortly. Backed by a $21.5M Series A investment round (June 2017) led by Australia’s Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) and Uniseed, the company is well funded to execute on its clinical development programs.
