WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Palleon Pharmaceuticals, a company pioneering the field of glyco-immunology to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases, today announced the appointment of David Feltquate, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Feltquate is an accomplished development leader with significant industry experience in immuno-oncology clinical development, translational medicine, and diagnostic assay advancement.
“We’re delighted to welcome David at such a pivotal moment in Palleon’s growth, as we prepare to file an IND to advance our first therapeutic candidate into the clinic later this year,” said Jim Broderick, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Palleon. “David’s extensive expertise in the development of industry-leading immuno-oncology therapeutics, alongside his training in immunology and oncology, make him a uniquely qualified leader of clinical development for Palleon’s pipeline of promising glyco-immunology therapeutics.”
Prior to joining Palleon, Dr. Feltquate was the Global Head of Hematology Development and Chair of the Precision Medicine Leadership Team at Novartis. Previously, he held numerous leadership positions at BMS including Head of Oncology Early Clinical Development and Development Leader for Ipilimumab/Nivolumab Life Cycle Management. As the Nivolumab Clinical Head, Dr. Feltquate was responsible for the development of the first PD1 inhibitor from proof of concept through initial registrations in non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, and renal cell carcinoma. Dr. Feltquate earned a B.S. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.D./Ph.D. (immunology) from University of Massachusetts Medical School. He completed internal medicine training at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and medical oncology training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
“Our field has only scratched the surface of the promise of immuno-oncology to treat cancers that are untreatable today. Palleon is advancing an incredibly novel approach to unleashing the immune system to fight cancer, and the company’s platforms have additional potential to treat inflammatory diseases,” said Dr. Feltquate. “I’m honored to join this pioneering team in progressing the first glyco-immunology therapeutic candidates through clinical trials, with the goal of delivering new treatment options for patients with serious diseases.”
About Palleon Pharmaceuticals
Palleon Pharmaceuticals is the leading biotechnology company developing drugs that harness glyco-immunology to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases. The company’s proprietary platforms integrate technologies and insights from global scientific leaders in the field to overcome historical scientific hurdles and create novel therapeutics for devastating diseases characterized by immune system dysfunction. Palleon’s lead program in oncology, E-602 (formerly called Sialidase-Fc), is an enzymatic sialoglycan degrader for T cell exhaustion in cancer which is expected to enter clinical testing in 2021. The company has several other drug discovery programs underway in disease areas where glyco-immunology plays a role, including inflammatory diseases such as autoimmunity and fibrosis. Palleon was launched in 2015. The company recently raised a $100 million Series B financing from leading investors Matrix Capital Management, Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company), SR One, Pfizer Ventures, Vertex Ventures HC, Takeda Ventures and AbbVie Ventures. Learn more at www.palleonpharma.com.
