BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TOLREMO therapeutics AG (TOLREMO) today announced the appointment of Jeff Jonker and Mike Sherman to its Board of Directors. Both bring extensive careers in the strategic, financial and corporate development aspects of building leading biotechnology companies. Together, they will contribute to TOLREMO’s further growth and operational execution as the company advances its lead candidate, TT125-802, designed to prevent transcriptional cancer drug resistance, through a Phase 1 first-in-human clinical trial.
"We welcome Jeff and Mike to our Board of Directors as we make steady progress with TT125-802 in the clinic and continue our evolution into a clinical-stage company with expanding operations,” said Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual, PhD, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of TOLREMO. “Jeff's extensive leadership experience and Mike's expertise in financial strategy within the life sciences sector are valuable assets as we continue our mission to overcome transcriptional drug resistance to a broad spectrum of targeted cancer treatments.”
"Joining TOLREMO's board is an opportunity to contribute to a company making significant strides toward surmounting a universal problem for current and future targeted cancer therapies. I am eager to support TOLREMO in its clinical stage as it advances TT125-802 and help shape the company’s corporate strategy to ensure the team’s scientific knowledge is translated into tangible benefits for patients," said Jeff Jonkers, new board member at TOLREMO.
“As a new member of the TOLREMO board, I look forward to applying my experience in guiding companies through critical growth phases to contribute to the company’s strategic financial perspective as we aim to maximize the potential of TT125-802,” said Mike Sherman, new board member at TOLREMO.
Jeff Jonker is an accomplished biotechnology executive with a wealth of experience across various leadership roles in the industry. He has served as the President and CEO as well as a Director of Belharra Therapeutics since 2021, and he is currently a member of the Board of Directors of California Life Sciences. Prior to this, Jeff served as the CEO of Ambys Medicines, President of NGM Pharmaceuticals, and Senior Vice President, Corporate and Business Development at Theravance Biopharma. His other executive roles include CBO of Satori Pharmaceuticals, Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Strategy for Gloucester Pharmaceuticals prior to its acquisition by Celgene, as well as multiple leadership positions in the business development and legal groups at Genentech. Jeff began his career at Wilson Sonsini, representing clients in the life science and high-tech industries. Jeff holds a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, an M.LITT. from the University of St. Andrews, and a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College.
Mike Sherman is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of life science experience and an established track record in biotech leadership. He currently serves as Board Chair at Chimerix, Inc. and as a Board Director at Werewolf Therapeutics. Prior to this, Mike was the CEO of Chimerix, where he led the company's shift from antivirals to oncology, including the FDA approval and sale of TEMBEXA® and the progression of a Phase 3 glioma trial for its lead oncology drug. Before Chimerix, he was the CEO of Endocyte, transforming its market capitalization from $200 million to a $2.1 billion acquisition by Novartis in 2018. This transformation involved pipeline re-prioritization, the acquisition of PLUVICTO®, and the execution of a Phase 3 regulatory and clinical strategy. Mike’s tenure at Endocyte originally began in 2006 as CFO, where he contributed to its IPO and various financings. His earlier career included executive roles at Guidant Corporation, a cardiovascular device manufacturer later acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation. Mike’s previous board experiences include positions at BioSpecifics Technologies, Inc., Mead Johnson Nutrition, and service as the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Mike holds a B.A. in Economics from DePauw University and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, where he graduated as a Tuck Scholar.
About TOLREMO
TOLREMO therapeutics' mission is to prevent non-genetic cancer drug resistance by dismantling the earliest defense to targeted therapies. Led by phenotypic insights, we discovered a pivotal mechanism that governs critical transcriptional resistance pathways. Our clinical compound TT125-802 is an orally available small molecule inhibitor designed to block these survival techniques to significantly improve the response rates and durability of established treatments. By stopping cancer drug resistance as it emerges, we aim to surmount a universal challenge for current and future targeted therapies for lasting patient benefit.
