FREMONT, Calif., April 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Asterias
Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE MKT: AST), a biotechnology company with
three clinical-stage development programs focused on the emerging
field of regenerative medicine, today announced the appointment of
Howard I. Scher M.D., one of the
world's leading oncology experts, to the Company's Board of
Directors.
Dr. Scher, 64, is internationally recognized for his expertise
in clinical oncology. He has extensive experience in the design of
clinical trials for novel anti-cancer agents, including
monoclonal antibodies and other biologic therapies, cytotoxics, and
drugs that target specific signaling pathways. He has been
affiliated for the past 35 years with Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center in New York, where
he is currently Chief of the Genitourinary Oncology Service at the
Sidney Kimmel Center for Urologic and Prostate Cancers and holds
the D. Wayne Calloway Chair in Urologic Oncology. He also serves as
a Professor of Medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical College.
"Howard brings to Asterias more than 30 years of experience in
the development of new drugs and treatment strategies that have
meaningfully improved patient outcomes," said Don Bailey, Chairman of the Asterias Board of
Directors. "We look forward to his valuable insights as a Board
member as we advance our three clinical-stage programs, including
our cancer immunotherapy programs AST-VAC1 and AST-VAC2."
"I have long believed in the opportunity for well-derived
dendritic cells to play an important role in the treatment of
cancer. The Asterias dendritic-cell-based immunotherapies
AST-VAC1 and AST-VAC2 have the potential to provide valuable new
treatment options for patients," said Dr. Scher. "By training
a patient's own immune system to specifically target and kill
malignant cells, we could potentially improve outcomes for patients
across multiple types of cancers. These promising immunotherapies
represent a significant advancement over earlier-generation
dendritic cell vaccine therapies. I look forward to joining the
Asterias team and to help speed the clinical development of these
important cancer therapeutics for the patients who need them so
urgently."
Dr. Scher's clinical research has focused on three key areas:
developing treatments that target specific signaling pathways that
contribute to prostate cancer growth, developing non-invasive
methods to determine whether these agents are working, and
improving the way drugs are evaluated in the clinic. As a
member of the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Working Group, Dr.
Scher led two international efforts to standardize development of
the design, conduct, and analysis of phase 2 clinical trials in
prostate cancer, so clinicians can better evaluate new therapeutics
and assess their effectiveness using novel imaging modalities and
other blood based biomarkers. The recommendations were
incorporated and contributed to the successful development of
ZYTIGA® and XTANDI®. Dr. Scher is the
principal investigator of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Prostate
Cancer SPORE (Specialized Program on Research Excellence) sponsored
by the National Cancer Institute and Principal Investigator of the
Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium, a 13-center research
collaborative headquartered at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Dr. Scher
has published 490 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals and
coauthored the textbook Principles and Practice of Genitourinary
Oncology.
About Asterias Biotherapeutics
Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. is a leading biotechnology
company in the emerging field of regenerative medicine. The
company's proprietary cell therapy programs are based on its
immunotherapy and pluripotent stem cell platform
technologies. Asterias is presently focused on advancing
three clinical-stage programs which have the potential to address
areas of very high unmet medical need in the fields of oncology and
neurology. AST-VAC1 (antigen-presenting autologous dendritic cells)
demonstrated promise in a Phase 2 study in acute myelogenous
leukemia (AML) and completed a successful end-of-Phase 2 meeting
with the FDA in advance of initiating planning for a single pivotal
Phase 3 AML study. AST-VAC2 (antigen-presenting allogeneic
dendritic cells) represents a second generation, allogeneic
immunotherapy. The company's research partner, Cancer Research UK,
plans to begin a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of AST-VAC2 in non-small
cell lung cancer in 2017. AST-OPC1 (oligodendrocyte
progenitor cells) is currently in a Phase 1/2a dose escalation
clinical trial in spinal cord injury. Additional information about
Asterias can be found at www.asteriasbiotherapeutics.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating
results, future growth in research, technology, clinical
development, and potential opportunities for Asterias, along with
other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals,
plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute
forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical
fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words
such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects,"
"estimates" and "potential") should also be considered to be
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks
inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential
products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials, whether we
can obtain regulatory approvals and the timing of such approvals,
whether we can attain certain progress and safety milestones
required under our grant awards, our need and ability to obtain
future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights.
Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated
in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated
together with the many uncertainties that affect the businesses of
Asterias, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements
found in Asterias's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Asterias disclaims any intent or obligation to update
these forward-looking statements.
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SOURCE Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc.