HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK, ‘HOOKIPA’), a company developing
a new class of immunotherapeutics targeting infectious diseases and
cancers based on its proprietary arenavirus platform, today
announced that Christine D. Baker has joined HOOKIPA as Chief
Business Officer (CBO) and Roman Necina, PhD, will join as Chief
Technology Officer (CTO) in November.
Following the start of a Phase 2 Cytomegalovirus
vaccine trial, the IND clearance for its first immuno-oncology
trial in HPV+ cancers, a collaboration agreement with Gilead for
HBV and HIV therapeutics, and the completion of its initial public
offering in April 2019, HOOKIPA is starting the next phase of its
strategic development. To grow its pipeline, to establish new and
expand ongoing partnerships, and to broaden its GMP manufacturing
network capabilities, HOOKIPA is now strengthening its Executive
Team by adding Christine Baker as CBO and Roman Necina as CTO.
Christine has joined HOOKIPA from EpicentRx, an
oncology-focused biopharma, where she was the CBO, and responsible
for developing the company’s partnership strategy. Roman Necina
will join in November from Takeda, where he is a Senior Vice
President for Technical Development and Chief Strategist.
“Attracting highly talented individuals like
Christine and Roman to our Executive Team is a testament to the
quality of work that we are doing at HOOKIPA,” commented Joern
Aldag, CEO of HOOKIPA. “Christine’s exceptional experience in
managing business development strategies and alliance management,
as well as commercial planning, will bring tremendous value to our
strategic growth. Roman’s core expertise in technical operations
and manufacturing will strongly support HOOKIPA’s strategy of
bringing manufacturing in-house. Christine and Roman are great
additions to our Executive Team and I am looking forward to working
with them.”
Christine Baker, MBA, has more than 30 years of
experience with biopharma innovation. Previously, she was Chief
Business Officer at EpicentRx and Vice President at Novartis
Oncology. At Novartis, she was a leader in oncology business
development and M&A, driving diverse deals from early stage
collaborations with start-up companies to multi-billion dollar
asset swaps with large pharma. Christine began her career in
Schering-Plough, where she made notable contributions in Research
Licensing, Strategic Planning and multiple US and Global Commercial
roles, including acting Vice President for Sales and Marketing.
Christine earned her undergraduate Chemistry degree magna cum laude
from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Rutgers University. She is
also an independent director on the Board of TuHURA Biopharma,
Inc., a start-up biotechnology company. At HOOKIPA, Christine will
be responsible for the company’s business development, alliance
management, and commercial planning, and will be based in HOOKIPA’s
New York City office.
Roman Necina, PhD, will join HOOKIPA after 20
years in product development, manufacturing and global operations
in biopharma. He will be based in Vienna and will be responsible
for HOOKIPA’s manufacturing operations including analytical &
process development. Roman currently serves as Senior Vice
President (SVP), Chief Strategist at Takeda and is a member of its
R&D Pharmaceutical Science Leadership Team. Previously, he
served as General Manager of Shire Innovations Austria, and SVP
Process Development & Technical Services where he led the
development and implementation of an Adeno Associated Virus (AAV)
gene therapy-manufacturing platform, as well as all CMC relevant
aspects covering the whole production cycle. Previously, he held
SVP level positions at Baxter, Intercell and Boehringer, leading
plant expansions, establishing global manufacturing networks and
leading change management processes. Roman obtained his PhD from
the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in
Vienna.
About
HOOKIPA HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK) is a
clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of
immunotherapeutics, targeting infectious diseases and cancers based
on its proprietary arenavirus platform that is designed to
reprogram the body’s immune system.
HOOKIPA’s proprietary arenavirus-based
technologies, VaxWave®*, a replication-deficient viral vector, and
TheraT®*, a replication-attenuated viral vector, are designed to
induce robust antigen specific CD8+ T cells and
pathogen-neutralizing antibodies. Both technologies are designed to
allow for repeat administration while maintaining an immune
response. TheraT® has the potential to induce CD8+ T cell response
levels previously not achieved by other published immuno-therapy
approaches. HOOKIPA’s “off-the-shelf” viral vectors target
dendritic cells in vivo to activate the immune system.
HOOKIPA’s VaxWave®-based prophylactic
cytomegalovirus vaccine candidate is currently in a Phase 2
clinical trial in patients awaiting kidney transplantation from
living cytomegalovirus-positive donors. To expand its infectious
disease portfolio, HOOKIPA has entered into a collaboration and
licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to jointly research
and develop functional cures for HIV and Hepatitis B infections.
HOOKIPA is building a proprietary immuno-oncology pipeline by
targeting virally mediated cancer antigens, self-antigens and
next-generation antigens.
TheraT® and VaxWave® are not approved anywhere
globally and their safety and efficacy have not been
established.
Find out more about HOOKIPA online at
www.hookipapharma.com.
*Registered in Europe; Pending in the US.
HOOKIPA Forward Looking
Statements Certain statements set forth in this press
release constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as
amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such
as “believes,” “expects,” “plans,” “potential,” “would” or similar
expressions and the negative of those terms. Such forward-looking
statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could
cause HOOKIPA’s research and clinical development programs, future
results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from
those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such
risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties
inherent in the drug development process, including HOOKIPA’s
programs’ early stage of development, the process of designing and
conducting preclinical and clinical trials, the regulatory approval
processes, the timing of regulatory filings, the challenges
associated with manufacturing drug products, HOOKIPA’s ability to
successfully establish, protect and defend its intellectual
property and other matters that could affect the sufficiency of
existing cash to fund operations and HOOKIPA’s ability to achieve
the milestones under the agreement with Gilead. HOOKIPA undertakes
no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.
For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these
forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the
business of the company in general, see HOOKIPA’s quarterly report
on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 which is available
on the Security and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov
and HOOKIPA’s website at www.hookipapharma.com.
For further information, please contact:
MediaNina Waibel Senior
Director - Communications Nina.Waibel@HookipaPharma.com
InvestorsMatt Beck Executive
Director - Investor
Relations Matthew.Beck@HookipaPharma.com
Media enquiries Sue Charles /
Ashley Tapp Instinctif Partners Hookipa@Instinctif.com +44 (0)20
7457 2020
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