Scopus BioPharma’s Subsidiary — Duet Therapeutics — Announces Appointments of John Rossi, Ph.D. and Nagy Habib, Ch.M., F.R.C.S. to the Scientific Advisory Board
September 14 2021 - 9:00AM
Scopus BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq:
“SCPS”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
developing transformational therapeutics for serious diseases with
significant unmet medical need, today announced the appointments of
John Rossi, Ph.D. and Nagy Habib, Ch.M., F.R.C.S. to the Scientific
Advisory Board of Duet Therapeutics. Duet Therapeutics is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Scopus.
Dr. Rossi is widely regarded as a world leader
in the development of RNA interference. Dr. Rossi is the Lidow
Family Research Endowed Chair and Professor and Chair of the
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Beckman
Research Institute of the City of Hope National Medical Center. He
also serves as the Dean Emeritus of Irell and Manella Graduate
School of Biological Sciences at City of Hope. Dr. Rossi’s research
focuses on enhancing the intracellular efficacy of ribozymes, small
RNAs and siRNAi, and their application to gene therapy for HIV and
cancer.
Dr. Rossi co-founded Olimmune with Marcin
Kortylewski, Ph.D., Duet’s Senior Scientific Advisor and a
Professor in the Department of Immuno-Oncology at City of Hope.
Olimmune was acquired by Scopus in June 2021. Duet was launched in
September 2021 to integrate the management and clinical development
of the immuno-oncology assets of Scopus and Olimmune.
In addition, Dr. Rossi co-founded Dicerna
Pharmaceuticals, MiNA Therapeutics, Apterna Therapeutics, and
Switch Therapeutics. He serves as Chairman of the Dicerna
Scientific Advisory Board. He also serves on the Scientific
Advisory Boards of multiple other companies including:
NanoViricides, American Gene Technologies, and Aum
Pharmaceuticals.
Professor Habib is a leading academic
hepatobiliary surgeon and Head of Surgery at the Hammersmith
Hospital Campus, Imperial College London. His research evolved from
the research in oncogenes to tumor suppressor genes, epigenetic
modification, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, RNA, and saRNA and
RNA aptamers. Professor Habib is the first to trial a
first-in-human and a first-in-class RNA oligonucleotide in patients
with liver cancer, among other accomplishments.
Professor Habib co-founded several biotech
companies, including: EMcision (acquired by Boston Scientific),
OmniCyte, MiNA Therapeutics, Apterna Therapeutics, Medeva (acquired
by Celltech), and Bioenvision (acquired by Genzyme).
In their new roles as members of Duet’s
Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Rossi and Professor Habib will
provide scientific and other guidance on the development of the
three CpG-STAT3 inhibitors constituting the Duet Platform. The Duet
Platform is comprised of three distinctive complementary CpG-STAT3
inhibitors:
• RNA silencing |
CpG-STAT3siRNA |
(“DUET-01”) |
• Antisense |
CpG-STAT3ASO |
(“DUET-02”) |
• DNA-binding inhibitor |
CpG-STAT3decoy |
(“DUET-03”) |
Alan Horsager, Ph.D., President and Chief
Executive Officer of Duet and President — Immuno-Oncology for
Scopus, stated, “We are excited to add Dr. Rossi and Professor
Habib to our Scientific Advisory Board. They bring vast experience
in the discovery and development of RNA therapeutics as company
co-founders and scientific leaders in their respective academic
institutions. Their experience, commitment, and passion for
improving patient outcomes will be highly valuable as we continue
to develop and grow the Duet Platform.”
About Scopus BioPharma
Scopus BioPharma Inc., both directly and through
subsidiaries, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
developing transformational therapeutics for serious diseases with
significant unmet medical need. The company’s lead drug candidate
is a novel, targeted immuno-oncology RNA therapy for the treatment
of multiple cancers. This drug candidate is highly distinctive,
encompassing both RNA therapy and immunotherapy by synthetically
linking siRNA to an oligonucleotide TLR9 agonist, creating the
potential for targeted gene silencing with simultaneous TLR
stimulation and immune activation in the tumor microenvironment.
Additional STAT3-targeting immunotherapy drug candidates include
bifunctional antisense and DNA-binding inhibition therapies. In
addition, the company is developing additional drug candidates that
target the endocannabinoid system, including MRI-1867 for the
treatment systemic sclerosis. The company also seeks to identify
additional compelling technologies for potential acquisition,
in-licensing and/or other similar transactions. Receive updates by
following Scopus BioPharma on Twitter here.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may include forward-looking
statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking
statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such
forward-looking statements are subject to risks (including those
set forth in the company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2020, as amended, filed with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”)) and uncertainties which could cause
actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. The
company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to
release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking
statements contained herein to reflect any change in the company’s
expectations with respect thereto or any change in events,
conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.
Investors should realize that if our underlying assumptions for the
projections contained herein prove inaccurate or that known or
unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could
vary materially from our expectations and projections. Further,
there can be no assurance that the company will identify and/or
consummate any transaction relating to any additional
technologies.
Contacts
Rodd Leeds/David WaldmanCrescendo
Communications, LLCTel: (212) 671-1020Email:
SCPS@crescendo-ir.com
Hugh Burns/Delia Cannan/Nicholas LeasureReevemarkTel: (212)
433-4600Email: scopus@reevemark.com
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