Secarna establishes Scientific Advisory Board with leading oncology experts Prof. Dr. Eggermont and Prof. Dr. Zippelius – Biotech Investments

Secarna establishes Scientific Advisory Board with leading oncology experts
Prof. Dr. Eggermont and Prof. Dr. Zippelius

• Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to offer expert guidance and direction for the development of lead compound SECN-15 and the Company’s oncology pipeline
• Prof. Dr. Alexander M.M. Eggermont convened SAB as of July 1, 2024 together with Prof. Dr. Alfred Zippelius, who has been an advisor to Secarna since 2016

Munich/Martinsried, September 4, 2024 – Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG (Secarna), a biopharmaceutical company redefining the discovery and development of best-in-class oligonucleotides therapeutics, announced today the formation of an oncology focused Scientific Advisory Board with the appointment of Prof. Dr. Alexander M. M. Eggermont and Prof. Dr. Alfred Zippelius.

Prof. Eggermont, M.D., Ph.D., is an internationally recognized expert in oncology and cancer drug development. He currently holds roles as Prof Clinical & Translational Immunotherapy at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands and as Board Member of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich of the Technical University Munich and the Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany. He is the Coordinator of Comprehensive Cancer Center Program at Deutsche Krebshilfe. He is the past Scientific Director of the Prinses Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology in the Netherlands and the past Director General of the Institut Gustave Roussy and emeritus Professor of Oncology (Classe Exceptionelle) at Paris-Saclay University, Paris, France. Additionally, Prof. Eggermont has served as President of ECCO and President of the EORTC, he was a member of the Board of Directors of ASCO, served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and is currently Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Cancer.

Prof. Eggermont will be joined by Prof. Alfred Zippelius, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Translational Oncology at the Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, and Co-Head Medical Oncology at the University Hospital Basel. He has been a scientific advisor to Secarna since 2016. Both will form the foundation of a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) with more experts to be added in the near future.

The Scientific Advisory Board will provide scientific guidance and advice working in close collaboration with the Secarna management team, as the Company advances its lead oncology program, SECN-15, and its technology platform. The aim is to develop targeted, disease-specific antisense therapeutics progressing from preclinical to clinical stage development. SECN-15 is a potential first-in-class therapeutic ASO targeting Neuropilin 1 (NRP1), a protein involved in various tumor-promoting functions. Secarna aims to advance SECN-15 to IND-enabling studies and subsequent IND submission.

“We are thrilled to have Prof. Dr. Eggermont and Prof. Dr. Zippelius, both renowned international experts in oncology, joining our SAB”, said Alexander Gebauer, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Secarna Pharmaceuticals. “Based on the encouraging results that our lead candidate, SECN-15, has shown so far, we are excited to advance the compound through further pre-clinical development. As we aim for IND submission as the next milestone in the drug development process, their expertise will be invaluable.”

“It is my pleasure to join Secarna’s Scientific Advisory Board and support their efforts in advancing the development of SECN-15, a first-in-class drug candidate in oncology”, said Alexander Eggermont, M.D., Ph.D. “SECN-15 targets NRP1, a promising protein involved in creating a tumor-promoting microenvironment through various mechanisms.  SECN-15 has shown to induce strong knockdown of NRP1, modulating all functions simultaneously. I am very much looking forward to supporting the exciting development of SECN-15.”

“I am honoured to serve as a member of Secarna’s newly established Scientific Advisory Board after years of service as a scientific advisor. I am convinced that our collaboration will be meaningful in advancing evidence-based decision-making when focusing on the development of novel, targeted cancer therapies, such as SECN-15. Secarna’s commitment to harnessing science and technology for the greater good is commendable,” commented Prof. Dr. Alfred Zippelius, M.D., Ph.D.

“Attracting these accomplished and internationally renowned experts in the (immuno-) oncology field as inaugural members of our Scientific Advisory Board is a validation of our innovative approach to utilize our oligonucleotide technology in the field of novel therapeutic options for conditions with high unmet medical needs, despite currently approved blockbuster PD1/PD-L1 antibody therapies,” adds Alexander Gebauer.

About Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG

Secarna Pharmaceuticals a biopharmaceutical company redefining the discovery and development of best-in-class oligonucleotides therapeutics addressing high unmet medical needs in immuno-oncology and immunology, as well as viral, neurodegenerative and cardiometabolic diseases. Secarna’s mission is to maximize the performance and output of its proprietary antisense oligonucleotide discovery and development platform to generate highly specific, safe, and efficacious best-in-class antisense therapies. With over 20 discovery and development programs, including both proprietary pipeline projects and partnered programs, Secarna focuses on targets in indications where antisense-based approaches have clear potential benefits over other therapeutic modalities. www.secarna.com

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Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG