Alpha Tau Medical Announces Appointment of Peter Melnyk as New Board Member

JERUSALEM, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Tau Medical, the developer of breakthrough Alpha DaRT (Diffusing alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy), is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Melnyk to its Board of Directors.

Mr. Melnyk is the CEO of Fortovia Therapeutics, a commercial stage, private equity-owned pharmaceutical company focused on oncology supportive care products. Prior to that, he held leading roles in sales, marketing, and business development in some of the top oncology franchises in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. Recently, he was Chief Commercial Officer at Novocure, a cancer medical device company, where he built a global commercial platform and infrastructure to launch a new modality  of anticancer technology based on the use of electric fields to inhibit tumor growth. He also developed business units in various aspects of commercialization  including market access and reimbursement in the US, Europe, and Japan. These efforts helped launch the company's rapid ramp-up in sales during his 6-year tenure.

"I'm thrilled to welcome Peter Melnyk to the board of Alpha Tau," said Uzi Sofer, CEO and Chairman of Alpha Tau. "Peter bring years of expertise in key areas including commercialization, market access, and global sales of innovative biopharma and medical device technologies in the field of oncology. He understands the intricacies of getting a new oncology product adopted by the world's most sophisticated payers. He is joining us at a very exciting time as we turn our eye toward future commercialization of Alpha DaRT in markets around the world."

Mr. Melnyk commented, "Joining such a creative and dynamic company as Alpha Tau is truly exciting. The development of new technologies to treat cancer is one of the most exciting areas in the medical device industry. The unmet need is great, and I look forward to contributing to the introduction of Alpha DaRT treatment and making a difference in the lives of millions of potential cancer patients worldwide."

Alpha Tau has successfully completed its first-in-human clinical trial of Alpha DaRT with squamous cell carcinoma patients from Italy and Israel. The impressive results from this study, published in the prestigious International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics (known as the "Red Journal") were applauded in this subsequent editorial in the same journal.

Alpha Tau is now conducting clinical trials in multiple clinical indications across the world, including its first US trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, a pancreatic cancer trial at CHUM in Montreal, a trial at three academic institutions in Japan, and at three hospitals in Israel.

About Alpha DaRT™                                                                                                                                

Alpha DaRT™(Diffusing Alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy) enables highly potent and conformal alpha-irradiation of solid tumors. The treatment is delivered by intratumoral insertion of radium-224 impregnated seeds. When the radium decays, its short-lived daughters are released from the seed, and disperse while emitting high-energy alpha particles that destroy the tumor. Since the alpha-emitting atoms diffuse only a short distance, Alpha DaRT mainly affects the tumor, sparing the healthy tissue around it. 

About Alpha Tau Medical, Ltd.

Founded in 2016, Alpha Tau Medical Ltd, is an Israeli medical device company that focuses on research, development, and commercialization of the Alpha DaRT for treatment of solid tumors. The technology was initially developed by Prof. Itzhak Kelson and Prof. Yona Keisari from Tel Aviv University.

Media Package: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4wtkdggbyatxyly/AACobJHTz_OD2dNE3Z0cYKc1a?dl=0

Contact: 
Amnon Gat
Tel: +1 833-455-3278
[email protected]

SOURCE Alpha Tau Medical