Alpha Tau Medical Appoints Professor Yona Keisari as Chief Scientific Officer

TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The cancer biotech company Alpha Tau Medical, announced today the appointment of Prof. Yona Keisari as Chief Scientific Officer. As a leader in the field of anti-tumoral immune biology, and as a co-inventor of the Alpha DaRT, Prof. Keisari will lead the company's research activities towards the goal of curing cancer.

Prof. Keisari's primary research focus has been on activating the systemic anti-tumoral immune response via the destruction of solid tumors. His basic and translational studies proved that the alpha-radiation cancer therapy, Alpha DaRT, is highly effective in enhancing specific anti-tumor immune response, resulting in tumor abolition, reduction in metastases, and prolonging survival of animals.

"It is my honor to assume the duty of Chief Scientific Officer of ATM," said Prof. Keisari, "our alpha radiation-based brachytherapy already proved its potential to cure human local tumor lesions, and I see it as my mission to take this treatment modality to a higher level of effectiveness and provide a comprehensive solution for metastatic disease by combining it with immunotherapy."

"Prof. Keisari, as an expert in the field, has always argued that the greatest potential of the Alpha DaRT is its ability to strongly activate the immune system, and by that to cure even aggressive metastatic tumors, Prof. Keisari's new position will allow him, with God's help, to fulfill this vision in his lifetime," said Uzi Sofer, CEO of Alpha Tau Medical.

Prof. Keisari has been a member of the Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, at the Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University (TAU) in Israel, since 1979. In 2016, he co-founded Alpha Tau Medical along with TAU Physics Professor Itzhak Kelson, and the company's CEO Uzi Sofer. Since then, he has served as Chief Biomedical Officer, involved in promoting the company's clinical activities and responsible for preclinical research activities.

Prof. Keisari co-authored 90 peer-reviewed scientific papers and is an editorial board member of 5 journals. He was a founder and past president of the Israeli Society for Cancer Research as well as a member of the executive committee of the European Association for Cancer Research. He now serves as the treasurer of the International Cancer Microenvironment Society.

Alpha DaRT (Diffusing alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy) delivers high-precision alpha radiation that is released when radioactive substances decay inside the tumor. The short-range alpha particles effectively kill the cancer cells while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue.

Alpha Tau Medical is currently running clinical trials globally in metastatic breast cancer as well as skin and head and neck cancer. The company's first clinical study was recently completed in patients suffering from squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, head and neck. Most of the study patients had been previously treated by either surgery or radiotherapy. The results showed a complete response rate of more than 70%, as well as exceptional statistics on long-term follow-up.

Clinical collaborations with dozens of leading cancer centers worldwide are in process for the investigation of additional indications, including pancreatic, breast, prostate, gynecological, skin, and head and neck cancers. Collaborating centers include Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, USA, Montreal University Hospital Center, Canada, IRST Meldola, Italy, Tokyo Medical and Dental University and the National Cancer Center, Japan.

About Alpha Tau Medical

Founded in 2016, Alpha Tau Medical Ltd. is an Israeli biotech company that focuses on R&D and commercialization of the first alpha-radiation based cancer treatment for solid tumors, Alpha DaRT. For more information, please visit www.alphatau.com.

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

SOURCE Alpha Tau Medical