Distinguished Breast Cancer Expert, Dr. George W. Sledge, Jr., M.D., to join the Board of Tessa Therapeutics

• Dr. George W. Sledge, Jr., M.D., is Professor and Chief of Medical Oncology at the Stanford University Medical Center
• Dr. Sledge brings decades of experience and leadership in cancer research and drug development to Tessa

SINGAPORE, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tessa Therapeutics, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on autologous and off-the-shelf, allogeneic therapies for cancer patients, today announced that Dr. George W. Sledge, Jr., M.D., Professor and Chief of Medical Oncology at Stanford University Medical Center, will join Tessa's Board of Directors as an independent director, effective 2 January 2019.

This appointment marks another significant step to strengthen Tessa's industry expertise, as the company builds and advances its portfolio of therapies to treat more cancer patients worldwide.

"I would like to warmly welcome Dr. Sledge to the Tessa team," said Tessa Therapeutics co-founder and CEO, Mr. Andrew Khoo. "He brings with him a wealth of experience, having spent over two decades developing novel biologic treatments for breast cancer as well as directing a Phase III study on the use of paclitaxel to treat advanced breast cancer. His leadership in cancer research and within the oncology community will be invaluable in supporting the Board of Directors and management team. Tessa is truly privileged to be able to add this outstanding leader to our Company."

Commenting on his new role, Dr. Sledge said, "I am extremely excited to join Tessa's Board of Directors. Cellular immunotherapy has demonstrated remarkable results and I am looking forward to working with the entire team at Tessa to further accelerate the development of this field. Tessa's bourgeoning pipeline of ground-breaking immunotherapies and the team's passion and commitment to help improve the lives of cancer patients globally are truly impressive. I am eager to work alongside my fellow directors and the management to support the Company in developing more innovative and effective cancer treatment options for patients in need."

Dr. Sledge serves as co-chair of the Susan G. Komen Foundation Scientific Advisory Board and is a past President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). He was also former Chair of the Breast Committee of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) where he oversaw the development of several nationwide Phase III clinical trials, a member of the FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee and a member of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Clinical Trials Advisory Committee.

Dr. Sledge was awarded the Susan G. Komen San Francisco Bay Area Visionary Award in 2018, in recognition of the important advancements he has made in medical research focused on breast cancer. He was also a recipient of the Hope Funds for Cancer Research 2013 Award of 'Excellence for Medicine', the 2010 William L. McGuire Award from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's 2007 Jill Rose Award.

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About Tessa Therapeutics

Tessa Therapeutics is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on the development of autologous and off-the-shelf, allogeneic therapies for cancer patients.

Tessa's Virus-Specific T cell (VST) platform harnesses the body's potent anti-viral immune response and has shown compelling results in the treatment of solid tumors.

Tessa is building a portfolio of innovative, next-generation therapies by combining the qualities of VSTs with other immuno-oncology technologies. This includes a rapidly growing pipeline of clinical and pre-clinical autologous programs that target a wide range of viral and non-viral cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), cervical cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, liver cancer and lung cancer. In addition, Tessa is leveraging its platform to develop an allogeneic therapy to address Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated lymphoproliferative diseases.

Tessa has built up robust operational and supply chain capabilities to successfully deliver T cell therapy treatments to a large patient pool worldwide. Together with the Company's academic, clinical, and commercial research partners, Tessa has created a fully-integrated approach to the treatment of cancer with immunotherapy. For more information on Tessa, please visit www.tessatherapeutics.com.

SOURCE Tessa Therapeutics