NYC-Based Quentis Therapeutics is Named a "Fierce 15" Biotech Company of 2018
Mark Murcko, PhD, to Join Quentis Board of Directors
NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Quentis Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing therapies that target endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways, today announced that FierceBiotech has named the company to its "Fierce15" list for 2018, designating Quentis as one of the most promising private emerging biotechnology companies. Quentis also announced the appointment of industry veteran, Mark Murcko, PhD, to its Board of Directors.
"Quentis is thrilled to be recognized by FierceBiotech at this stage in the company's growth and development. The science and understanding of the role of ER stress in disease has advanced significantly, providing a path to develop new therapies with the potential to treat cancer and other diseases in a meaningful way. Our lead program has the potential to overcome suppression and restore normal immune-cell function in the tumor micro-environment leading to increased tumor killing and improved patient outcome," said Michael Aberman, MD, President and CEO of Quentis Therapeutics.
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a structure within cells that is responsible for multiple functions, including serving as a sensor of cellular stress. Many diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases, can cause persistent ER stress, triggering aberrant responses that disrupt normal cellular functions. The company's lead program is a first-in-class IRE1α inhibitor designed to boost anti-tumor immunity in cancer. Quentis plans to advance a pipeline of programs designed to address ER stress in multiple diseases.
Sponsored by FierceBiotech, an internally recognized provider of life science news and analysis, Fierce15 is an annual award bestowed upon 15 privately held-life science companies that embody the word "fierce" – championing innovation and creativity in the face of intense competition. Now in its 16th year, recipients are selected from hundreds of private companies from around the world based on the strength of their technology and science, partnerships, investors and competitive market position.
New Appointment to Board of Directors
Quentis also announced that Dr. Murcko has joined its Board of Directors providing deep experience in drug discovery and development. Dr. Murcko is a Founder, Board member, and served as interim chief scientific officer of Relay Therapeutics. He is a senior lecturer in the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT and has served on scientific advisory boards and corporate boards of directors for a diverse range of organizations. Prior to co-founding Relay Therapeutics, Dr. Murcko was chief technology officer and chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. He previously worked at Merck Sharpe & Dohme, where he helped discover multiple drug candidates. Dr. Murcko has directly contributed to the development of seven marketed drugs over his career, is a co-inventor on more than 50 issued and pending patents, and has co-authored more than 85 scientific articles. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry from Yale University.
"I am excited to join the Board of Directors at this important time and look forward to collaborating with the talented Quentis team to realize the promise of ER stress in cancer and beyond," said Dr. Murcko.
About Quentis Therapeutics
Quentis Therapeutics is a preclinical stage biotechnology company that is translating novel biology into new therapeutic approaches that target pathways associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. The company's lead program is a first-in-class IRE1α inhibitor designed to boost anti-tumor immunity in cancer. Quentis is pursuing therapies to address multiple ER stress pathway targets in the tumor micro-environment, as well as in other diseases where ER stress plays an important role. New York City-based Quentis launched in February 2018 with the completion of a $48 million Series A financing which was co-led by founding investor Versant Ventures and Polaris Partners and the affiliated LS Polaris Innovation Fund. To learn more, please visit www.quentistx.com or follow @QuentisTX on Twitter.
About FierceBiotech
FierceBiotech is the biotech industry's daily monitor, an email newsletter and web resource providing the latest biotech news, articles, and resources related to clinical trials, drug discovery, FDA approval, FDA regulation, patent news, pharma news, biotech company news and more. More than 150,000 top biotech professionals rely on FierceBiotech for an insider briefing on the day's top stories. Signup is free at www.fiercebiotech.com/signup.
SOURCE Quentis Therapeutics
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