Oxford BioTherapeutics Appoints Dr Eugen Leo as Head of Clinical Development

OXFORD, England and SAN JOSE, California, July 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Oxford BioTherapeutics, an international biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of cancer, announced today the appointment of Eugen Leo, MD, PhD, MBA, as Head of Clinical Development. Dr. Leo brings substantial clinical development experience of targeted and first-in-class molecules, as well as extensive translational research experience, and will be responsible for driving the Company's attractive pipeline of ADCs into clinical development.

Dr. Leo has more than 15 years of experience in phase I-III clinical development of targeted molecules including antibodies, antibody derivatives, kinase inhibitors, vaccines and antisense molecules. He previously worked at Micromet, where he held several positions with increasing seniority and was instrumental in developing the company's BiTE (bi-specific T-cell engager) antibody platform to clinical proof-of-concept, which received "breakthrough therapy" designation by FDA on July 1, 2014. Thereafter he held senior development positions at major pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson and Merck Serono, developing various first-in-class molecules in phase I and II.

Dr. Leo is a board-certified haematologist and medical oncologist, and is ESMO-certified. He studied medicine at the Universities of Freiburg, Aachen, Muenster, Zuerich (Switzerland) and Cincinnati (USA), and spent three years as a research fellow at the Sanford-Burnham Institute, La Jolla, CA (USA), working on signal transduction in cancer. He holds an Adjunct Professorship for Experimental Oncology at the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Heidelberg University, Germany. He also obtained an MBA from Colorado State University.  

"Recruiting someone of Eugen's calibre is a key step for the company as we progress our pipeline of exciting ADC candidates into the clinic. With Eugen's appointment, as well as the recent appointment of Dr. Keith Wilson as Chief Scientific Officer, we have an exceptionally strong team in place to accelerate the development of our novel antibody drug conjugate programs into their first clinical trials," said Dr. Christian Rohlff, Oxford BioTherapeutics' CEO.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Leo said: "Oxford BioTherapeutics has developed a highly attractive pipeline of novel antibody drug candidates that could advance cancer treatment substantially. This pipeline has been generated using the company's very own proprietary target discovery platform, which provides access to a wealth of unique and selective cancer targets, and by accessing state-of-the-art ADC conjugate and toxin technologies. I am extremely glad to be able to work with the OBT team in bringing these highly promising cancer therapeutics into the clinic and to patients."      

About Oxford BioTherapeutics

Oxford BioTherapeutics is developing a range of innovative antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of cancer. The company's ADCs are based on its proprietary OGAP^® targeting platform, and incorporate novel antibody and cancer toxin technologies accessed from leading companies in the field. Oxford BioTherapeutics' network of collaborations provides a unique range of complementary ADC technologies, allowing the company to select the optimal combination for each target identified by its OGAP^® system. OGAP^® incorporates one of the world's largest proprietary proteomic databases, with data on over 5,000 cancer cell proteins providing unique, highly-qualified oncology targets selected for optimal ADC activity. In 2012, Oxford BioTherapeutics entered a strategic agreement to accelerate the development of its ADCs, with partner Menarini providing clinical and manufacturing expertise, investment of up to $1 billion and potential milestone and royalty payments, in exchange for commercial rights in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Oxford BioTherapeutics retains the rights in the US and Japan.

Contacts
Dr Christian Rohlff
CEO
Oxford BioTherapeutics
+44(0)1235-861770
[email protected]

David Dible / Sita Shah
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
+44(0)207-638-9571
[email protected]

SOURCE Oxford BioTherapeutics