Peptone Announces Key Leadership Appointments to Progress Novel Protein Structural Insights for Intrinsically Disordered Protein-Driven Therapeutics

Proven leader, Kevin Tyler Sprott, PhD, appointed Chief Operating Officer

Oncology and immunology drug development expert and industry leader, Andrew Allen, MD, PhD appointed as Executive Chairman

LONDON and BELLINZONA, Switzerland, Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Peptone, a biotech company developing novel therapeutics targeting intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) to treat diseases, today announced the expansion of its leadership team with the appointment of Kevin Tyler Sprott, PhD as Chief Operating Officer and Andrew Allen, MD, PhD as Executive Chairman.

"Peptone is poised to take a significant step forward in our drug discovery and development journey as we leverage the power of experimental physics, supported by AI-driven protein dynamics modelling and innovative technologies like HDX-MS, while also fostering strategic partnerships that amplify our ability to identify and generate novel IDP-targeted therapies across a variety of therapeutic fields," said Kamil Tamiola, PhD, CEO of Peptone. "Kevin's proven track record and blend of experience in both drug discovery and operational excellence are valuable assets for Peptone as we build our team for intentional growth and progress."

Peptone is developing novel therapeutics targeting intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) to treat diseases through a pioneering approach that starts with studying the structural dynamics of IDPs. Peptone's bespoke technology accurately models disordered proteins, regardless of protein size or complexity, with the speed and structural insights to engineer therapeutics capable of affecting IDP function.

"As someone who has spent my career pursuing previously elusive druggable targets, this opportunity is incredibly exciting. For decades, medicinal chemistry has been unable to successfully target IDPs, and Peptone's data-driven approach unlocks an enormous potential to address diseases with significant unmet need," said Kevin Tyler Sprott, PhD, Chief Operating Officer. 

Sprott previously founded and served as Chief Operations Officer of Stablix Inc., a biopharmaceutical company pioneering targeted protein stabilization (TPS) as a novel therapeutic modality. Throughout his career, he has played a vital role in the development of more than 10 INDs and clinical-stage assets across several leading companies, including Millennium, Ironwood Pharma, Verastem Oncology, Syros Pharmaceuticals, Ventus/SMOC Therapeutics, and Avilar Therapeutics. Sprott's contributions to the field include over 35 patents and provisional applications, as well as more than 40 manuscripts and presentations on small molecule drug discovery. Sprott earned a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Kansas and completed postdoctoral research under Nobel laureate E.J. Corey at Harvard University.

Previously serving as Chairman of Peptone's Board of Directors, Dr. Andrew Allen brings a wealth of strategic leadership and innovative drug development experience to his new role of Executive Chairman. Notably, Allen has pioneered novel therapeutic development in biotech companies for decades, with a particular depth in Oncology. As Chief Medical Officer at Pharmion (acquired by Celgene in 2008), he developed Vidaza^TM, the leading epigenetic therapy for hematologic cancers. In the same role at Clovis Oncology, he led the discovery and development of the first covalent EGFR-mutant T790M inhibitor to be studied clinically, and then advanced rucaparib, a PARP inhibitor, through clinical development to approval for the treatment of various solid tumors with homologous recombination deficiency. He then co-founded and led Gritstone bio, a pioneer in the field of personalized neoantigen vaccines for solid tumors, culminating in a randomized phase 2 trial in metastatic colorectal cancer, which is ongoing. He currently serves on the board of directors of several public and private biopharma companies, and is a non-executive director at Health Innovation Manchester, a public organization in Manchester, UK that aims to deploy innovation benefits to local people and healthcare systems. Allen holds an MD from Oxford University and a PhD in immunology from the Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine in London.

"The constellation of capabilities that Peptone has built is unique – and enables an attack on prized disordered therapeutic targets and domains which have been elusive for years," said Allen. "The pace of progress is startling, and I am thrilled to step up into an executive chair role where I can work with Kamil, Kevin, and the broader team to advance our programs, aiming to rapidly deliver clinical proof of concept, and likely partner with pharma to derive value from the huge target set available to Peptone."

"We're thrilled to see the scientific progress and the team coalescing for Peptone," said Andrew Hedin, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. "IDPs are an incredibly important and promising area of research where we are poised to realize exponential potential in how we bring new therapies to patients."

About Peptone
Peptone is a biotech company developing novel therapeutics targeting intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) to treat diseases through a pioneering approach that starts with studying the structural dynamics of IDPs. Peptone's bespoke technology accurately models disordered proteins regardless of protein size or complexity with the speed and structural insights to engineer therapeutics capable of affecting IDP function, with an initial focus on prostate cancer, an area of extremely high unmet need with significant potential for IDP-targeting therapies. For more information about Peptone, visit peptone.io.

Media Contact:

Peg Rusconi
Deerfield Group
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Peptone