Coiled Therapeutics (AIM:COIL, OTCQB:COTXF) has strengthened the scientific bench behind its lead cancer drug candidate AO-252, appointing Professor Ozgur Sahin as scientific advisor as the programme approaches a series of clinical milestones.
The AIM-listed oncology company said Sahin, a named inventor on foundational patents underpinning AO-252, is one of the world’s leading authorities on TACC3 biology.
AO-252 is a first-in-class, orally administered, brain-penetrant small molecule inhibitor of TACC3, a target the company says is frequently overexpressed in aggressive, hard-to-treat solid tumours.
Sahin will work with Coiled’s leadership team over the next 12 months as AO-252 moves toward targeted dose expansion cohorts, the introduction of a next-generation formulation and the start of a combination therapy protocol later this year.
Chief executive Sridhar Vempati said Sahin had been “instrumental in the discovery science” behind AO-252 and that formalising his role marked the first step in building a wider Scientific Advisory Board.
The company said AO-252 is in an ongoing Phase I open-label dose-escalation study in the US, with dose expansion cohorts planned in lead indications, including prostate and ovarian cancer during 2026
