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Scancell hires two industry veterans as it gears up for the next development phase

Published: 07:29 21 Jan 2019 GMT

pictured are T-cells attacking a cancer cell
Dr Samantha Paston is a T-cell cloning expert (pictured are T-cells attacking a cancer cell)

Scancell Holdings PLC (LON:SCLP) has made two experienced hires as it gears up for its next phase of development.

T-cell cloning specialist Dr Samantha Paston is the company’s new head of research, while Dr Adrian Parry will take charge of manufacturing.

Paston arrived in mid-January from Oxford-based biotech unicorn Immunocore, where she made “significant contributions” to the company’s current oncology pipeline.

Before joining Immunocore, she held roles at Medigene, Avidex, NIBSC and GlaxoSmithKline. She gained her PhD at University College London.

Parry joins Scancell on February 1 from Mereo BioPharma, where he was head of small molecule chemistry, manufacturing and controls).

He has over two decades’ experience delivering “multiple, complex” drug products.

“We are delighted to welcome both Samantha and Adrian to Scancell,” said chief executive Cliff Holloway.

“Samantha’s experience in T-cell cloning and working with biological molecules, from drug discovery through to early development, will be invaluable as we continue to progress our pipeline of cancer immunotherapies.

“Likewise, Adrian’s 20 years of CMC and GMP development expertise will be key for our manufacturing capabilities moving forward.”

AIM-listed Scancell is at the vanguard of advances in the emerging field of immuno-oncology and is working on two technologies that are showing early promise – they are the ImmunoBody and Moditope platforms.

The former has spawned the company’s most advanced cancer drugs, SCIB-1 and SCIB-2, which target and stimulate existing cells that make up the body’s defence mechanisms.

The UK group is planning to use SCIB1 in harness with Merck’s Keytruda to treat patients with advanced melanoma.

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