SUDA Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:SUD) has appointed internationally recognised clinical immunologist, Dr John Maher, to the company’s iNKT cell therapy Scientific Advisory Board.
Maher’s work has focused on the development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cell therapies and played a key role in the early development of second-generation CAR technology while a visiting fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the US.
This approach achieved clinical impact in haematological malignancies and forms the basis for the five FDA approved CART cell therapies.
He is the founder and chief scientific officer of Leucid Bio – a clinical-stage cell therapy company with a pipeline of novel CAR T cell therapies developed using its proprietary engine.
“Tremendous experience”
SUDA managing director and CEO Dr Michael Baker said: “Dr Maher has a tremendous amount of experience in developing cell therapies and unique CARs across the preclinical and clinical settings.
“We are delighted with his appointment to our Scientific Advisory Board and we look forward to his contributions for the development of our iNKT cell therapy platform.”
Back in 2004, Maher established CAR T cell research at King’s College London, where he leads the 'CAR Mechanics' group, which is focused on the development of adoptive immunotherapy using CAR engineered and gamma delta T cells.
He is also a clinically active consultant immunologist within King's Health Partners and Eastbourne Hospital.
FY21 highlights
SUDA more than doubled its net asset value over FY21, jumping from $4.1 million to just under $9 million thanks to an increase in cash and cash equivalents.
The ASX-lister also spent the 12-month period advancing its cancer treatment portfolio, which includes the anagrelide formulation, described as a “radically new, first-in-class approach to the treatment of cancer”, and a global, exclusive licence for an iNKT cell therapy platform.
It ended the financial year with $6.7 million in the bank to sustain development across its research and development portfolio.