Chimeric Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:CHM) will move into 2022 with a refreshed management team that it believes will enhance its standing as the ASX leader in cell therapy.
CHM is a clinical-stage cell therapy company, focused on bringing the promise of cell therapy to life for more patients with cancer.
The new management team will see Dr Eliot Bourk move into an expanded role.
Dr Bourk was Chimeric’s vice president of Business and Corporate Development since March 2021 and has been promoted to the role of chief business officer (CBO) and head of External Innovation.
In this new role, Dr Bourk will continue to lead business and corporate development for Chimeric while taking the extended responsibility for the company’s early scientific strategy.
Dr Bourk holds a PhD in molecular pathology with a research focus in cancer immunology from the University of California and has worked extensively at leading cell therapy companies Celgene and Kite on the early preclinical development of multiple cell therapy assets.
During his time with Chimeric to date, he has enabled the company to gain exclusivity to two highly promising and innovative assets (CHM 2101, the CDH17 CAR T, and CHM 0201, the CORE-NK platform).
Head of Clinical Development
CHM will implement a second new role for 2022: head of Clinical Development to be appointed in early 2022.
The new role is reflective of CHM’s rapid portfolio growth with the addition of the CORE-NK platform in December 2021 and the CDH17 CAR T in July 2021.
Alongside the CLTX CAR T program, this will lead to the initiation of multiple new clinical trials throughout 2022 and 2023.
CHM 1101 (CLTX CAR T) is a novel and promising CAR T therapy developed by scientists at the City of Hope Medical Centre in California for the treatment of patients with solid tumours. CHM 1101 is being studied in a phase 1 clinical trial in recurrent/progressive glioblastoma.
A second CLTX CAR T phase 1 clinical trial is planned to begin in 2022 in additional solid tumours. CHM 2101 (CDH17 CAR T) is a novel, third-generation CDH17 CAR T invented at the University of Pennsylvania. CHM 2101 (CDH17 CAR T) is in preclinical development with a planned phase 1 clinical trial in 2022 in Neuroendocrine Tumours, Colorectal, Pancreatic and Gastric Cancer.
“Our recent portfolio growth has resulted in the need for expertise that will allow us to rapidly advance our preclinical assets alongside multiple phase 1 clinical trials in solid tumours and blood cancers,” said Chimeric’s CEO Jennifer Chow.
“These newly created roles will provide us with both the expertise and focus we need to continue our rapid growth and development.
"I am thrilled to have Eliot taking on this new executive leadership role for Chimeric, having worked with him for more than five years and knowing his deep commitment to this company, I am more than confident that he will be highly successful advancing our therapies through preclinical development to accelerate our development plans."
CMO to say goodbye
While the two new appointments are crucial to CHM’s future progress, the company will lose its chief medical officer Dr Syed Rizvi who has completed his initial 12-month contract.
Dr Rizvi has been important in advancing CHM’s early clinical efforts and will stay on until next month as the company looks to fill the role.