BUFFALO, N.Y., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Athenex, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATNX), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies for the treatment of cancer and related conditions, today announced that Dr. Daniel Von Hoff will Chair the Scientific Advisory Board of Axis Therapeutics Limited (Axis Therapeutics). Axis Therapeutics is a majority-owned subsidiary of Athenex and is an immunotherapy company focused on developing T-cell receptor engineered T-cell (TCR-T) therapies to fight cancer. Dr. Von Hoff will provide critical scientific and clinical input on Axis Therapeutics’ strategic direction.
Dr. Johnson Lau, Chief Executive Officer of Athenex, stated, “We are delighted that Dr. Von Hoff has agreed to join the Scientific Advisory Board of Axis Therapeutics. Dr. Von Hoff’s broad expertise and knowledge in oncology will be invaluable and add important perspective in the exciting area of cell immunotherapy, as we prepare for IND filing in the U.S. and begin to develop the clinical program for our TCR-T immunotherapy platform.”
Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, commented, “Cell immunotherapy is evolving rapidly as a promising new approach against cancer. The preclinical profile and the clinical data generated to date is encouraging.”
Daniel Von Hoff, MD, FACP, is a highly regarded medical oncologist and drug developer, serving in the role of Physician-in-Chief and Distinguished Professor at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, Chief Scientific Officer of the HonorHealth Research Institute, and Medical Director of Research as well as Chief Scientific Officer at US Oncology. Dr. Von Hoff and his team are focused on the development of new anticancer agents and the development of new treatments for patients. Dr. Von Hoff has been the founder and/or editor of numerous scientific publications including Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and Clinical Cancer Research. He was also a founder of ILEX TM Oncology, a company that had two anti-cancer agents approved by the FDA, Campath and Clolar. In addition, he has been on both the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and American Society of Clinical Oncology Board of Directors, is a past president of the AACR, is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and was a member of President Bush’s National Cancer Advisory Board from 2004 to 2010.
Xiangxue Life Sciences Limited (“XLifeSc”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Xiangxue Pharmaceutical”) based in Guangzhou, China, is a Chinese biopharmaceutical company focused on TCR-T based immunotherapies for cancer drug development. In March 2019, XLifeSc became the first company in the People’s Republic of China to receive an IND allowance from China’s National Medical Products Administration for a TCR-T cell based immunotherapy product, the “TAEST16001 Injection”. This proprietary TCR-T immunotherapy technology has been out-licensed to Axis Therapeutics, a joint venture between Athenex and XLifeSc, granting Axis Therapeutics an exclusive, sublicensable right and license to use the technology to develop and commercialize therapeutic products for oncology indications worldwide except in China. Xiangxue Pharmaceutical is a long-term partner of Athenex.
About Athenex, Inc.
Founded in 2003, Athenex, Inc. is a global clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to becoming a leader in the discovery, development and commercialization of next generation drugs for the treatment of cancer. Athenex is organized around three platforms, including an Oncology Innovation Platform, a Commercial Platform and a Global Supply Chain Platform. The Company’s current clinical pipeline is derived from four different platform technologies: (1) Orascovery, based on non-absorbed P-glycoprotein inhibitor, (2) Src kinase inhibition, (3) T-cell receptor-engineered T-cells (TCR-T), and (4) Arginine deprivation therapy. Athenex’s employees worldwide are dedicated to improving the lives of cancer patients by creating more active and tolerable treatments. Athenex has offices in Buffalo and Clarence, New York; Cranford, New Jersey; Houston, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Hong Kong; Taipei, Taiwan; and multiple locations in Chongqing, China. For more information, please visit www.athenex.com.
