Celator Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

WALTHAM, Mass and DUBLIN, July 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mural Oncology plc (Nasdaq: MURA), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing novel, investigational engineered cytokine therapies designed to address areas of unmet need for patients with a variety of cancers, today announced the appointment of George Golumbeski, Ph.D., to its board of directors effective July 30. “George has been a leader in business development for 30 years. There has been a great deal of industry interest in cytokine programs as of late, and Mural is in the fortunate position of having two potentially registrational studies reading out in the first half of 2025, as well as two preclinical programs headed toward candidate nomination later this year. George’s deep expertise will be incredibly valuable as we continue to advance our current programs and explore potential partnership opportunities to continue to drive value,” said Caroline Loew, Ph.D., CEO of Mural Oncology. Dr. Golumbeski has extensive experience with strategic collaborations, M&A, in-licensing, out-licensing, and alliance management. He currently serves as a partner in DROIA Ventures, a specialist biotech investment firm focused on therapeutics for oncology and genetic disease. He previously served as President and Head of Corporate Development for GRAIL where he led corporate collaborations and served as an advisor to the CEO. Prior to GRAIL, Dr. Golumbeski was Executive Vice President of Business Development for Celgene (now a Bristol Myers Squibb company) where over his nine-year tenure he developed new models for corporate collaborations to drive corporate growth. He has also held leadership roles at Nabriva Therapeutics, Novartis Oncology, and Elan Biopharmaceuticals. “Mural is in a unique and dynamic position as a young biotech company: it has a promising late-stage product candidate in nemvaleukin that has the potential to address areas of high unmet patient needs; highly differentiated early-stage cytokine programs in areas that have generated significant interest in the field such as IL-18; and robust protein engineering capabilities that offer great potential for further development,” said Dr. Golumbeski. “I am joining the board at a particularly exciting time for the company and look forward to bringing my expertise in both oncology and strategic alliances to help with the next phase of Mural’s growth.” Dr. Golumbeski joins the company’s pre-existing experienced and highly accomplished board of directors, which includes: Scott Jackson, MBA, chairman of the board, has over thirty years of corporate leadership experience at Celator, Eli Lilly, SmithKline Beecham, ImClone Systems, Centocor, Eximias, and YM Biosciences.Susan Altschuller, Ph.D., MBA, currently serves as chief financial officer for Cerevel Therapeutics and previously was chief financial officer of Immunogen.Francis Cuss, M.B., B.Chir., FRCP, is the retired executive vice president, chief scientific officer, and head of research and development of BMS.Benjamin Hickey, MBA, currently serves as president of RayzeBio Inc., a BMS company. He also sits on the executive leadership team of BMS, while continuing to serve as the head of Mirati Therapeutics.Caroline Loew, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Mural Oncology About NemvaleukinNemvaleukin alfa (nemvaleukin) is a novel, engineered cytokine designed to leverage antitumor effects of the IL-2 pathway while mitigating its hallmark toxicities that limit its use. Nemvaleukin selectively binds to the intermediate-affinity IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) and is sterically occluded from binding to the high-affinity IL-2R. Because of this molecular design, nemvaleukin treatment leads to preferential expansion of antitumor CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells, with minimal expansion of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells. Nemvaleukin is currently being evaluated in two potentially registrational late-stage trials, with readouts expected in the first half of 2025. About Mural OncologyMural Oncology is leveraging its novel protein engineering platform to develop cytokine-based immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. By combining our expertise in cytokine biology and immune cell modulation and our protein engineering platform, we are developing medicines to deliver meaningful and clinical benefits to people living with cancer. Our mission is to broaden the potential, and reach, of cytokine-based immunotherapies to improve the lives of patients. Our lead candidate, nemvaleukin, is currently in potentially registrational trials in mucosal melanoma and platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Mural Oncology has its registered office in Dublin, Ireland, and its primary facilities in Waltham, Mass. For more information, visit Mural Oncology’s website at www.muraloncology.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X. Forward-Looking StatementsStatements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the company’s pipeline and development programs, including the expected timing of clinical and preclinical updates and candidate selection, the potential of the company’s product candidates and programs to address unmet medical needs, and the continued progress of its pipeline and programs. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include, among others, the inherent risks and uncertainties associated with competitive developments, preclinical development, clinical trials, recruitment of patients, product development activities and regulatory approval requirements; that preclinical or interim results and data from ongoing clinical studies of the company’s cytokine programs and product candidates may not be predictive of future or final results from such studies, results of future clinical studies or real-world results; future clinical trials or future stages of ongoing clinical trials may not be initiated or completed on time or at all; the company’s product candidates, including nemvaleukin, could be shown to be unsafe or ineffective; changes in the cost, scope and duration of development activities; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may make adverse decisions regarding the company’s product candidates; and those other risks and uncertainties set forth in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2024 and in subsequent filings the company may make with the SEC. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. The company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, the company undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date of this press release, except as required by law. Contact:Katie Sullivankatie.sullivan@muraloncology.com

Mural Oncology plc spins out from Alkermes plc with $275 million in committed funding, providing a cash runway projected into 4Q 2025 Company’s lead product candidate – nemvaleukin alfa – being developed to treat a wide range of solid tumors – is currently in two potentially registrational clinical trials, both with readouts expected in 1Q 2025 Mural is also advancing engineered therapies targeting interleukin-18 and interleukin-12 with plans to nominate a development candidate for each program in 2024 Mural Oncology plc (Nasdaq: MURA) today launched as an independent, publicly traded, clinical-stage immuno-oncology company leveraging its core competencies in immune cell modulation and protein engineering to develop novel, investigational engineered cytokine therapies designed to address areas of unmet need for patients with a variety of cancers. Mural’s ordinary shares will begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Market tomorrow, November 16th, under the ticker symbol “MURA”. “Immunotherapies have made a tremendous impact on the treatment of cancers over the past decade,” said Caroline Loew, Ph.D., the Company’s chief executive officer. “Unfortunately, many patients either do not respond or do not have durable responses. We believe Mural Oncology can lead the future of immunotherapies for patients. Our protein engineering expertise allows us to reimagine the development of pro-inflammatory cytokine-based therapeutics that could address the key limitations with current cancer immunotherapies. I am thrilled to lead this company and am energized by the enormous potential of our lead clinical candidate, our preclinical programs, and our underlying protein engineering capabilities.” Mural Oncology’s pipeline is built to address difficult-to-treat tumor types where checkpoint inhibitors are not effective. The Company’s lead product candidate, nemvaleukin alfa (nemvaleukin), is an investigational, engineered interleukin-2 (IL-2) cytokine designed to capture and expand the therapeutic benefits of high-dose recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2), while mitigating the hallmark toxicities of native IL-2 in difficult-to-treat cancers with high unmet need. Nemvaleukin is currently in two potentially registrational studies: one for the treatment of mucosal melanoma as a monotherapy and one for the treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) in combination with pembrolizumab. In addition to nemvaleukin, Mural Oncology has discovery-stage programs in IL-18 and IL-12, focused on proinflammatory cytokines that leverage the Company’s immune cell modulation expertise and protein engineering capabilities. This multi-faceted approach to cytokine engineering is aimed at maximizing the utility of identified cytokines and includes binding selectivity, tumor-targeting, half-life modification, and stable fusion proteins. “We believe nemvaleukin has the potential to reduce native IL-2’s toxicities, potentially allowing greater tolerability and efficacy than other IL-2 molecules have shown in the past,” Dr. Loew continued. “We plan to report top-line results in each of mucosal melanoma and PROC in the first quarter of 2025 and declare product candidates across both of our other discovery-stage programs in 2024. We are building on years of foundational work from which our engineered cytokines may lead to new therapies for significant patient populations where checkpoint inhibitors either failed to achieve a response or produced a limited response. We believe these new therapies could be effective either as monotherapies or in combination with a range of other therapeutics.” To advance the Company’s pipeline and capitalize on its protein engineering capabilities, Mural has assembled an experienced and highly accomplished executive team and board of directors. Caroline Loew, Ph.D., chief executive officer, was previously president and chief executive officer of Glympse Bio. Prior to Glympse, she was vice president, head of R&D strategy and planning at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS). Dr. Loew joined BMS following leadership roles at Merck and PhRMA, where she led teams responsible for commercial portfolio management, market access, and regulatory policy. Adam Cutler, chief financial officer, was previously chief financial officer of both Q32 Bio and Molecular Templates. Prior to that, he was senior vice president of corporate affairs at Arbutus Biopharma. Vicki Goodman, M.D., chief medical officer, was previously executive vice president, product development & medical affairs, and chief medical officer of Exelixis. Previously, she was vice president, clinical research and therapeutic area head, late-stage oncology at Merck where she oversaw the company’s late-stage development portfolio, including pembrolizumab. Prior to Merck, she was a member of BMS’s oncology senior leadership team, managing a team developing nivolumab and ipilimumab. Maiken Keson-Brookes, chief legal officer, previously served as chief legal officer and corporate secretary of Rubius Therapeutics. Prior to joining Rubius, she served as General Counsel at Synlogic, uniQure, and Forum Pharmaceuticals. Scott Jackson, MBA, chairman of the board, previously served as chief executive officer and as a member of the board of directors of Celator Pharmaceuticals until it was acquired by Jazz Pharmaceuticals in 2016. Mr. Jackson has over thirty years of corporate leadership experience at Celator, Eli Lilly, SmithKline Beecham, ImClone Systems, Centocor, Eximias, and YM Biosciences. Susan Altschuller, Ph.D., MBA, currently serves as chief financial officer for Cerevel Therapeutics and previously was chief financial officer of Immunogen. Prior to Immunogen, she was at Alexion, where she served as head of enterprise finance after being vice president and head of investor relations. Francis Cuss, M.B., B.Chir., FRCP, is the retired executive vice president, chief scientific officer, and head of research and development of BMS. Prior to BMS, Dr Cuss was the vice president of early clinical research and experimental medicine at Schering Plough Research Institute.e. Benjamin Hickey, MBA, currently serves as the executive vice president, chief commercial officer of Mirati Therapeutics. Previously, he was senior vice president and chief commercial officer at Halozyme after spending 17 years in roles of increasing responsibility at BMS, where he oversaw the commercialization of Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab). Caroline Loew, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Mural Oncology Goodwin Procter LLP and Arthur Cox LLP are serving as legal counsel to Mural Oncology. Mural Oncology is leveraging its industry-leading protein engineering platform to revolutionize cytokine-based immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. Our expertise in cytokine biology and immune cell modulation and our unmatched protein engineering will enable us to develop medicines that deliver meaningful and clinical benefits to people living with cancer. Our mission is to broaden the potential and reach of cytokine-based immunotherapies to improve the lives of patients. Mural Oncology has its registered office in Dublin, Ireland, and its primary facilities in Waltham, Mass. For more information, visit Mural Oncology’s website at www.muraloncology.com and follow at LinkedIn and X. The content above comes from the network. if any infringement, please contact us to modify.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Allay Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering ultra-sustained analgesic products to transform post-surgical pain management and recuperation, today announced the appointment of Nicole Vitullo, venture partner at Arboretum Ventures, to its board of directors. “We’re thrilled to have Nicole join the Allay board and appreciate the continued support of Arboretum Ventures as we work to change the pain management paradigm and dramatically improve the post-surgical recovery experience for patients,” said Adam Gridley, Chief Executive Officer of Allay Therapeutics. “Nicole’s counsel, drawing from her long experience working with advanced-stage and commercial-stage biopharma companies, will be invaluable as we continue clinical development of our lead candidate ATX101 and advance additional Allay products into clinical studies worldwide.” Nicole is a longtime biotech investor and company advisor with extensive experience in both public and private investing, as a Partner with Domain Associates, a venture capital firm focused in the life sciences sector. She joined Arboretum as a venture partner in 2023. Nicole currently serves on the board of Esperion Therapeutics and Hinge Bio Inc. Her past board memberships include numerous companies that have entered transactions, including Achillion Pharmaceuticals (Alexion), Calixa Therapeutics (Cubist Pharmaceuticals), Celator Pharmaceuticals (Jazz Pharmaceuticals), Cerexa (Forest Laboratories), Durata Therapeutics (Actavis), Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, and VentiRx Pharmaceuticals (Celgene). Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and MBA from the University of Rochester. “I’m excited to be part of Allay’s mission to develop medicines that help patients through extended painful recoveries and reduce their reliance on opioids following surgery. There is a huge unmet need for therapies that not only provide pain relief but also offer peace of mind for patients and their caregivers,” said Ms. Vitullo. “I look forward to working with Adam and the team as they work to bring these innovations to patients, providers and payors.” About Allay Therapeutics Allay Therapeutics is pioneering a new category of ultra-sustained pain therapeutics to transform post-surgical pain management and recuperation for patients and physicians. Allay’s proprietary technology platform combines validated non-opioid analgesics and biopolymers to create dissolvable therapeutics to deliver pain relief within a targeted site over weeks—an order of magnitude greater than the longest-lasting pain treatments currently available. The company’s lead investigational product candidate, ATX101, is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical study in total knee arthroplasties (TKA, also called total knee replacements). Allay unites a dynamic, global team of entrepreneurs, scientists, clinicians and innovators in the San Francisco Bay Area and Singapore. Learn more at allaytx.com. View source version on businesswire.com: Contacts Investors Adam Gridley adam.gridley@allaytx.com Media Chris Railey chris@tenbridgecommunications.com M: +1 617-834-093 Source: Allay Therapeutics View this news release online at: