On September 26th, 2019 Peptomyc S.L., a biotech company specialized in the development of protein and peptide therapeutics for cancer treatment, reported it has appointed Manuela Niewel, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) (Press release, Peptomyc, SEP 26, 2019, View Source [SID1234555332]). Dr. Niewel will assume responsibility for leading Peptomyc’s overall clinical development, regulatory and medical affairs activities.
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«We are very excited to have Manuela joining us and we warmly welcome her to Peptomyc. With her compassion for patients, her expertise in drug development in oncology and her clear leadership skills, she will definitely be a very strong asset in our team,» saidLaura Soucek, co-founder and CEO of Peptomyc.
Dr Niewel is an MD educated oncologist, who has focused nearly her entire career within the Oncology space, from first in men through registration of oncology drugs. She started as a resident within Oncology hospitals in Germany, working very closely with cancer patients. She then moved into the industry to focus her work within the Clinical Development setting. She joins Peptomyc from Rigontec, a start-up biotech acquired by Merck Sharp & Dohme in October 2017 for up to 464 M€ (shorturl.at/yKY03), where she served as Senior Vice President for Clinical Development since 2015, bringing their compound very quickly and successfully into the clinic. Dr. Niewel also acted as a clinical development consultant for several biotech companies and held Senior Medical Director positions at Chiltern International and Pharmanet, and led Clinical Research groups at PFK Oncology Services, Nycomed and Synthelabo Research. She obtained her M.D. diploma and doctoral degree at the University Munich and her Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine at DGPharMed Munich, Germany.
"As an oncologist and drug developer, I am very excited at having the opportunity to lead the clinical development of Omomyc, which acts against a target still considered undruggable" said Manuela Niewel, who also added: "I am very pleased about being part of this dedicated and dynamic team focused on advancing a promising treatment option for many underserved patients".
Dr. Niewel joins Peptomyc at a crucial time, as the company is preparing for a phase
I/II clinical study with its first-in-class anti-MYC lead compound, OMO103. "We are convinced that Manuela’s deep experience in innovative drug development and valuable input to our clinical development plan and regulatory strategy will contribute to the successful implementation of our clinical trials in 2020", adds Marie-Eve Beaulieu, co-founder and CSO of the company.
Peptomyc is currently completing its pre-clinical safety studies with OMO103, its first-in-class peptide compound against MYC, an oncoprotein deregulated in most –if not all- types of cancer. OMO103 has demonstrated its anti-tumor activity in multiple types of mouse models of cancer. The company’s prime focus areas are Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Triple Negative Breast Cancer, but Peptomyc’s products could in the future apply to many more indications that still represent significant unmet needs within the oncology field.
About Peptomyc
Peptomyc is a spin-off from VHIO – the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology – and ICREA – the Catalan Institute of Research and Advanced Studies -, in Barcelona, Spain.
It develops peptide therapeutics for the treatment of cancer patients. Its lead compound, OMO103, is a cell penetrating peptide against MYC, one of the most-wanted targets in cancer therapy, for which no inhibitor is available in the clinic yet. Phase I/II clinical trials testing safety and efficacy of OMO103 are planned to begin in 2020, with a specific focus on Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Triple Negative Breast Cancer patients. Peptomyc counts on the support of private funding by Alta Life Sciences, Healthequity and business angels, and public grants (such as a recent SME Instrument Phase II by the European Commission, or the ENISA loan, from the Spanish Government’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism).