TIDMMPH
Mereo BioPharma Group plc
30 June 2020
Mereo BioPharma Strengthens Management Team; Appoints John
Lewicki, PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer and Ann Kapoun, PhD, as
SVP of Translational Research and Development
London and Redwood City, Calif., June 30, 2020 - Mereo BioPharma
Group plc (NASDAQ: MREO, AIM: MPH), "Mereo" or "the Company", a
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology and
rare diseases, today announced the appointments of John Lewicki,
PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer, and Ann Kapoun, PhD, as Senior
Vice President (SVP) of Translational Research and Development.
Drs. Lewicki and Kapoun join Mereo having previously served tenures
at OncoMed Pharmaceuticals and were involved in the discovery and
development of etigilimab ("Anti-TIGIT"), prior to the 2019 merger
of OncoMed and Mereo BioPharma.
"John and Ann bring invaluable expertise to Mereo as we prepare
to advance etigilimab, our novel antibody against TIGIT, into a
Phase 1b study in the fourth quarter of 2020," said Dr. Denise
Scots-Knight, Chief Executive Officer of Mereo. "John and Ann are
seasoned leaders with a deep understanding of oncology drug
development, and we are delighted to have them join us as we build
the team to advance etigilimab."
"Having been closely involved in the discovery and development
of etigilimab, I am thrilled to formally join Mereo to advance this
potential best-in-class anti-TIGIT antibody," said Dr. Lewicki. "I
look forward to working closely with Ann and the entire Mereo team
to advance etigilimab into a Phase 1b study later this year
building on our current clinical data."
John Lewicki, PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer
Most recently, Dr. Lewicki served as President, Chief Executive
Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of OncoMed
Pharmaceuticals prior to the 2019 merger with Mereo BioPharma. Dr.
Lewicki joined OncoMed in 2004 as the company's Senior Vice
President of Research and Development before subsequently assuming
additional leadership roles within Research and Development. Dr.
Lewicki was named the company's Executive Vice President and Chief
Scientific Officer in 2009 and then became Executive Vice
President, Research and Development in 2016. Earlier in his career,
Dr. Lewicki served in various capacities at Scios, Inc., where as
Vice President of Research, he managed the company's organization
across diverse therapeutic areas. Among his achievements while at
Scios was the co-discovery of human B-type natriuretic peptide and
its development as an FDA-approved treatment for acute congestive
heart failure. Dr. Lewicki received his PhD from U.C San Diego and
has co-authored more than 70 research papers and over 30 issued
patents.
Ann Kapoun, PhD, as SVP of Translational Research and
Development
Dr. Kapoun joins Mereo with more than two decades of leadership
in Research and Development advancing over 10 drug discoveries into
IND and through early clinical development. She most recently
served as SVP of R&D at ESCAPE Bio. Prior to joining ESCAPE,
Dr. Kapoun served as SVP of Translational Medicine at OncoMed
Pharmaceuticals where she oversaw the transition of the company's
drug discoveries into the clinic and executed multiple
science-driven clinical biomarker programs. Dr. Kapoun previously
held scientific leadership roles at ALZA and Scios Inc., a
biopharma unit of Johnson & Johnson. She received her PhD at
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Indiana University and has
co-authored more than 50 scientific publications and patents.
About Mereo BioPharma
Mereo BioPharma is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the
development and commercialization of innovative therapeutics that
aim to improve outcomes for oncology and rare diseases. Mereo's
lead oncology product candidate, etigilimab ("Anti-TIGIT"), has
completed a Phase 1a dose escalation clinical trial in patients
with advanced solid tumors and has been evaluated in a Phase 1b
study in combination with nivolumab in select tumor types. Mereo's
rare disease product portfolio consists of setrusumab, which has
completed a Phase 2b dose-ranging study in adults with osteogenesis
imperfecta ("OI"), as well as alvelestat, which is being
investigated in a Phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical trial in
patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency ("AATD").
Additional Information
The person responsible for arranging the release of this
information on behalf of the Company is Charles Sermon, General
Counsel.
Forward-Looking Statements
This Announcement contains "forward-looking statements." All
statements other than statements of historical fact contained in
this Announcement are forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the United
States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"). Forward-looking statements usually relate to future events
and anticipated revenues, earnings, cash flows or other aspects of
our operations or operating results. Forward-looking statements are
often identified by the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate,"
"plan," "intend," "foresee," "should," "would," "could," "may,"
"estimate," "outlook" and similar expressions, including the
negative thereof. The absence of these words, however, does not
mean that the statements are not forward-looking. These
forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current
expectations, beliefs and assumptions concerning future
developments and business conditions and their potential effect on
the Company. While management believes that these forward-looking
statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no
assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be
those that it anticipates.
All of the Company's forward-looking statements involve known
and unknown risks and uncertainties (some of which are significant
or beyond its control) and assumptions that could cause actual
results to differ materially from the Company's historical
experience and its present expectations or projections. The
foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect
the Company's business, including those described in its Annual
Report on Form 20-F, Reports on Form 6-K and other documents filed
from time to time by the Company with the United States Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and those described in other
documents the Company may publish from time to time should be
carefully considered. The Company wishes to caution you not to
place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak
only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any of our forward-looking statements
after the date they are made, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent
required by law.
Mereo BioPharma Contacts:
Mereo +44 (0)333 023 7300
Denise Scots-Knight, Chief Executive Officer
Cantor Fitzgerald Europe (Nominated Adviser
and Broker to Mereo ) +44 (0)20 7894 7000
Phil Davies
Will Goode
Burns McClellan (US Investor Relations Adviser
to Mereo) +01 (0) 212 213 0006
Lisa Burns
Steve Klass
FTI Consulting (UK Public Relations Adviser
to Mereo ) +44 (0)20 3727 1000
Simon Conway
Ciara Martin
Investors investors@mereobiopharma.com
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the
London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct
Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United
Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution
of this information may apply. For further information, please
contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
END
NRASDESASESSESM
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June 30, 2020 07:00 ET (11:00 GMT)
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