HOOKIPA Announces Executive Leadership Change

NEW YORK and VIENNA, Sept. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK, ‘HOOKIPA’), a company developing a new class of immunotherapeutics based on its proprietary arenavirus platform, today announced that Katia Schlienger, M.D., Ph.D., is stepping down from her position as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to pursue new opportunities, effective September 30. Malte Peters, M.D., a current member of the Board of Directors of HOOKIPA, will lead HOOKIPA’s clinical activities ad interim as Senior Clinical Advisor until a CMO search is complete. During this time, Dr. Peters will remain a member of the HOOKIPA Board of Directors.

Dr. Peters is a seasoned executive with deep experience in bringing new therapies to patients. He retired from his role as Chief Research and Development Officer at MorphoSys in 2022. Prior, Dr. Peters was Global Head of Clinical Development of the biopharmaceuticals business unit of Sandoz in Germany and spent 12 years in leadership positions at Novartis Oncology. He was responsible for multiple development programs and clinical trials at Novartis, contributing to the approval of 28 cancer therapies. He is board certified in internal medicine and earned his medical degree from Freie Universität in Berlin, with a postdoctoral fellowship in Toronto. 

“We welcome Malte to HOOKIPA as we remain laser focused on executing against our clinical priorities: to prepare for the randomized trial of HB-200 in combination with pembrolizumab, to progress our HB-300 prostate cancer program, and to advance our partnered programs in our collaborations with Roche and Gilead,” said Joern Aldag, Chief Executive Officer. “I would like to thank Katia for her many contributions to HOOKIPA, especially guiding our clinical programs and bringing our lead HB-200 program to a successful proof-of concept in Phase 2. We wish her the very best in her future endeavors.”

About HOOKIPA
HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel immunotherapies, based on its proprietary arenavirus platform, which are designed to mobilize and amplify targeted T cells and thereby fight or prevent serious disease. HOOKIPA’s replicating and non-replicating technologies are engineered to induce robust and durable antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses and pathogen-neutralizing antibodies. HOOKIPA’s pipeline includes its wholly owned investigational arenaviral immunotherapies targeting Human Papillomavirus 16-positive cancers, prostate cancers, and other undisclosed programs. HOOKIPA is collaborating with Roche on an arenaviral immunotherapeutic for KRAS-mutated cancers. In addition, HOOKIPA aims to develop functional cures of HBV and HIV in collaboration with Gilead.