Purple Biotech Convenes a Head & Neck Cancer Scientific Advisory Board in Preparation for NT219 Phase 2 Trial - Seite 2

Antonio Jimeno, MD, PhD – Dr. Jimeno is a Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the Director of the Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) Program and the Communicating PI of the Colorado HNC SPORE. Clinically, he has an active portfolio of trials investigating relevant targets to modulate immunity and the microenvironment in HNC. Preclinically, his focus is studying how HNC regulates key immune ligands deploying humanized models of HNC to investigate susceptibility to immune modulation and immune evasion mechanisms. Overall, his work furthers understanding of cancer and microenvironment interactions and the development of increasingly powerful and complex models.

Lisa Licitra Francesca Linda, MD – Professor Licitra is a Scientific Director of CNAO, the Hadrontherapy facility in Pavia, Italy. Prof. Licitra served as Associate Professor, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology and Chief of Head and Neck Cancer Medical Oncology Department at Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy. She is Co-founder and member of the European Head and Neck Cancer Society. Prof. Licitra has authored nearly 400 papers in peer-reviewed journals, written 20 book chapters, and approximately 150 scientific articles.

Ari Rosenberg, MD - Dr. Rosenberg is Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago and an oncologist who specializes in using basic, translational, and clinical research to improve the lives of his patients. As a clinical investigator, Dr. Rosenberg develops and conducts clinical trials that incorporate novel tissue and blood-based biomarkers, and he has a particular focus on novel therapies and immunotherapeutic strategies, as well as developing multimodality treatment paradigms to reduce treatment-related toxicity.

About NT219

NT219 is a first-in-class, small molecule that promotes Insulin Receptor Substrates 1/2 (IRS) degradation and inhibits Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation, two major complementary signaling pathways that play a key role in the tumor and its microenvironment. IRS1/2 acts as scaffolds, organizing signaling complexes that mediate mitogenic, metastatic, angiogenic, and anti-apoptotic signals from IGF1R and other oncogenes, consisting of an important driver in multiple cancers and is highly involved in triggering drug resistance. STAT3 is a transcription factor that is broadly hyperactivated in many cancers, promoting proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, metastasis, and tumor immune evasion. Feedback activation of STAT3 plays a prominent role in mediating drug resistance to various anti-cancer therapies. As an inhibitor of both IRS1/2 and STAT3, NT219 has the potential to prevent the development of resistance to multiple approved therapies.