BURLINGAME, Calif., Oct. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ALX Oncology Holdings Inc., (“ALX Oncology” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: ALXO) a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing therapies that block the CD47 checkpoint pathway, today announced the formation of the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board (“SAB”) with three leading oncology experts. The SAB will provide valuable strategic and scientific counsel to ALX Oncology’s clinical programs related to its lead product candidate, ALX148.
“We are honored to welcome these acclaimed experts in oncology to our scientific advisory board,” said Jaume Pons, Ph.D., Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of ALX Oncology. “These advisors will work closely with our leadership team and will be integral in helping to advance our clinical pipeline for ALX148 across multiple oncology indications.”“It is a privilege to work with a talented group of renowned oncology experts to assist ALX Oncology in developing ALX148, which has emerged as a next-generation checkpoint inhibitor designed to have high affinity for CD47 and to overcome the hematologic toxicity associated with other CD47 blocking approaches,” said Keith Flaherty, M.D., chair of ALX Oncology’s SAB. “ALX148 has the potential to make a significant impact on people who are fighting cancer.”The members of the ALX Oncology SAB include:Keith Flaherty, M.D. (Chair) – Dr. Flaherty is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of Clinical Research, at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. He co-founded and served on the Board of Directors of Loxo Oncology until its acquisition by Eli Lilly and Company. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Clovis Oncology and Checkmate Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Flaherty has been awarded numerous grants from the National Cancer Institute, including K23, RO1 and PO1 grants. He is an author of many research articles, abstracts and reviews in the peer-reviewed literature, including three first-author and three senior author New England Journal of Medicine papers. He serves as Editor-in-Chief for Clinical Cancer Research and on the Board of Directors of the American Association for Cancer Research. Dr. Flaherty holds a B.S. from Yale University and an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Flaherty trained in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and completed a medical oncology fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania.Charles M. Baum, M.D., Ph.D. – Dr. Baum has been President and Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Mirati Therapeutics for the last eight years. Under his leadership, he transformed Mirati into a world class precision oncology company focused on translating drug discovery and research into novel therapeutics that target the genetic and immunologic drivers of various cancers. Prior to joining Mirati, Dr. Baum was Senior Vice President for Biotherapeutic Clinical Research within Pfizer’s Worldwide Research & Development division and held multiple roles including Vice President and Head of Oncology Development and as Chief Medical Officer for Pfizer’s Biotherapeutics and Bioinnovation Center. He was responsible for the development of Pfizer’s oncology portfolio, including axitinib (Inlyta®), crizotinib (Xalkori®) and the approval of sunitinib (Sutent®). Prior to joining Pfizer, Dr. Baum oversaw the Phase I-IV development of several oncology compounds at Schering-Plough, including temozolomide (Temodar®) for the treatment of patients with advanced brain tumors. Dr. Baum has received research support from the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society, published more than 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and holds a number of patents and patent applications. Dr. Baum currently serves on the board of directors of Immunomedics and BCTG Acquisition Corp. Dr. Baum holds an M.D. and a Ph.D. from Washington University School of Medicine and completed his post-graduate training at Stanford University.Kipp Weiskopf, M.D., Ph.D. – Dr. Weiskopf is a co-founder of ALX Oncology and a Whitehead Fellow at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. He is a leader in the field of macrophage-directed therapies and he oversees a research laboratory that studies novel macrophage and myeloid immune checkpoints. Dr. Weiskopf is concurrently appointed as a Hematology and Oncology fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Weiskopf is an inventor on 12 U.S. patents and patent applications pertaining to macrophage-directed therapies, including the engineered SIRP variants that underlie the development of ALX148. He is also the recipient of the Churchill Scholarship, the National Cancer Institute Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award and the Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award and received first place in the Collegiate Inventors Competition. Dr. Weiskopf holds a B.A. from Amherst College, an M.Phil. from University of Cambridge, and an M.D. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. Dr. Weiskopf trained in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
About ALX OncologyALX Oncology is a publicly traded, clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focused on helping patients fight cancer by developing therapies that block the CD47 checkpoint pathway and bridge the innate and adaptive immune system. ALX Oncology’s lead product candidate, ALX148, is a next generation CD47 blocking therapeutic that combines a high-affinity CD47 binding domain with an inactivated, proprietary Fc domain. ALX148 has demonstrated promising clinical responses across a range of hematologic and solid malignancies in combination with a number of leading anti-cancer agents. ALX Oncology intends to advance ALX148 into clinical development for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes and to continue clinical development for the treatment of a range of solid tumor indications. For more information, please visit ALX Oncology’s website at https://www.alxoncology.com.Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such forward-looking statements are based on ALX Oncology’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to it on the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause ALX Oncology’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements include but are not limited to statements regarding the Company’s clinical pipeline and the expectations regarding the beneficial characteristics, safety, efficacy and therapeutic effects of ALX148. These and other risks are described more fully in ALX Oncology’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including ALX Oncology’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on August 27, 2020, and other documents that ALX Oncology subsequently files with the SEC from time to time. Except to the extent required by law, ALX Oncology undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
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