CLDN1

Astellas Pharma’s path to winning the first drug approval for a particular promising gastrointestinal cancer target has hit a detour. The FDA turned down the drugmaker’s application, citing manufacturing issues for the therapy, zolbetuximab. Astellas announced the FDA action earlier this week. The company did not go into detail about the problems spotted by the regulator, but described them as “unresolved deficiencies following its pre-license inspection of a third-party manufacturing facility for zolbetuximab.” Astellas added that the agency did not raise any concerns about the safety or efficacy of the drug, nor is it asking for additional clinical data. Zolbetuximab was developed as a treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma that is negative for the cancer protein HER2. Cancers that express HER2 already have treatments, such as Herceptin from Genentech and Enhertu from partners AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo. HER2-negative cancers have fewer treatment options. Astellas aims to offer one with zolbetuximab, which targets claudin 18.2, or CLDN18.2. This protein is found only in stomach cells and not in any other healthy tissues. That’s what makes it a promising target for drugs that treat gut cancers. The Astellas drug is a monoclonal antibody designed to target and bind to CLDN18.2 on the surface of cancerous gastric epithelial cells. Doing so is intended to kill the cancer cells by activating two different immune system pathways: antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity. Astellas added zolbetuximab to its pipeline through the 2016 acquisition of Germany-based Ganymede Pharmaceuticals for €422 million (about $462 million) up front. Zolbetuximab is a key piece of Astellas’s growth strategy. It’s important because it could help make up for coming revenue declines facing Xtandi, the drugmaker’s top-selling product that is facing patent expirations. Zolbetuximab is under regulatory review in other markets including Japan, Europe, and China. “We remain confident in zolbetuximab’s clinical profile and potential to fill a significant therapeutic gap for those diagnosed with advanced gastric or GEJ cancer whose tumors are CLDN18.2 positive,” Moitreyee Chatterjee-Kishore, Astellas senior vice president and head of immuno-oncology, said in a prepared statement. “Astellas is committed to working with the FDA and the third-party manufacturer to address the agency’s feedback, and to bringing zolbetuximab to U.S. patients in need, as soon as possible.” Several other companies are also developing CLDN18.2-targeting drugs. AstraZeneca’s early-stage program, licensed from KYM Biosciences last year, is part of the class of cancer therapies called antibody drug conjugates, or ADCs. Bristol Myers Squibb and Elevation Oncology are also in Phase 1 testing with their respective CLDN18.2-targeting ADCs. Merck KGaA holds an option to license a Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals ADC for that target under a deal it struck with the China-based biotech last fall. Meanwhile, Alentis Therapeutics has two programs, an antibody and an ADC, each of them targeting the related claudin 1 protein.

Dr. Pao, former Chief Development Officer at Pfizer and Head of Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, is highly recognized for his work in translational medicine BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Alentis Therapeutics (“Alentis”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing treatments for organ fibrosis and Claudin-1 positive tumors, announced today that Dr. William Pao will join its Board of Directors as an independent member effective immediately. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: Dr. William Pao has joined Alentis Therapeutics' Board of Directors as an independent member. (Photo: Alentis Therapeutics) “It’s tremendous to welcome William to the team,” said Roberto Iacone, Chief Executive Officer of Alentis. “His deep experience and understanding of global drug development and oncology will undoubtedly provide invaluable insights that will enable us to bring our novel anti-CLDN1 antibodies to patients." Luca Santarelli, Chair of Alentis said: “It’s a great pleasure to welcome William at Alentis and have the opportunity to work together again. William brought many new drugs to approval which changed the standard of care for patients suffering from serious medical conditions. With his deep oncology and drug development experience, William’s appointment significantly strengthens Alentis’ board.” Pao commented: “I am delighted to join Alentis, the worldwide leader in Claudin-1 biology. Its exciting science and promising pipeline spanning oncology and fibrosis set the stage for continued success, and I look forward to supporting Alentis on this journey.” Dr. William Pao is recognized for his ground-breaking work in translational medicine, mechanistic and clinical studies of targeted cancer therapeutics, cancer genomics and personalized medicine. As Chief Development Officer and Executive Vice President for Pfizer, he was a member of the Executive Leadership Team and led the Global Product Development organization, as well as regulatory affairs. As Head of the Roche Pharma Research & Early Development (pRED) unit, he was a member of the Enlarged Corporate Executive Committee and oversaw the discovery and early development of new molecular entities across multiple therapeutic areas. At pRED, he also served as the Global Head of the Oncology Discovery and Translational Area. Prior to joining industry, he was a practicing oncologist, lab researcher and clinical investigator at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and then Vanderbilt University, where he also served as the Division Chief of Hematology/Oncology. He’s currently an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt. William received his undergraduate degree from Harvard and his MD and PhD degrees from Yale University. About Alentis Therapeutics Alentis Therapeutics, the CLDN1 company, is a clinical-stage biotech developing breakthrough treatments for CLDN1+ tumors and organ fibrosis. CLDN1 is a previously unexploited target that plays a key role in the pathology of cancer and fibrotic disease. Alentis is the leading company pioneering anti-CLDN1 antibodies to modify and reverse the course of disease. Alentis was founded in 2019 based on ground-breaking research in the laboratory of Prof. Thomas Baumert, MD at the University of Strasbourg and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). Alentis is headquartered in pharma-biotech hub Basel, Switzerland with an R&D subsidiary in Strasbourg, France and clinical operations in the US. Visit View source version on businesswire.com: Contacts For more information please contact: Alentis Therapeutics Sariette Witte sariette.witte@alentis.ch +41 78 245 7310 O Public Relations GmbH O’Patrick Wilson o@os-pr.com +41 78 888 4332 Source: Alentis Therapeutics Smart Multimedia Gallery Photo Dr. William Pao has joined Alentis Therapeutics' Board of Directors as an independent member. (Photo: Alentis Therapeutics) Logo View this news release and multimedia online at:

Velji brings more than 20 years of experience in biotech financial services BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Alentis Therapeutics (“Alentis”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing treatments for Claudin-1 positive (CLDN1+) tumors and organ fibrosis, today announced that Rizwan Velji has been appointed Chief Business Officer (CBO). He will lead corporate strategy, business development, and finance. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: Rizwan Velji has joined Alentis Therapeutics as Chief Business Officer (Photo: Alentis Therapeutics) “Rizwan possesses an incredible depth of experience in corporate and financial strategy for biotech companies,” said Roberto Iacone, Chief Executive Officer of Alentis. “I look forward to our close collaboration and tapping into his expertise to further advance Alentis and maximize the potential of our pipeline.” Rizwan joins Alentis from William Blair, where he most recently served as Managing Director, advising small and mid-cap biopharma companies on raising private and public capital, strategic partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to William Blair, he served as Managing Director in Citigroup’s Healthcare Investment Banking division, and at Lazard, focused on strategic and financial advisory to both emerging biotech and large-cap pharma companies. Preceding investment banking, Rizwan spent six years in biotech venture capital in San Francisco and began his career as a bench scientist at Baylor College of Medicine at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. Rizwan holds an M.S. in Biotech and Business from Northwestern University and graduated with a B.S.(Hons) in Human Physiology from McGill University. Rizwan Velji said, “I am very excited to be joining Alentis at this critical juncture in their life cycle, as they rapidly advance their lead candidates through early clinical development. My goal is to support the growth and evolution of the company further securing Alentis’ leading position in Claudin-1 biology. We must bring much-needed medicines to patients suffering from CLDN1+ tumors and organ fibrosis.” About Alentis Therapeutics Alentis Therapeutics, the CLDN1 company, is a clinical-stage biotech developing breakthrough treatments for CLDN1+ tumors and organ fibrosis. CLDN1 is a previously unexploited target that plays a key role in the pathology of cancer and fibrotic disease. Alentis is the leading company pioneering anti-CLDN1 antibodies to modify and reverse the course of disease. Alentis was founded in 2019 based on ground-breaking research in the laboratory of Prof. Thomas Baumert, MD at the University of Strasbourg and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). Alentis is headquartered in pharma-biotech hub Basel, Switzerland with an R&D subsidiary in Strasbourg, France and clinical operations in the US. Visit