Achilles Therapeutics appoints Professor Karl Peggs as Chief Medical Officer
Stevenage, UK 7 October 2020 – Achilles Therapeutics (“Achilles”), a clinical-stage oncology company developing personalised cell therapies targeting clonal neoantigens, a novel class of tumour target, today announced the appointment of Professor Karl Peggs as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) with effect from 4th January 2021. Professor Peggs is an internationally recognised leader in the field of cancer immunology and a founder of the Company.
"Karl is a pioneer in the field of cancer immunology and has an unparalleled reputation for execution of complex cellular therapy trials,” said Dr Iraj Ali, CEO of Achilles Therapeutics. “He was instrumental in the formation of Achilles and we are delighted that he will be joining the Company on a permanent basis. We are at an exciting time in our growth as we continue to expand our studies in non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma, whilst broadening our pipeline into other solid tumour indications.”
“Achilles’ innovative platform, which enables the development of personalised T cell therapies for solid tumours targeting clonal neoantigens, has produced a uniquely compelling pipeline with the potential to target a broad range of cancers not satisfactorily addressed by currently approved therapies,” said Professor Karl Peggs, Chief Medical Officer of Achilles Therapeutics. “I am thrilled to be working with the dynamic team at Achilles to execute on our vision of fundamentally changing how certain cancers are treated.”
Karl is currently a Professor of Transplant Science and Cancer Immunotherapy at UCL Cancer Institute, Scientific Director of the NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit for Stem Cells and Immunotherapies, and Clinical and Scientific Director of the Sir Naim Dangoor Centre for Cellular Immunotherapy at UCLH. Karl received his preclinical training and MA at Cambridge University, completing his clinical training at Oxford University Medical School. He completed his general medical training at Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge, and specialist haematology training at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford and subsequently UCLH, London. He spent over 2 years at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center NYC, USA in the laboratory of Professor James Allison studying murine models of regulatory checkpoint blockade and subsequently ran a joint Research Laboratory with Professor Sergio Quezada at the UCL Cancer Institute where his research interests included viral infections, adoptive cellular therapies, and regulatory checkpoint-directed immune-therapeutics and he and Sergio retain active links to the institute. More recently he has established the clinical translational side of the academic CAR T cell programme at UCLH.
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Notes for Editors:
About Achilles Therapeutics
Achilles Therapeutics is a clinical stage, biopharmaceutical company developing personalised T cell therapies targeting clonal neoantigens: protein markers unique to the individual that are expressed on the surface of every cancer cell. The Company has two ongoing Phase I/II studies, the THETIS study in patients with recurrent or metastatic malignant melanoma and the CHIRON study in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Achilles uses DNA sequencing data from each patient, together with the proprietary PELEUS™ bioinformatics platform, to identify clonal neoantigens specific to that patient, and then develop personalised T cell-based therapies specifically targeting those clonal neoantigens.
Achilles was founded in 2016 by lead investor Syncona Ltd and in September 2019 the Company raised £100M in an oversubscribed Series B financing led by RA Capital, cornerstoned by Syncona and joined by new investors including Forbion, Invus, Perceptive Advisors and Redmile Group. For further information please visit the Company’s website at: www.achillestx.com
Further information:
Achilles Therapeutics
Dr Iraj Ali – Chief Executive Officer
+44 (0)1438 906 906
media@achillestx.com
Julia Wilson – Head of Communications
+44 (0)7818 430877
j.wilson@achillestx.com
Consilium Strategic Communications
Mary-Jane Elliott, Sukaina Virji, Melissa Gardiner
+44 (0) 203 709 5000
achillestx@consilium-comms.com
US Investor Relations - Solebury Trout
Lee Stern
+1 646-378-2922
lstern@troutgroup.com