HOOKIPA welcomes Prof. Jean-Charles Soria to its Board of Directors

– AUSTRIA, Vienna –  HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK), a company developing a new class of immunotherapeutics targeting infectious diseases and cancers based on its proprietary arenavirus platform, today announced the appointment of Professor Jean-Charles Soria, M.D., Ph.D., to its Board of Directors.

“We’re honored to welcome Jean-Charles, a globally recognized scientist and oncologist, to HOOKIPA’s Board of Directors,“ said CEO, Joern Aldag. “Jean-Charles’ is rounding the scientific diversity of our board with his deep expertise in oncology, immunotherapy, and clinical development. He will bring enormous value as we are expanding our clinical pipeline.”

About Dr. Jean-Charles Soria

Jean-Charles Soria, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor of Medicine and Medical Oncology at the University of Paris-Saclay and currently serves as Director-General of the Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, one of the world’s leading cancer research institutes. During his tenure there, he has held a number of positions, including Chairman of the Department of Drug Development (2013-2017), a member of the Lung Cancer Division focusing on targeted therapies (2001-2017), and Director of the Gustave Roussy SIRIC Research Program (2013-2017). From 2017 to 2019, Dr. Soria was Senior Vice President at AstraZeneca, where he was responsible for early oncology research and development with specific responsibility for immunotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates, and cell therapy. Dr. Soria was also an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2013 to 2017.

Professor Soria is a widely cited clinical scientist and author or co-author of more than 630 publications in leading international journals. Dr. Soria is a member of ESMO, ASCO, AACR, and SITC. He has held various roles in these organizations. From 2013 to 2017 he was the Editor in Chief of the ESMO flagship journal Annals of Oncology. Dr. Soria has received multiple awards from the National Academy of Medecine (2009) and the National Academy of Sciences (2014) in France. He received the prestigious ESMO award in 2018.

“HOOKIPA’s arenavirus platform is a versatile technology designed to target and treat cancer and other diseases with a potent, tailored immune response,” said Dr. Soria. “Despite considerable innovation in the field, cancer remains an area of unmet medical need. I am pleased to join the Company at this exciting stage as a member of the Board of Directors, and help advance this innovative technology to make a difference in the life of people impacted by cancer and other serious diseases.”

About HOOKIPA

HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of immunotherapeutics targeting infectious diseases and cancers based on its proprietary arenavirus platform that reprograms the body’s immune system.

HOOKIPA’s proprietary arenavirus-based technologies, non-replicating and replicating, induce robust antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and pathogen-neutralizing antibodies. HOOKIPA’s “off-the-shelf” viral vectors target antigen-presenting cells in vivo to activate the immune system. Both technologies enable repeat administration to augment and refresh immune responses. As a monotherapy, our replicating arenavirus technology has the potential to induce CD8+ T cell response levels previously not achieved by other immuno-therapy approaches.

HOOKIPA’s non-replicating prophylactic Cytomegalovirus vaccine candidate is currently in Phase 2 clinical trial for patients awaiting kidney transplantation. To expand its infectious disease portfolio, HOOKIPA entered into a collaboration and licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to research arenavirus-based functional cures for HIV and chronic Hepatitis B infections.

In addition, HOOKIPA is building a proprietary immuno-oncology pipeline by targeting virally mediated cancer antigens, self-antigens, and next-generation antigens. The lead replicating arenavirus oncology product candidates, HB-201 and HB-202, are in development for the treatment of Human Papilloma Virus 16-positive cancers. The Phase 1/2 clinical trial for HB-201 was initiated in December 2019. The HB-202 IND application was cleared by the FDA in June 2020.

For more information: https://www.hookipapharma.com/

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Talent4Boards Team