18 May 2016
Scancell Holdings Plc
("Scancell" or the "Company")
Scancell Opens US Headquarters in San Diego
Key Management Changes to Support Future Growth
Scancell Holdings Plc, (AIM:SCLP), today announces the opening of new offices in San Diego to support the Company's ambitious US growth plans together with plans to establish a new base in the Oxford area for its UK corporate and development activities.
In addition, the following changes have been made to the structure of Scancell's executive management team to optimally align management expertise with the strategic direction outlined in the £6.2m ($9m) fundraising completed in April.
Dr John Chiplin, who is based in the US and is currently Scancell's Non-Executive Chairman, will assume the role of Executive Chairman. John will be directly involved in raising the corporate profile of the Company in the US. Recent US transaction experience, as a director/CEO, includes Benitec Biopharma (US IPO), Medistem (acquired by Intrexon), Arana (acquired by Cephalon) and Domantis (acquired by GSK). Prior to Scancell John was CEO of Polynoma, a Phase III cancer vaccine company, based in San Diego.
Dr Richard Goodfellow, currently Joint CEO, will become Chief Executive Officer and Professor Lindy Durrant, currently Joint CEO, will become Chief Scientific Officer, allowing her to focus fully on the innovative drug discovery that underpins Scancell's novel technology platforms.
Dr Sally Adams will remain as Development Director.
Dr John Chiplin, Executive Chairman of Scancell commented: "The Board believes that these changes align management with the strategic direction outlined at the time of our recent £6m fundraising and optimally leverage expertise with the needs of the Company. Scancell's next generation cancer vaccine platforms, ImmunoBody® and Moditope®, are delivering outstanding results and I am convinced that Scancell will secure wider recognition for its innovative technologies and products in both the United States and Europe over the coming months."
-ENDS-
For Further Information:
Dr John Chiplin, Executive Chairman Dr Richard Goodfellow, CEO |
Scancell Holdings Plc |
+1 858 900 2646 +44 (0) 20 3727 1000 |
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Robert Naylor (Corporate Finance) Maisie Atkinson (Sales) |
Panmure Gordon & Co |
+44 (0) 20 7886 2714 +44 (0) 20 7886 2905 |
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Mo Noonan/Simon Conway |
FTI Consulting |
+44 (0) 20 3727 1000 |
About Scancell
Scancell is developing novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer based on its ImmunoBody® and Moditope® technology platforms.
Scancell's first ImmunoBody®, SCIB1 is being developed for the treatment of melanoma and is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial. Data from the trial demonstrate that SCIB1, when used as monotherapy, has a marked effect on tumour load, produces a melanoma-specific immune response and highly encouraging survival trend without serious side effects. In patients with resected disease there is increasing evidence to suggest that SCIB1 may delay or prevent disease recurrence.
Scancell's ImmunoBody® vaccines target dendritic cells and stimulate both parts of the cellular immune system: the helper cell system where inflammation is stimulated at the tumour site and the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte or CTL response where immune system cells are primed to recognise and kill specific cells.
Pre-clinical data on a combination of SCIB1 or SCIB2 and checkpoint inhibition (blockade of the PD-1 or CTLA-4 immune checkpoint pathways) have shown enhanced tumour destruction and significantly longer survival times than when either treatment was used alone.
Scancell has also identified and patented a series of modified epitopes that stimulate the production of killer CD4+ T cells that destroy tumours without toxicity. The Directors believe that the Moditope® platform could play a major role in the development of safe and effective cancer immunotherapies in the future.
