Adagene Appoints Heinz-Josef Lenz, M.D., FACP to Scientific and Strategic Advisory Board
08 March 2024 - 8:01AM
Adagene Inc. (“Adagene”) (Nasdaq: ADAG), a company transforming the
discovery and development of antibody-based therapies, today
announced the appointment of Heinz-Josef Lenz, M.D., FACP, to its
Scientific and Strategic Advisory Board (the “SAB”).
Dr. Lenz is the Associate Director for Clinical Research and
Co-leader of the Translational Science Program at the USC Norris
Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Keck Medicine of USC and
Co-Director of the Center for Cancer Drug Development at USC
Norris. He is also Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine
and the J Terrence Lanni Chair for Cancer Research in the Division
of Medical Oncology with Keck School of Medicine of USC.
“Microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one
of the cold tumors where effective immunotherapy still remains
elusive and I believe anti-CTLA-4 therapy should be part of the
solution,” said Dr. Lenz. “By enabling CTLA-mediated
intratumoral Treg depletion, the masked, anti-CTLA-4 ADG126
(muzastotug) in combination with pembrolizumab has shown compelling
results in phase 2 dose expansion in MSS CRC. The safety profile of
ADG126 allows higher, more frequent and repeat doses of anti-CTLA-4
in combination with anti-PD-1 therapies, and has the potential to
significantly improve longer-term survival benefit for patients
with serious unmet medical needs.”
An active researcher, Dr. Lenz’s National Cancer
Institute-funded laboratory is developing novel agents in his
preclinical models in GI cancer. As a transformational clinical
investigator and translational scientist, Dr. Lenz was the first to
lead the first prospective randomized Phase II trials using gene
expression from FFPE specimens. He also discovered that primary
tumor location of colorectal cancer (CRC) is an independent
predictive and prognostic marker, now in the NCCN guidelines. Dr.
Lenz accelerates translational and clinical research and provides
training and mentoring in the design and implementation of
investigator-initiated trials.
Dr. Lenz earned his M.D. degree at the Johannes-Gutenberg
Universität in Mainz, Germany. In 1991, he completed his
internship, residency, and fellowship training at the Eberhardt
Karls Universität in Tübingen, Germany. He obtained special
fellowship training at Universität Wien (Austria), George
Washington University and Harvard Medical School. He has published
over 570 peer reviewed manuscripts with an h-index of 113.
“We share Dr. Lenz’ vision that anti-CTLA-4 therapy is an
essential solution to bring immunotherapy to cancer patients with
cold tumors like MSS CRC,” said Peter Luo, Ph.D., Chairman,
CEO and President of R&D at Adagene. “His insight and
clinical experience as a leading expert in colorectal cancer is of
great importance as we develop our SAFEbody® ADG126 for patients
worldwide.”
For more information about members of the Adagene Scientific and
Strategic Advisory Board, visit:
https://www.adagene.com/about/key-advisors/
About AdageneAdagene Inc. (Nasdaq:
ADAG) is a platform-driven, clinical-stage biotechnology company
committed to transforming the discovery and development of novel
antibody-based cancer immunotherapies. Adagene combines
computational biology and artificial intelligence to design novel
antibodies that address globally unmet patient needs. The
company has forged strategic collaborations with reputable
global partners that leverage its SAFEbody® precision masking
technology in multiple approaches at the vanguard of science.
Powered by its proprietary Dynamic Precision
Library (DPL) platform, composed of NEObody™, SAFEbody, and
POWERbody™ technologies, Adagene’s highly differentiated pipeline
features novel immunotherapy programs. The company’s SAFEbody
technology is designed to address safety and tolerability
challenges associated with many antibody therapeutics by using
precision masking technology to shield the binding domain of the
biologic therapy. Through activation in the tumor microenvironment,
this allows for tumor-specific targeting of antibodies in tumor
microenvironment, while minimizing on-target off-tumor toxicity in
healthy tissues.
Adagene’s lead clinical program, ADG126 (muzastotug), is a
masked, anti-CTLA-4 SAFEbody that targets a unique epitope of
CTLA-4 in regulatory T cells (TREGs) in the tumor microenvironment.
ADG126 is currently in phase 1b/2 clinical studies in combination
with anti-PD-1 therapy, particularly focused on Metastatic
Microsatellite-stable (MSS) Colorectal Cancer (CRC). Validated
by ongoing clinical research, the SAFEbody platform can be applied
to a wide variety of antibody-based therapeutic modalities,
including Fc empowered antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and
bi/multispecific T-cell engagers.
For more information, please
visit: https://investor.adagene.com.
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SAFEbody® is a registered trademark in the United
States, China, Australia, Japan, Singapore, and
the European Union.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements,
including statements regarding the potential implications of
clinical data for patients, and Adagene’s advancement of, and
anticipated clinical activities, clinical development, regulatory
milestones, and commercialization of its product candidates. Actual
results may differ materially from those indicated in the
forward-looking statements as a result of various important
factors, including but not limited to Adagene’s ability to
demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its drug candidates; the
clinical results for its drug candidates, which may not support
further development or regulatory approval; the content and timing
of decisions made by the relevant regulatory authorities regarding
regulatory approval of Adagene’s drug candidates; Adagene’s ability
to achieve commercial success for its drug candidates, if approved;
Adagene’s ability to obtain and maintain protection of intellectual
property for its technology and drugs; Adagene’s reliance on third
parties to conduct drug development, manufacturing and other
services; Adagene’s limited operating history and Adagene’s ability
to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the
development and commercialization of its drug candidates; Adagene’s
ability to enter into additional collaboration agreements beyond
its existing strategic partnerships or collaborations, and the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Adagene’s clinical development,
commercial and other operations, as well as those risks more fully
discussed in the “Risk Factors” section in Adagene’s filings with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking
statements are based on information currently available to Adagene,
and Adagene undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise
any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required
by law.
Investor & Media Contact
Ami Knoefler650-739-9952ir@adagene.com
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