Coherus BioSciences Names Physician-Scientist Ildiko Csiki, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of its Scientific Advisory Board
Coherus BioSciences has appointed Dr. Ildiko Csiki as Chair of its Scientific Advisory Board, bringing over 20 years of experience in the field of cancer immunotherapies. Under her leadership, the SAB will collaborate with Coherus to enhance its immuno-oncology portfolio, particularly focusing on toripalimab, a PD-1 blocking antibody in development. This appointment is expected to strengthen Coherus' position as it aims for multiple therapeutic indications and registrations through its commercial biosimilar operations.
- Appointment of Dr. Ildiko Csiki is expected to enhance leadership and scientific guidance.
- Dr. Csiki's extensive background in cancer immunotherapy may accelerate the development of toripalimab.
- No immediate financial metrics or specifics on toripalimab's market potential disclosed.
- Csiki has over two decades of experience in research and drug development of cancer immunotherapies -
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coherus BioSciences, Inc. (“Coherus”, Nasdaq: CHRS) today announced the appointment of Ildiko Csiki, M.D., Ph.D., a leader in the field of immuno-oncology research and drug development, as Chair of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). With Dr. Csiki as Chair, Coherus’ SAB will work closely with Coherus leadership to build a world-class immuno-oncology franchise that offers life-changing medicines to patients. In collaboration with Junshi Biosciences, Coherus is developing toripalimab, a PD-1 blocking antibody, in an extensive registrational development program for a broad range of tumor types, as well as in combination with other immuno-oncology targeting agents.
“We are honored to have Dr. Csiki as Chair of our Scientific Advisory Board. As a highly regarded and successful physician-scientist, she has made significant contributions to the development of several cancer immunotherapies, including pembrolizumab,” said Denny Lanfear, CEO of Coherus. “Over the next several years, as we advance toripalimab in multiple therapeutic indications toward registrations in the US and build out our broader immuno-oncology franchise, her expertise and scientific insights will be essential to our development and commercialization strategies. Dr. Csiki joins our existing SAB which includes distinguished members from top institutions who have made significant contributions to the immuno-oncology field.”
“I look forward to working with Coherus’ SAB to help define an optimal approach to developing and commercializing a potentially broad immuno-oncology portfolio, starting with toripalimab, both as monotherapy and in potential combination with complementary agents such as anti-TIGIT antibodies, eIL-2 cytokines, and other immuno-oncology targets,” said Dr. Csiki, Chief Commercial Research and Development Officer at City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.
Before joining City of Hope, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, Dr. Csiki served as the chief medical officer at Sensei Biotherapeutics, where she was responsible for the clinical strategy for the discovery and development of cancer immunotherapies. Prior to that, Dr. Csiki served as Vice President of Immuno-Oncology Clinical Development at Inovio Pharmaceuticals where she led the advancement of Inovio’s DNA-based cancer immunotherapies. She also held clinical development lead roles at Merck responsible for pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) development in multiple indications as well as at GSK focused on multiple assets for various cancer programs. Dr Csiki began her post-graduate career at the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine as a tenure-track physician scientist in the Department of Radiation Oncology. She earned an M.D. and Ph.D. in cancer biology from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Her postdoctoral training included an internship in Internal Medicine and residency in radiation oncology at Vanderbilt and subsequently, a Holman Pathway Research Fellowship. She is also a General Management Program graduate from the Wharton Business School with focus in strategic innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Coherus Scientific Advisory Board
Ildiko Csiki, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Commercial Research and Development Officer at City of Hope
Thomas Graeber, Ph.D.
Professor, Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Director, UCLA Metabolomics Center
Michael J. Gresser, Ph.D.
Previous Senior Executive at Amgen and Merck
Samir N. Khleif, M.D.
Biomedical Scholar Professor, Georgetown University
Ravindra Majeti, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine (Hematology), Chair - Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine
Carl F. Ware, Ph.D.
Director, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
About Coherus BioSciences
Coherus is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company with the mission to increase access to cost-effective medicines that can have a major impact on patients’ lives and to deliver significant savings to the health care system.
Coherus’ strategy is to build a leading immuno-oncology franchise funded with cash generated by its commercial biosimilar business. Coherus markets UDENYCA® (pegfilgrastim-cbqv) in the United States and through 2023 expects to launch toripalimab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, as well as biosimilars of Lucentis®, Humira®, and Avastin®, if approved.
For additional information, please visit www.coherus.com.
UDENYCA® is a trademark of Coherus BioSciences, Inc.
Avastin® and Lucentis® are registered trademarks of Genentech, Inc.
Humira® is a registered trademark of AbbVie Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, Coherus’ ability to generate cash flow from its UDENYCA® business; Coherus’ ability to develop and to commercialize toripalimab; Coherus’ ability to expand a late-stage pipeline into the rapidly growing checkpoint inhibitor market; any market size expectation for checkpoint inhibitor therapeutic agents in the United States; the potential for toripalimab to gain approval in the United States; Coherus’ plans to invest the cash generated by its biosimilar commercial business to build a focused immuno-oncology franchise; Coherus’ ability to prepare for projected launches through 2023 of biosimilars of Humira®, Avastin® and Lucentis®, if approved.
Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause Coherus’ actual results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risk that the parties are unable to obtain clearance under the Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or any other statute or regulatory agency having jurisdiction with respect to the proposed transactions, the risks and uncertainties inherent in the clinical drug development process; the risks and uncertainties of the regulatory approval process, including the timing of Coherus’ regulatory filings; the risk that Coherus is unable to complete commercial transactions and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of Coherus’ drug candidates; and the risks and uncertainties of possible patent litigation. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Coherus undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to Coherus’ business in general, see Coherus’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2021, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 6, 2021 and its future periodic reports to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our results for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of our operating results for any future periods.
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