Cue Biopharma Announces the Appointment of Dr. Rafi Ahmed to its Scientific Advisory Board

Rhea-AI Summary

BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2023 – Cue Biopharma announced the appointment of Dr. Rafi Ahmed to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Ahmed is a distinguished immunologist recognized for his research on T cell responses in viral infections and cancer. His insights are expected to bolster Cue's IL-2-based CUE-100 series targeting tumor-specific T cells, showcasing promising clinical data with CUE-101 for head and neck cancer and ongoing trials for CUE-102. Dr. Ahmed, also the Director of the Emory Vaccine Center, expressed excitement about contributing to Cue's innovative Immuno-STAT™ platform, aiming to advance targeted cancer therapies with fewer side effects.

Positive

• Dr. Rafi Ahmed's addition to the Scientific Advisory Board brings significant expertise in immunology, likely enhancing Cue's research and development efforts.
• CUE-101 has shown clinical promise in metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, indicating potential for market success.
• Ongoing trials for CUE-102 suggest continued focus on innovative cancer therapies, which may increase investor confidence.

Negative

• None.

BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cue Biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: CUE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel class of injectable biologics to selectively engage and modulate disease-specific T cells directly within the patient’s body, announced today that world-renowned immunologist and distinguished thought leader Dr. Rafi Ahmed, Ph.D., has joined its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

Dr. Ahmed’s research has significantly shaped the scientific community’s current understanding of immunity in the context of viral infections and cancer. His extensive work on defining T cell exhaustion along with detailing molecular underpinnings of T cell differentiation and effector responses have been seminal in establishing novel areas of research and therapeutic applications. His laboratory has pioneered highly sophisticated and leading-edge cellular and molecular techniques to study antigen-specific responses and immunological memory in murine, primate, and human systems.

“We are most excited and honored to have Dr. Ahmed join our SAB,” said Anish Suri, Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer of Cue Biopharma. “Rafi’s insights in defining the functional characteristics of potent T cell responses against foreign threats, including cancer, are directly pertinent to our IL-2-based CUE-100 series which selectively targets IL-2 to the tumor-specific T cells while avoiding broad activation of the immune system. The clinical validation and tolerability of our approach is exemplified by the maturing clinical data observed with our first clinical candidate, CUE-101, in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and in the potential of our second clinical candidate, CUE-102, currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 dose-escalation monotherapy trial, in multiple solid tumors. We look forward to Rafi’s insights and contributions as we further develop datasets that highlight our differentiated and targeted approach to cancer immunotherapy.”

Dr. Ahmed, added, “I am delighted to be joining Cue Biopharma’s Scientific Advisory Board. The Immuno-STAT™ platform and biologics represent a differentiated approach, demonstrating the ability to engage and activate disease-specific T cells within the patient’s body with off-the-shelf molecules. As a new core member of the SAB, I look forward to providing additional translational immunology expertise and accompany Cue Biopharma as it advances its clinical programs. I’m excited with its potential to bring much needed targeted therapies to patients that can improve clinical performance and reduce life-threatening side effects.”

Dr. Ahmed is the Director of the Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University. He is also the co-leader of the Cancer Immunology research program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Emory University School of Medicine. For his ground-breaking research contributions, Dr. Ahmed is an elected member of the National Academy of Science. He is also recognized as a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and a Fellow of the Academy of Immuno-Oncology.

About Cue Biopharma
Cue Biopharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, is developing a novel class of injectable biologics to selectively engage and modulate disease-specific T cells directly within the patient’s body. The company’s proprietary platform, Immuno-STAT™ (Selective Targeting and Alteration of T cells) and biologics are designed to harness the body’s intrinsic immune system as T cell engagers without the need for ex vivo manipulation or broad systemic modulation.

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, we are led by an experienced management team and independent Board of Directors with deep expertise in immunology and immuno-oncology as well as the design and clinical development of protein biologics.

For more information please visit www.cuebiopharma.com and follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/CueBiopharma.

Forward-Looking Statements 
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by those sections. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those regarding the company’s business strategies, plans and prospects. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the company’s future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely” or other comparable terms, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding the company’s strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause the company’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the company’s limited operating history, limited cash and a history of losses; the company’s ability to achieve profitability; potential setbacks in the company’s research and development efforts including negative or inconclusive results from its preclinical studies, its ability to secure required U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) or other governmental approvals for its product candidates and the breadth of any approved indication; adverse effects caused by public health pandemics, including COVID-19, including possible effects on the company’s trials; negative or inconclusive results from the company’s clinical trials or preclinical studies or serious and unexpected drug-related side effects or other safety issues experienced by participants in clinical trials; delays and changes in regulatory requirements, policy and guidelines including potential delays in submitting required regulatory applications to the FDA; the company’s reliance on licensors, collaborators, contract research organizations, suppliers and other business partners; the company’s ability to obtain adequate financing to fund its business operations in the future; operations and clinical the company’s ability to maintain and enforce necessary patent and other intellectual property protection; competitive factors; general economic and market conditions and the other risks and uncertainties described in the Risk Factors and in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of the company’s most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequently filed Quarterly Report(s) on Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statement made by the company in this press release is based only on information currently available to the company and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Investor Contact
Marie Campinell
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Cue Biopharma, Inc.
mcampinell@cuebio.com 

Media Contact
Maya Romanchuk
LifeSci Communications
mromanchuk@lifescicomms.com

 

FAQ

What is Cue Biopharma's recent development regarding Dr. Rafi Ahmed?

Cue Biopharma has appointed Dr. Rafi Ahmed, a renowned immunologist, to its Scientific Advisory Board to enhance its research efforts in cancer immunotherapy.

How does Dr. Ahmed's expertise impact Cue Biopharma?

Dr. Ahmed's extensive research on T cell responses is expected to provide valuable insights for Cue's IL-2-based therapies, potentially improving clinical outcomes.

What is the significance of the CUE-100 series in Cue Biopharma's pipeline?

The CUE-100 series focuses on selectively targeting tumor-specific T cells, which is crucial for developing effective cancer therapies with minimized side effects.

What are the key products currently being evaluated by Cue Biopharma?

Cue Biopharma is actively evaluating CUE-101 in clinical trials for head and neck cancer and CUE-102 in a Phase 1 trial for multiple solid tumors.