Mersana Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Alejandra Carvajal as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

Mersana Therapeutics (Nasdaq: MRSN) announced the appointment of Alejandra Carvajal as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. This strategic addition comes during significant growth, particularly with the UPLIFT strategy for UpRi and the expansion of its ADC pipeline. Carvajal brings over twenty years of legal experience, notably from her previous role at Momenta Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson for $6.5 billion. Her expertise is expected to enhance Mersana's operational capabilities in navigating legal complexities as the company advances its oncology-focused initiatives.

Positive

• Alejandra Carvajal brings over twenty years of legal experience, enhancing the leadership team.
• Strategic appointment aligns with the company's growth phase and UPLIFT strategy for UpRi.

Negative

• Potential continuity concerns as the company undergoes leadership changes.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRSN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing a pipeline of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting cancers in areas of high unmet medical need, today announced the appointment of Alejandra Carvajal as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer.

“With our UPLIFT strategy now underway for UpRi and our growing pipeline of product candidates derived from our innovative ADC platforms, we are thrilled to have Alejandra join the team at this time of immense growth,” said Anna Protopapas, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mersana Therapeutics. “Alejandra’s twenty-year legal leadership experience, demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and sound business judgement will be an invaluable asset to our organization.”

Ms. Carvajal was most recently the Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Secretary at Momenta Pharmaceuticals, where she led the company’s legal operations through both business restructuring and the successful acquisition by Johnson & Johnson for $6.5 billion. She also served as a key strategic legal partner in the Company’s financing, business development and contractual decision-making efforts. Prior to joining Momenta, Ms. Carvajal served as the Vice President, General Counsel at Cerulean Pharma. Previously, Ms. Carvajal worked at Millennium Pharmaceuticals in several positions of increasing seniority, where she was the legal business partner to Millennium’s R&D, business development, manufacturing and commercial functions. Ms. Carvajal also held positions earlier in her career at law firms Day, Berry & Howard LLP and Hill & Barlow. She received her Juris Doctorate with honors from the Georgetown University Law Center and holds a bachelor’s degree with honors from Harvard University. She is a member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Bar.

"I am excited to join such a dynamic team and am eager to help Mersana deliver on the potential of its novel and groundbreaking pipeline to help patients triumph over cancer," said Ms. Carvajal.

About Mersana Therapeutics
Mersana Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company using its differentiated and proprietary ADC platforms to rapidly develop novel ADCs with optimal efficacy, safety and tolerability to meaningfully improve the lives of people fighting cancer. Mersana’s lead product candidate, upifitamab rilsodotin (UpRi), is a Dolaflexin ADC targeting NaPi2b and is being studied in UPLIFT, a single-arm registration strategy, in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer as well as the expansion portion of a Phase 1 proof-of-concept clinical study in patients with NSCLC adenocarcinoma. XMT-1592, Mersana’s second ADC product candidate targeting NaPi2b-expressing tumors, was created using Mersana’s customizable and homogeneous Dolasynthen platform and is in the dose escalation portion of a Phase 1 proof-of-concept clinical study. The Company’s early-stage programs include XMT-1660, a Dolasynthen ADC targeting B7-H4, as well as XMT-2056, a STING-agonist ADC developed using the Company’s Immunosynthen platform. In addition, multiple partners are using Mersana’s Dolaflexin platform to advance their ADC pipelines.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are not statements of historical facts and are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include information concerning the Company’s business strategy and the design, progression and timing of its clinical trials, the ability of the single-arm UPLIFT cohort to enable registration, and expectations regarding future clinical trial results based on data achieved to date, and the sufficiency of the Company’s cash on hand. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by terms such as “aims,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “contemplates,” “continues,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “goal,” “intends,” “may,” “on track,” “opportunity,” “plans,” “poised for,” “possible,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “promises to be,” “seeks,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Forward-looking statements represent management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. The Company’s operations involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside its control, and any one of which, or combination of which, could materially affect its results of operations and whether the forward-looking statements ultimately prove to be correct. Factors that may materially affect the Company’s results of operations and whether these forward-looking statements prove to be correct include, among other things, that preclinical testing or early clinical results may not be predictive of the results or success of ongoing or later preclinical or clinical studies, that the identification, development and testing of the Company’s product candidates and new platforms will take longer and/or cost more than planned, and that our clinical studies may not be initiated or completed on schedule, if at all, as well as those listed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 26, 2021, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and subsequent SEC filings. In addition, while we expect that the COVID-19 pandemic might adversely affect the Company’s preclinical and clinical development efforts, business operations and financial results, the extent of the impact on the Company’s operations and the value of and market for the Company’s common stock will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence at this time, such as the ultimate duration of the pandemic, travel restrictions, quarantines, physical distancing and business closure requirements in the U.S. and in other countries, and the effectiveness of actions taken globally to contain and treat the disease. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Contact:

Investor & Media Contact
Sarah Carmody, 617-844-8577
scarmody@mersana.com  

FAQ

Who is Alejandra Carvajal and what is her role at Mersana Therapeutics?

Alejandra Carvajal is the newly appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Mersana Therapeutics, bringing extensive legal leadership experience from companies like Momenta Pharmaceuticals.

What impact might Alejandra Carvajal's appointment have on Mersana Therapeutics?

Her appointment is expected to strengthen Mersana's legal operations and support its growth, particularly amid the development of its innovative pipeline.

What is the current focus of Mersana Therapeutics?

Mersana Therapeutics is focused on developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer treatment, notably through its UPLIFT strategy for UpRi.

What is the significance of the UPLIFT strategy for Mersana Therapeutics?

The UPLIFT strategy is a single-arm registration strategy for UpRi, aimed at addressing unmet medical needs in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

What was Alejandra Carvajal's previous role before joining Mersana Therapeutics?

Before joining Mersana, Carvajal was the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Momenta Pharmaceuticals.