SELLAS Life Sciences Expands Executive Team with Appointment of Robert Francomano as Chief Commercial Officer
SELLAS Life Sciences Group has appointed Robert Francomano as Chief Commercial Officer, effective immediately. With over 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical sector, Francomano previously led Stemline Therapeutics through its transition to full commercialization. His expertise is expected to significantly contribute to SELLAS’s pipeline, particularly with its lead candidate, galinpepimut-S (GPS), which targets various tumor types. CEO Angelos Stergiou expressed confidence in Francomano’s capabilities, hoping to advance the company's mission in cancer therapies.
- Appointment of Robert Francomano expected to strengthen commercial capabilities.
- Francomano's experience with oncology product brands enhances SELLAS's potential for successful commercialization.
- Transition from clinical-stage to full commercialization aligns with company goals.
- Concerns about continuity and experience gaps due to management change.
Biopharmaceutical Veteran Brings More Than 25 Years of Experience to SELLAS
NEW YORK, March 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SELLAS Life Sciences Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SLS) (“SELLAS” or the “Company”), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel cancer immunotherapies for a broad range of indications, announced today that the Company has appointed Robert Francomano as Chief Commercial Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Francomano brings significant and broad biopharmaceutical commercial leadership to SELLAS, including experience building and managing oncology product brands through all stages of commercialization, most recently as Chief Commercial Officer at Stemline Therapeutics until the completion and integration of its acquisition by the Menarini Group last year.
“Robert joins our team with over two decades of experience working in the biopharmaceutical industry, with a proven track record of successfully transforming a company from clinical-stage to full commercialization,” said Angelos Stergiou, MD, ScD. h.c., President and Chief Executive Officer of SELLAS. “Given the depth of his experience, we are confident that Robert will be an invaluable asset to our team, especially as our product pipeline, including our lead candidate, galinpepimut-S (GPS), continues to mature. We are pleased to welcome Robert to SELLAS as we look forward to delivering key milestones across our pipeline and cancer treatments to patients in need.”
Prior to joining SELLAS, Mr. Francomano served as Chief Commercial Officer at Stemline Therapeutics, where he led the transformation of that organization from a clinical-stage entity to a company with full commercial capabilities and infrastructure in both the United States and European Union. Before that, Mr. Francomano held several key roles within the oncology divisions at Baxalta, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, with vast responsibilities that spanned the developmental continuum from asset discovery through patent expiry.
“Joining SELLAS at such a pivotal moment in the Company’s evolution will allow me to leverage my global commercialization experience to further SELLAS’s mission of bringing lifesaving immunotherapeutic treatments to market for cancer patients around the world,” added Mr. Francomano. “I look forward to working alongside the Company's highly talented and strong leadership team and to build a commercial organization to help bring novel therapies to cancer patients extending their lives.”
About SELLAS Life Sciences Group, Inc.
SELLAS is a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel cancer immunotherapeutics for a broad range of indications. SELLAS’ lead product candidate, galinpepimut-S (GPS), is licensed from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and targets the WT1 protein, which is present in an array of tumor types. GPS has potential both as a monotherapy and in combination to address a broad spectrum of hematologic malignancies and solid tumor indications. SELLAS’ second product candidate, nelipepimut-S (NPS), is a HER2-directed cancer immunotherapy with potential to treat patients with early-stage breast cancer with low to intermediate HER2 expression, otherwise known as HER2 1+ or 2+, which includes triple negative breast cancer patients, following the standard of care.
For more information on SELLAS, please visit www.sellaslifesciences.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts are “forward-looking statements,” including those relating to future events. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “plan,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “project,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “intend,” or “continue” and other words or terms of similar meaning. These statements include, without limitation, statements related to the clinical development of GPS, the potential for GPS as a drug development candidate. These forward-looking statements are based on current plans, objectives, estimates, expectations, and intentions, and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the Company’s clinical plans, risks and uncertainties associated with immune-oncology product development and clinical success thereof, the uncertainty of regulatory approval, and other risks and uncertainties affecting SELLAS and its development programs as set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in SELLAS’ Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 23, 2021 and in its other SEC filings. Other risks and uncertainties of which SELLAS is not currently aware may also affect SELLAS’ forward-looking statements and may cause actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from those anticipated. The forward-looking statements herein are made only as of the date hereof. SELLAS undertakes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information, future events, changes in its expectations or other circumstances that exist after the date as of which the forward-looking statements were made.
Investor Contact
Allison Soss
KCSA Strategic Communications
Email: SELLAS@kcsa.com
Phone: 212.896.1267
Media Contact
Raquel Cona
KCSA Strategic Communications
Email: SELLAS@kcsa.com
Phone: 212.896.1276
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