TScan Therapeutics Appoints Debora Barton, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

TScan Therapeutics, Inc. (TCRX) has appointed Dr. Debora Barton as Chief Medical Officer, bringing nearly 20 years of clinical oncology experience. This appointment coincides with the upcoming Phase 1 trial for leukemia therapy, aimed at treating hematologic malignancies. Dr. Barton previously held key roles at Carisma Therapeutics and Iovance Biotherapeutics, overseeing clinical development and operations. TScan is focused on T-cell receptor engineered therapies, with lead candidates in development targeting both liquid and solid tumors.

Positive

• Appointment of Dr. Debora Barton as Chief Medical Officer enhances leadership in clinical development.
• Dr. Barton's extensive experience in cell therapy and oncology aligns with TScan's strategic goals.

Negative

• Potential challenges in clinical trial execution given ongoing complexities in the biopharmaceutical landscape.

WALTHAM, Mass., July 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TScan Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: TCRX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of T-cell receptor (TCR) engineered T cell therapies (TCR-T) for the treatment of patients with cancer, today announced the appointment of Debora Barton, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Barton, a clinical oncologist experienced in developing cell therapies for cancers, brings to TScan nearly two decades of expertise across global clinical research and development, and executive leadership in large pharma and midsized and small biotech companies.

“We are pleased to welcome Debora to TScan at such a crucial time as we are initiating sites for our lead leukemia Phase 1 trial slated to begin enrolling patients in the middle of the year,” said David P. Southwell, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Dr. Barton’s clinical experience in developing treatments for both liquid and solid tumors comes at the right time for us, as we advance our clinical-stage TCR program in myelogenous cancers and develop clinical programs for solid tumors. We look forward to working with her.”

“I am thrilled to join the TScan team at such an exciting time and look forward to bringing my clinical oncology and clinical research and development expertise to support the progress of the Company’s pipeline with the goal to develop TCR-Ts for the treatment of multiple tumor types,” said Dr. Barton. “The team at TScan has rapidly advanced the Company’s science in their efforts to bring new and effective treatments for both hematological malignancies and solid tumors into the clinic, and I look forward to working with the team to bring TScan’s innovative therapies to the patients that need them.”

Prior to joining TScan, Dr. Barton was the Chief Medical Officer at Carisma Therapeutics Inc., where she was responsible for clinical development, clinical operations, medical affairs, and safety. Previously Dr. Barton was the Senior Vice President, Head of Clinical, Head of Safety at Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc., where she oversaw several Phase 2 studies in solid tumors and led clinical efforts related to regulatory interactions. Prior to Iovance, Dr. Barton held positions of increasing responsibility at biotech and pharmaceutical companies including Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A., Celgene Corporation, and Novartis. Dr. Barton is a board certified clinical oncologist (M.D.), and a board member for the American Cancer Society, the Tigerlily Foundation (medical advisory board), a national breast cancer foundation providing advocacy and support for young women before, during and after breast cancer, and Arovella Therapeutics Ltd (non-executive director). She holds an M.D. from Pontificia Universidade Catolica Sao Paulo and completed her fellowship in oncology at Federal University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.

About TScan Therapeutics, Inc.

TScan is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of T cell receptor (TCR) engineered T cell therapies (TCR-T) for the treatment of patients with cancer. The Company’s lead leukemia TCR-T therapy candidates, TSC-100 and TSC-101, are in development for the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies to eliminate residual leukemia and prevent relapse after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The Company is also developing multiplexed TCR-T therapy candidates for the treatment of various solid tumors. The Company has developed and continues to build its ImmunoBank, the Company’s repository of therapeutic TCRs that recognize diverse targets and are associated with multiple HLA types in order to provide customized multiplexed TCR-T therapies for patients with a variety of solid tumors.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, express or implied statements regarding the structure, timing and success of the Company’s planned preclinical development and clinical trials, and the potential benefits of any of the Company’s proprietary platforms or current or future product candidates in treating patients. TScan intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as, but not limited to, “may,” “might,” “will,” “objective,” “intend,” “should,” “could,” “can,” “would,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “project,” “target,” “design,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “plan,” “on track,” or similar expressions or the negative of those terms. Such forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations that involve risks, changes in circumstances, assumptions, and uncertainties. The express or implied forward-looking statements included in this release are only predictions and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation: the beneficial characteristics, safety, efficacy, therapeutic effects and potential advantages of TScan’s TCR-T therapy candidates; TScan’s expectations regarding its preclinical studies being predictive of clinical trial results; the timing of the initiation, progress and expected results of TScan’s preclinical studies, clinical trials and its research and development programs; TScan’s plans relating to developing and commercializing its TCR-T therapy candidates, if approved, including sales strategy; estimates of the size of the addressable market for TScan’s TCR-T therapy candidates; TScan’s manufacturing capabilities and the scalable nature of its manufacturing process; TScan’s estimates regarding expenses, future milestone payments and revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; TScan’s expectations regarding competition; TScan’s anticipated growth strategies; TScan’s ability to attract or retain key personnel; TScan’s ability to establish and maintain development partnerships and collaborations; TScan’s expectations regarding federal, state and foreign regulatory requirements; TScan’s ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for its proprietary platform technology and our product candidates; the sufficiency of TScan’s existing capital resources to fund its future operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements; and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, including mitigation efforts and political, economic, legal and social effects, on any of the foregoing or other aspects of TScan’s business or operations; and other factors that are described in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of TScan’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any other filings that TScan has made or may make with the SEC in the future. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release represent TScan’s views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Except as required by law, TScan explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contact

Heather Savelle
TScan Therapeutics, Inc.
VP, Investor Relations
857-399-9840
hsavelle@tscan.com

Joyce Allaire
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
Managing Director
617-435-6602
jallaire@lifesciadvisors.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8fe8de5c-f2c3-4e24-96b3-d7dc694c07ff

FAQ

What is the significance of Debora Barton's appointment at TScan Therapeutics?

Debora Barton's appointment as Chief Medical Officer is significant as it brings extensive experience in clinical oncology and cell therapies, aligning with TScan's objectives in advancing its cancer treatment pipeline.

What are the upcoming clinical trials for TScan Therapeutics?

TScan Therapeutics is initiating a Phase 1 trial for its lead leukemia therapy, expected to begin patient enrollment in the middle of the year.

What experience does Dr. Debora Barton bring to TScan Therapeutics?

Dr. Barton has nearly two decades of experience in clinical research and development, having served in leadership roles at various biotech companies, focusing on cancer treatments.

How does TScan Therapeutics plan to progress its cancer treatment pipeline?

TScan plans to advance its clinical-stage TCR programs targeting myelogenous cancers, and develop multiplexed TCR-T therapy candidates for solid tumors.