Clinical stage immuno-oncology specialist Imugene (ASX: IMU) has added another key appointment to its growing team of specialists.
Dr John Byon has been named as senior vice president of clinical development, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to that role.
Notably, he has a substantial background in the development of novel therapeutics for cancer patients and has held several leadership roles with major biopharmaceutical companies.
Imugene chief executive officer and managing director, Leslie Chong, said Dr Byon will add significant expertise to the company’s leadership team.
“There is an excellent correlation with Dr Byon’s experience and our portfolio of assets at Imugene, making him an outstanding fit for the company. We look forward to him bringing his leadership and new perspectives into the clinical development team,” Ms Chong said.
Significant leadership experience
Dr Byon previously held the leadership role of vice president of clinical development in hematology and subsequently in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at California-headquartered Fate Therapeutics.
At Fate he was responsible for developing a clinical strategy for that company’s hematology portfolio, featuring five assets in B-cell malignancies, AML, and multiple myeloma.
He also provided oversight for all ongoing hematology trials as well as playing a pivotal role in restructuring the clinical development team.
Prior to his employment at Fate, Dr Byon was the senior medical director, head of clinical science at another California-based firm, Lyell Immunopharma.
He led clinical strategy development for portfolio assets, established the internal clinical science function, and represented clinical development in joint collaborations.
Other key roles he has filled include that of senior medical director at Juno Therapeutics where he led the firm’s global clinical development.
He also held various medical director roles over a four-year span at Genentech, focused largely on managing clinical development activities.
Follows naming of new chief operating officer
Dr Byon’s appointment comes just weeks after Imugene named Dr Bradley Glover as the company’s new chief operating officer.
Like Dr Byon, Dr Glover joined Imugene with a highly regarded reputation for his work in the medical research sector.
His lengthy career saw him involved in various sectors such as cell therapy, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, venture capital, finance, research and development and education.
He also brought expertise in deal negotiations, strategic collaborations, acquisitions, and licencing agreements to the new role at Imugene.
Like Dr Byon, Dr Glover also previously worked at Genentech where he held leadership positions, concentrating on business development, integration, and strategic planning.
Cashed up for further growth
In a period of serious growth, Imugene added significantly to its bank balance in mid-August when it received firm commitments from institutional and sophisticated investors for a $35 million placement.
The placement was followed by a share purchase plan (SPP), to raise approximately $30 million, from existing eligible shareholders.
Imugene founder and executive chairman Paul Hopper said the funds raised will be used to strengthen the company’s financial position as it progresses a number of developments.
This included making an upfront payment of around $12.3 million to Precision Biosciences in accordance with the terms of the licence agreement entered on 16 August 2023.
