BlueSphere Bio Appoints Keir Loiacono as Chief Executive

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BlueSphere Bio, a T-cell receptor (TCR) T-cell remedy firm creating a robust TCR discovery platform and novel therapeutic candidates for sufferers with hematologic malignancies and strong tumors, introduced the appointment of Keir Loiacono, Esq. to Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Loiacono has performed a key position as Chief Business Officer at BlueSphere during the last yr, working carefully with co-founders Drs. Mark and Warren Shlomchik, Dr. Bob Keefe, Chief Development Officer, and the broader staff at BlueSphere. Mr. Loiacono will lead BlueSphere into the subsequent part of development, as the corporate continues to construct out its scientific and analysis actions.

BlueSphere expects to file an IND within the first quarter of 2023 for its first scientific candidate, a TCR T-cell remedy directed in opposition to the minor histocompatibility antigen HA-1 for the remedy of high-risk leukemia within the setting of allogeneic stem cell transplant. In addition, the corporate continues to develop extra, novel TCR-based scientific candidates by using its TCXpress™ and NEOXpress™ discovery platforms.

Jonathan Peacock, Chairman of BlueSphere’s Board of Directors, commented, “Under Keir’s leadership, BlueSphere will continue to build on its very strong scientific foundation and the strong financial support of UPMC Enterprises as it prepares to embark on its first clinical trial and leverages its TCXpress™ and NEOXpress™ discovery platforms to generate additional clinical candidates. I would also like to thank David Apelian, who is stepping down as CEO, for his service in leading the early development of the company over the last 3 years.”

Prior to becoming a member of the corporate, Mr. Loiacono served as Vice President of Business Development and General Counsel of OncoSec Medical Inc., a publicly traded, scientific stage oncology firm. Earlier in his profession, he labored as a Senior Director for Advaxis, Inc., a late stage, publicly traded, immuno-oncology firm targeted on creating, manufacturing and commercializing most cancers vaccines, the place he oversaw varied authorized, transaction and compliance capabilities. Before Advaxis, Mr. Loiacono was an IP lawyer with Lerner David Littenberg Krumholz & Mentlik, the place he targeted on transactions and constructing patent portfolios. For almost a decade earlier than this position, he held varied industrial roles with OraPharma, a specialty pharmaceutical firm that was bought by Johnson & Johnson. Mr. Loiacono additionally serves on the Board of Directors for EpiAxis Therapeutics, an early-stage drug discovery firm.

About BlueSphere Bio

BlueSphere Bio is the primary translational sciences stand-alone firm fashioned by UPMC Enterprises, the innovation, commercialization, and enterprise capital arm of the Pittsburgh-based well being system. The firm was based upon the distinctive, superior TCR discovery platform – TCXpress™, designed to isolate and functionally characterize TCRs with velocity and effectivity. This platform will probably be used to establish panels of particular TCRs reactive in opposition to shared antigens in varied scientific settings to be used in both TCR-based cell remedy or in antibody-like molecules, such as bi-specific T cell engagers. While the corporate’s preliminary focus is on oncology, the platform may very well be deployed in different therapeutic areas such as auto-immunity. BlueSphere anticipates submitting its first IND software within the first quarter of 2023 for a novel TCR T-cell remedy for sufferers with high-risk leukemias, together with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and myeloid dysplastic syndrome (MDS) within the context of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Concurrent with its use for shared antigens, BlueSphere is deploying TCXpress™ and NEOXpress™, a proprietary patient-specific neoantigen discovery platform, to focus on patient-specific neoantigens and anticipates extra digital affected person knowledge from a number of strong tumor sorts over the subsequent a number of months.

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Kim Jaffe
Vice President, Business Development & Operations
+1-609-306-7042
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