Det svenska bioteknikbolaget BioInvent stärkte sin pipeline av cancerbehandlingar under 2021. Bolaget gick in det nya året med fyra kandidater i klinisk fas och som snart utökas med ett femte. Med det högre tempot och större regulatoriska arbetet detta medför, har bolaget nu stärkt organisationen med en Chief Operating Officer i form av Marie Moores. För BioStock berättar Moores om varför hon valde att anta utmaningen och på vilka sätt hon kommer att bidra till det positiva momentum som BioInvent befinner sig i.

BioInvent utvecklar immunmodulerande antikroppar för cancerbehandling. Den primära läkemedelskandidaten BI-1206 utvärderas i två fas I/IIa-studier, dels i kombination med Mercks Keytruda (pembrolizumab) i solida tumörer, dels i kombination med Genentechs och Biogens Rituxan (rituximab), riktat mot non-Hodgkins lymfom (NHL).

I bolagets pipeline finns även kandidaterna BI-1808 och BT-001 för behandling av solida tumörer, vilka båda befinner sig i fas I-utveckling. Detta betyder att BioInvent nu har inalles fyra pågående kliniska program. Den 8 december 2021 lämnade bolaget dessutom in en ansökan om klinisk prövning för en fas I/IIa-studie av BI-1607, en ny anti-FcyRIIB-antikropp för behandling av patienter med solida tumörer. När denna ansökan godkänns kommer bolaget ha expanderat sin projektportfölj till fyra läkemedelskandidater som utvärderas i totalt fem kliniska studier.

Branschkunnig expert ny COO

Med tanke på det höga tempot i utvecklingsarbetet – men även för att vd Martin Welschof skall kunna fokusera mer på långsiktig strategisk utveckling, nya partnerskap och kapitalmarknader – utsågs i mitten av januari Marie Moores till Chief Operating Officer i bolaget.

Moores har mer än 25 års erfarenhet från läkemedelsindustrin, inklusive bolagsbyggande med fokus på läkemedelsutveckling. Marie Moores kommer närmast från det norska bolaget LINK Medical Research där hon var Executive Vice President, International Operations & Early Development. Under fler än 20 år har hon dessförinnan haft positioner som Director, Clinical and Regulatory Operations för Europa på Theradex Oncology, där hon även var styrelseledamot i 18 år.

»Proving our development portfolio continues to grow and to generate promising safety and efficacy data, I expect BioInvent to continue to be able to attract institutional capital and securing deals with large multinational pharmaceutical companies« – Marie Moores, COO BioInvent

COO kommenterar

Med anledning av att Marie Moores idag den 1 februari formellt tillträder sin tjänst som COO på BioInvent, passade BioStock på att ställa några frågor kring hennes förväntningar. 

Marie, you have spent a long career focusing on regulatory work and drug development. What attracted you to take onthe challenge of being COO at BioInvent?

– During my long career in oncology-focused drug development, I have worked with many international companies developing early and late-stage assets in solid tumours as well as in haematological malignancies. This has given me the opportunity to acquire an in-depth understanding of oncology drug development as well as the opportunities and challenges ahead. I’m looking forward to putting all this experience to good use at BioInvent, to working with the team as well as our partners and to supporting our expanding oncology portfolio. There is a significant need for safer and more targeted anti-cancer therapies in areas of high unmet medical need and I’m delighted to work for a company which is active in this area.

2021 was a good year for BioInvent, both financially and clinically and you will soon have five clinical trials running inparallel. What will be your primary focus?

– My primary focus will be to get involved in all operational aspects including quality assurance as well as commercial strategy planning such as further developing the target product profiles for BioInvent’s drug candidates.

You will also be involved in the commercial strategy planning such as further developing the target product profiles for BioInvent’s drug candidates. Can you elaborate on this?

– The purpose of a target product profile (TPP) is to outline the desired ‘profile’ or characteristics of a target product that, in the case of BioInvent, is aimed at particular cancers, either as monotherapy or in combination with other complementary anti-cancer agents. TPPs state intended use, target populations and other desired attributes of products, including safety and efficacy-related characteristics. Such profiles will guide our product research and development (R&D), frame development in relation to compilation of product dossiers and set internal R&D targets to attract funding and co-development opportunities.

BioInvent has a good track record both in terms of attracting institutional venture capital and securing deals with largemultinational pharmaceutical companies. What are your expectations with regards to these areas?

– Proving our development portfolio continues to grow and to generate promising safety and efficacy data, I expect BioInvent to continue to be able to attract institutional capital and securing deals with large multinational pharmaceutical companies.

Finally, how do you envision BioInvent’s position in three years?

– BioInvent will continue to develop and expand as a fully integrated business with a diversified portfolio of clinical immune oncology assets with the goal of finding new treatment modalities and modes of actions for specific cancers where there a high unmet medical need. Although there is the possibility to integrate BioInvent further into the value chain, the focus on building strong partnerships will remain a priority for the foreseeable future. 

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