DURHAM, N.C., Jan. 04, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heat Biologics, Inc. (Nasdaq:HTBX), a leader in the development of immunotherapies designed to activate a patient’s immune system against cancer, announced the appointment of Jeff Hutchins, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of Preclinical Development. Dr. Hutchins will be overseeing Heat’s research efforts, bringing over 24 years of research and clinical development experience from both large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Most recently, Dr. Hutchins served as Vice President of Preclinical Research for Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics to fight cancer and infectious diseases. Dr. Hutchins was responsible for building out the research program for Peregrine’s lead product candidate, bavituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody designed to target phosphatidylserine. Currently in clinical development, bavituximab is being evaluated in combination through Peregrine-funded trials and strategic collaborations, including AstraZeneca and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN).
“I would like to welcome Dr. Hutchins to the Heat team,” commented Jeff Wolf, Heat’s Chief Executive Officer. “He brings a tremendous amount of industry experience, including preclinical research, clinical development and manufacturing. His expertise aligns with Heat’s current pipeline and priorities, and positions us strongly as we move into 2017.”
“This is a bittersweet announcement for Heat, as Dr. Schreiber has been with Heat since inception and has played an instrumental role in advancing our ImPACT and ComPACT platform technologies,” added Mr. Wolf. “Taylor will be joining Shattuck Labs, a biotechnology company focused on agonist redirected checkpoint therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy, as their CSO. Shattuck Labs is independently funded by outside investors and Heat has the potential to benefit from the success of Shattuck through milestone and royalty payments as they advance their product candidates. We look forward to continuing to work with Taylor in his newly appointed role as Chairman of our Scientific Advisory Board.”
“I am excited to be joining Jeff and his team at Heat, and to be continuing my pursuit in immuno-oncology and infectious diseases,” stated Dr. Hutchins. “I understand both the challenges and rewards of working within a start-up biotechnology environment, and am looking forward to offering my expertise in continuing to advance product candidates into the clinic and hopefully into the marketplace.”
Prior to joining Peregrine in 2012, Dr. Hutchins served as Vice President, Preclinical Development at Inhibitex Inc, which was acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb. From 1991 to 2000, Dr. Hutchins held several senior scientist positions in Discovery Research at Burroughs Wellcome and Glaxo Wellcome, with a visiting professor appointment at Rush Medical College. Dr. Hutchins earned a B.S. in Biology from Oral Roberts University, a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Texas, Health Science Center at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and conducted postdoctoral training in the University of Southern California’s Department of Microbiology at the Norris Cancer Center. Dr. Hutchins’ publications and patents span the fields of oncology, infectious disease, osteoarthritis and immunology.
About Heat Biologics, Inc.
Heat Biologics, Inc. (Nasdaq:HTBX) is an immuno-oncology company developing novel therapies that are designed to activate a patient’s immune system against cancer utilizing an engineered form of gp96, a protein that activates the immune system when cells die. Heat’s highly specific T cell-stimulating therapeutic vaccine platform technologies, ImPACT and ComPACT, form the basis of its product candidates. These platforms, in combination with other therapies, such as checkpoint inhibitors, are designed to address three distinct but synergistic mechanisms of action: robust activation of CD8+ “killer” T cells (one of the human immune system’s most potent weapons against cancer); reversal of tumor-induced immune suppression; and T cell co-stimulation to further enhance patients’ immune response. Currently, Heat is conducting a Phase 1b trial with HS-110 (viagenpumatucel-L) in combination with an anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor to treat patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a Phase 2 trial with HS-410 (vesigenurtacel-L) in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).
Heat’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Zolovax, Inc., is developing therapeutic and preventative vaccines to treat infectious diseases based on Heat’s gp96 vaccine technology, with a current focus on the development of a Zika vaccine in conjunction with the University of Miami. The Zolovax patent portfolio also includes gp96 vaccines targeting West Nile virus, Dengue and yellow fever among others.
For more information, please visit www.heatbio.com.
