BOSTON, July 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aktis Oncology, a clinical stage biotechnology company discovering and developing novel targeted alpha radiopharmaceuticals to treat a broad range of solid tumors, today announced the appointment of Akos Czibere, MD, PhD, as Chief Medical Officer.  With nearly 20 years of experience in drug development for hematologic and solid tumor cancers, Dr. Czibere brings significant clinical and scientific expertise and leadership capabilities to the role. Pankaj Bhargava, MD, who served as interim Chief Medical Officer in connection with his Entrepreneur Partner role at MPM BioImpact, will transition to Aktis' Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

"Akos' broad experience and deep expertise in oncology drug development and regulatory affairs further strengthens our capabilities to deliver on the significant patient impact potential of our first-in-class Nectin-4-targeted miniprotein radioconjugate, as well as the multiple programs to follow," said Matthew Roden, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aktis. "We thank Pankaj for his contributions to Aktis and look forward to his continued impact as a member of our SAB."

In his nearly 20-year career, Dr. Czibere oversaw several functional areas, filed a number of Investigational New Drug applications and successfully led multiple global registration programs in solid tumors and hematological malignancies with approvals in the US, EU, Japan, China and other regions. Most recently, Dr. Czibere held the position of Vice President and Therapeutic Area Head of Hematology-Oncology at Pfizer Inc., where he led global development strategies for a portfolio of innovative therapies, and played a pivotal role in the development and global registration of several novel treatments for a variety of cancers including the PARP inhibitor TALZENNA and the T-cell engager ELREXFIO. Prior to Pfizer, Dr. Czibere served as Vice President, Clinical Development at Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, where he designed and executed patient-centric clinical trials from first-in-human through proof of concept.  Dr. Czibere received an MD and PhD from the University of Duesseldorf, Germany, and conducted a postdoctoral research fellowship at Harvard Medical School. He has authored over 60 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. 

"I am honored to be joining the leadership team at Aktis at a pivotal time in the company's growth," said Dr. Czibere. "The Aktis team has built an impressive pipeline of alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals that have the potential to offer novel treatment options for patients with cancer."

Aktis Oncology is a clinical stage biotechnology company pioneering the discovery and development of novel targeted alpha radiopharmaceuticals to treat a broad range of solid tumor cancers. Founded and incubated by MPM BioImpact, the company has developed proprietary platforms to generate tumor targeting agents with ideal properties for alpha radiopharmaceuticals. The company's first among several pipeline programs targets Nectin-4, a tumor-associated antigen found in urothelial and other cancers. Designed for high tumor penetration and long residence time, Aktis Oncology's molecules will quickly clear other areas of the body, thereby maximizing anticancer activity while minimizing side effects of treatment. This approach would further enable clinicians to visualize and verify target engagement prior to exposure to therapeutic radioisotopes. Aktis Oncology also has a strategic collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company. To learn more about Aktis Oncology, visit www.aktisoncology.com.

MEDIA CONTACT 
Terri Clevenger
ICR Westwicke
203-682-8297
Terri.Clevenger@westwicke.com

INVESTOR CONTACT
Peter Vozzo 
ICR Westwicke
443-213-0505
Peter.Vozzo@westwicke.com  

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SOURCE Aktis Oncology