LONDON, May 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Engitix Ltd (‘Engitix’), a biotechnology company with a portfolio of drug discovery programmes in fibrosis and solid tumours using its proprietary human extracellular matrix (ECM) platform, today announces the appointment of Sonia Quaratino, M.D., PH.D., to its Board of Directors, as an independent non-executive director.
Dr. Quaratino has over 25 years of experience in immunology and oncology research and clinical development at biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, has served on multiple boards, and overseen research programmes at leading academic institutions. She is currently Chief Medical Officer at Georgiamune INC (USA), Chair of the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board for STipe Therapeutics, and a non-executive director for Circio ASA (previously known as TargoVax) and Ichnos Sciences INC.
Prior to her transition to a portfolio career, Dr Quaratino was Chief Medical Officer at Kymab, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on immune-mediated diseases and immuno-oncology therapeutics, acquired by Sanofi for $1.1 billion plus milestones in April 2021. Previously, she held roles as Global Clinical Program Leader in Translational Clinical Oncology at Novartis, Senior Medical Director and Immunology Advisor at Merck Serono, and was Professor of Immunology at the University of Southampton, leading international research in basic science and translational medicine. Her research has been published in high impact scientific journals.
Dr. Quaratino received her Medical Degree and Doctorate in Hematology-Oncology from the University of Palermo, and her Ph.D. in Immunology from Imperial College London.
Eduardo Bravo, Chairman of the Board of Engitix, said, “I am delighted to welcome Dr. Quaratino to the Board. She brings valuable clinical and commercial experience in the development of innovative and effective therapies to treat cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. This experience, together with her scientific and translational expertise in the understanding of pathogenic mechanisms underlying chronic inflammatory diseases, and the interface between inflammation and cancer, is highly relevant to Engitix as the Company advances its portfolio of internal and partnered drug discovery programmes in fibrosis and solid tumours.”
Dr. Quaratino, Non-Executive Director of Engitix, said, “I am thrilled to join the Engitix board and look forward to contributing to the company’s strategic development. I am impressed by Engitix’s ECM platform, and its potential to accelerate the identification and validation of novel targets for the development of innovative therapies against important fibrotic diseases and solid tumours.”
Notes to Editors:
About Engitix Ltd
Engitix is progressing a portfolio of internal and partnered drug discovery programmes in fibrosis and solid tumours using its pioneering human extracellular matrix (ECM) platform. The use of more physiologically relevant human in vitro models is transforming the ability to identify new targets, to develop more advanced treatments and to enable a more accurate prediction of the efficacy of therapeutic candidates. It has a strategic drug discovery partnership with Dompé farmaceutici where Engitix’s internal drug development programmes are being accelerated by leveraging Dompé’s AI-enabled high performance computing platform, Exscalate, and drug discovery and development collaborations with Takeda in advanced fibrotic liver diseases, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and in fibrostenotic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Established to commercialise cutting-edge research from the Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Division of Medicine, University College London (UCL), Engitix is headquartered in Westworks, White City Place, London, UK. It has raised more than $60m in equity from investors including Netherton Investments (a fund investing on behalf of Mike Platt) and Dompé farmaceutici S.P.A.
For more information, please visit www.engitix.com
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For more information:
At the Company
Giuseppe Mazza, CEO
E: giuseppe.mazza@engitix.com
Media enquiries (for Engitix)
Sue Charles, Charles Consultants
T: +44 7986 726585
E: sue@charles-consultants.com
