NEW HAVEN, Conn., Aug. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cybrexa Therapeutics, an oncology-focused biotechnology company developing a new class of therapeutics through its alphalex™ tumor targeting platform, today announced that it has expanded its Scientific Advisory Board with the appointment of Roy S. Herbst, M.D., Ph.D., Ensign Professor of Medicine, Professor of Pharmacology, Chief of Medical Oncology, Director of the Yale SPORE in Lung Cancer, and Associate Director for Translational Research at Yale Cancer Center (YCC) and Yale School of Medicine.
Dr. Herbst has worked over several decades as a pioneer of personalized medicine and immunotherapy to identify biomarkers and bring novel targeted treatments and immunotherapies to patients, serving as principal investigator for numerous clinical trials testing these agents in advanced stage lung cancers. This work led to the approval of several therapies (such as gefitinib, cetuximab, bevacizumab, axitinib, atezolizumab, and pembrolizumab), which have revolutionized the field and greatly enhanced patient survival. His work on "umbrella” trials has galvanized the field of targeted therapy and cancer drug approvals at the FDA. Nationally, he is at the forefront of personalized medicine and works closely with public-private partnerships to develop large clinical studies, such as Lung-MAP. The NCI Lung SPORE he leads has identified new mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to immunotherapy.
Dr. Herbst has authored or co-authored more than 300 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, abstracts, and book chapters. His work has appeared in many prominent journals, such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, Lancet, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Work published in Nature was awarded the 2015 Herbert Pardes Clinical Research Excellence Award by the Clinical Research Forum.
Dr. Herbst was a member of the National Cancer Policy Forum, for which he organized an IOM meeting focused on policy issues in personalized medicine. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Cancer Research, where he chairs the Tobacco Task Force, as well as the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and an elected member of the Association of American Physicians. He is vice chair for developmental therapeutics for Southwestern Oncology Group’s (SWOG) Lung Committee and the Principal Investigator of the Lung-MAP master protocol. In 2015, his team at Yale was awarded a Lung Cancer SPORE by the NCI (renewed in 2020), and he serves as a principal investigator for an AACR/ Stand Up to Cancer Dream Team grant.
Dr. Herbst said, “I am excited to join Cybrexa’s scientific advisory board as CBX-12 approaches the clinic. I believe that the alphalexTM platform and programs have tremendous potential, particularly in solid tumor patients who are refractory to immunotherapy and in combination with immunotherapy drugs. I look forward to providing Cybrexa with guidance as they make the transition to become a clinical stage company over the next year.”
Per Hellsund, President and CEO of Cybrexa, added, “We are honored to have Dr. Herbst join our scientific advisory board. His contributions will be invaluable as we expand our clinical strategy in solid tumors."
About the alphalex™ Technology Platform
The Cybrexa alphalex™ technology platform – which consists of a pHLIP® peptide, linker, and small molecule anti-cancer agent (payload) – enables antigen-independent targeting of tumors and intracellular delivery of highly potent anticancer therapies, creating therapeutics that can revolutionize the standard of care. pHLIP® peptides are a family of pH-Low Insertion Peptides that target acidic cell surfaces. pHLIP® was developed at Yale University and the University of Rhode Island, and is exclusively licensed to pHLIP, Inc. alphalex™ represents the disruptive next generation in tumor targeting. View a video of the mechanism of action of the technology at www.cybrexa.com.
About Cybrexa
Cybrexa is a privately-held biotechnology company dedicated to developing next-generation tumor-targeted cancer therapies using its alphalex™ platform. The Company’s lead candidate, CBX-12, an alphalex™-exatecan conjugate, is expected to enter Phase I/II in 2021 in advanced solid tumors. Cybrexa also has other preclinical toxin conjugate programs as well as synthetic lethality programs. Cybrexa was founded by physician-scientists and has an experienced management team that has built numerous successful life sciences companies. For more information about Cybrexa, please visit www.cybrexa.com.
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