A clinical-stage biotechnology firm based in Houston is adding executives and expanding its footprint.
ImmunoGenesis Inc., which is developing therapies to treat cancerous tumors, is expanding its clinical, business development and research and development teams. The new additions include Federica Pericle, acting chief scientific officer; Dr. Annemarie Moseley, acting chief medical officer; Scott Cullison, acting chief business officer; Matthew Hemberger, senior director of chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) and quality; Christine Gagliardi, director of R&D; and Cassandra Harrison, vice president of clinical operations.
Pericle boasts more than two decades of biotech executive experience and most recently worked as CEO of Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Agilvax. Mosely brings two decades of experience to ImmunoGenesis after most recently serving as CEO of Dallas-based Sandhill Therapeutics and executive vice president of operations at Houston-based Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: BLCM). Hemberger joined ImmunoGenesis from England-based GlaxoSmithKline, where he served as director of data integrity for a joint venture between GSK and New York-based Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE). Harrison, most recently vice president of data management and clinical operations at Sandhill Therapeutics, will lead all of ImmunoGenesis' clinical operations. Cullison was previously vice president of business development and commercial planning for Dallas-based Peloton Therapeutics, which was acquired by New Jersey-based Merck (NYSE: MRK) for $2.3 billion in 2019. Gagliardi previously worked in R&D roles for Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer.
In addition to making key hires, ImmunoGenesis announced opening a research laboratory within Johnson & Johnson's JLabs in the Texas Medical Center Innovation Institute, at 2450 Holcombe Blvd. Gagliardi will lead the newly opened lab as director of R&D.
ImmunoGenesis is focused on developing a pipeline of therapies aimed at tumors that have resisted other immunotherapies. The firm was founded by Michael Curran, an associate professor of immunology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Curran also serves on the scientific advisory board for K2 BioLabs, a new research facility for biotech and pharmaceutical startups in Houston.
James Barlow became president and CEO at ImmunoGenesis in April 2020. He previously worked as vice president of operations and business development for Geneos Therapeutics, a spinout from Pennsylvania-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: INO). The new additions to ImmunoGenesis will help the firm advance multiple clinical programs into 2022 and early commercial planning for its portfolio, Barlow said.
"As we enter the next phase of ImmunoGenesis' evolution, we recognize that translational research, clinical progress and collaborative activities are key factors that create incremental value, and we are excited to have talented and experienced professionals join the company to contribute to our success," Barlow said.
In August 2020, ImmunoGenesis was awarded $15.5 million from the Cancer Prevention Institute of Texas to advance clinical development for its lead drug candidate, IMGS-001, a dual specific checkpoint inhibitor and tumor microenvironment remodeling agent. In December 2020, the biotech firm licensed and acquired several key development assets for its pipeline, including licensing assets from M.D. Anderson.
Houston-based venture capital group Texas Halo Fund invested in ImmunoGenesis in December 2020.
