IZB start-up CatalYm, the pioneer for GDF-15 targeting in immuno-oncology, in January announced the appointment of Roy Baynes as an independent member to its Board of Directors, as well as the appointment of Petros Grivas, Roy Herbst, and Andrea Necchi to the Scientific Advisory Board. With their combined industry insights, drug development expertise and scientific know-how, the new appointees will greatly support CatalYm with the late-stage clinical evaluation of the company’s lead candidate visugromab.

Visugromab is a monoclonal antibody designed to neutralize the tumor-produced Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15), a central mediator of immune resistance to cancer therapies. The candidate is currently being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 2 program (GDFATHER-2), from which positive interim data were recently presented at ESMO Congress. The results highlighted that treatment with visugromab in combination with nivolumab achieves compelling anti-tumoral activity in rigorously defined anti-PD-(L)1 relapsed/refractory non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and urothelial cancer (UC) patients while retaining an excellent safety and tolerability profile.

“Roy is a distinguished figure in oncology and pharmaceutical development. It is not an exaggeration that he has played an instrumental role in developing some of the most innovative cancer treatments, including Keytruda. We are thrilled to add his strategic and visionary perspective to our Board,” commented Phil L’Huillier, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at CatalYm. “With Petros, Roy and Andrea, we welcome three accomplished translational scientists with key knowledge and expertise in the treatment of lung and bladder cancer as clinical advisors. This collective infusion of expertise will significantly strengthen our company as we continue our GDFATHER-2 trial to maximize visugromab’s potential as a critical component for treatment success in a broad range of anti-cancer regimens and indications.”

“CatalYm’s novel approach is poised to enhance cancer treatment by counteracting immunotherapeutic drug resistance, a critical challenge in oncology,” said Roy Baynes, Independent Member of CatalYm’s Board of Directors. “The company has a unique understanding of GDF-15 and its role in cancer which has opened a differentiated strategy in immuno-oncology for the treatment of solid tumors. Visugromab has the potential to reach a broader patient population and to enhance therapeutic outcomes. This is the primary reason I am looking forward to working with the team.”

Roy Baynes is an established leader in global pharmaceutical development, known for leading the development strategy for numerous significant new medicines, including Keytruda^®, which revolutionized cancer treatment globally. He currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Eikon Therapeutics, heading the clinical R&D team. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Travere Therapeutics, Inc. and Natera, Inc. and is an Advisor to Nurix, Inc. and Decheng Capital. From 2013 until 2022, he worked at Merck as Senior Vice President, Head of Global Clinical Development and Chief Medical Officer, where he was responsible for developing the entire clinical portfolio in the Merck Research Laboratories.

Petros Grivas is medical oncologist with vast experience and high expertise in genitourinary (GU) cancers. He has had a main role in several clinical trials leading to FDA approval of new drugs for urothelial cancer, including avelumab and Trodelvy^®. Dr. Grivas is considered a key opinion, thought leader and international expert.

Roy S. Herbst is widely recognized for his leadership and expertise in lung cancer treatment and research, particularly for the successful development of novel (immuno)therapies, including gefitinib, cetuximab, bevacizumab and axitinib. He and his Yale colleagues were among the first to describe the PD-1/PD-L1 adaptive immune response in early phase trials and to offer trials of PD-L1 inhibitors atezolizumab and pembrolizumab to lung cancer patients. He currently holds the positions of Ensign Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology), Chief of Medical Oncology, Deputy Director, and Associate Director of Translational Research at the Yale Cancer Center.

Andrea Necchi is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of urological malignancies. In November 2020, he was appointed Associate Professor of Oncology at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and Director of Genitourinary Medical Oncology at IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital and Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy. Prof. Necchi currently serves as a board member of the EAU Research Foundation and is an associate member of the ASCO-EAU penile cancer guidelines panel. His team pioneered the use of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer with the PURE-01 trial.

CatalYm’s aim is to expand the treatment horizon for immunotherapies
CatalYm is pioneering a novel immuno-oncology therapy, that counteracts GDF-15-mediated immunosuppression in the tumour microenvironment while maintaining a good safety profile. Our lead product visugromab, a novel GDF-15 neutralizing antibody, has demonstrated potent and durable anti-tumor efficacy with multiple, long-lasting objective responses in combination with anti-PD-1 treatment in phase 1/2 studies in advanced cancer patients. CatalYm is focused on maximizing visugromab’s potential as a new class of cancer immunotherapy with a clinically distinct profile in a range of solid tumor indications.