News | September 18, 2018
HARPOON THERAPEUTICS ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MANAGEMENT TEAM
Jonathan Drachman, M.D., former CMO of Seattle Genetics, Brings Immuno-Oncology Expertise to Board
South San Francisco, CA – September 18, 2018 – Harpoon Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing a new class of T cell engaging therapeutics, announced today that it has appointed Jonathan Drachman, M.D., to its Board of Directors and Mr. Chris Whitmore to Vice President, Finance.
“I am pleased to welcome both Dr. Drachman to our board and Mr. Whitmore to the Harpoon management team, where their expertise will be instrumental as Harpoon continues to evolve as a leader in immuno-oncology,” said Jerry McMahon, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Harpoon Therapeutics. “Jonathan has a proven track record as a successful R&D executive in the biotech industry, including substantial knowledge of oncology drug development and novel biologics. Chris brings strong experience in financial management, strategy and compliance.”
Dr. Drachman brings more than 20 years of academic research, clinical oncology and biotechnology experience, most recently as Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Seattle Genetics, where he played a key role in the clinical development of Adcetris® and advancing the pipeline of antibody-drug conjugates and immuno-oncology drug candidates. He currently serves as Strategic Advisor for Innovation for Seattle Genetics. Dr. Drachman completed his internal medicine residency and medical oncology fellowship at the University of Washington and was a faculty member in the Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine from 1998 through 2004. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Drachman also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Calithera Biosciences.
“The team at Harpoon Therapeutics has done a remarkable job developing the TriTAC T cell engager technology, which has a unique ability to target and kill cancer cells in solid tumors, and advancing its first product to the clinic in prostate cancer. I am excited to join the Board and be part of this important effort to improve outcomes for cancer patients,” said Dr. Drachman.
Mr. Whitmore has more than 15 years of experience in strategic finance, accounting, operations, investor relations, organizational planning and oversight. Prior to Harpoon, he served as Vice President, Finance and Administration for Immune Design, a publicly-traded immuno-oncology company. Prior to Immune Design, he held management positions of increasing responsibilities at AcelRx Pharmaceuticals and Sangamo Therapeutics. He started his career at KPMG LLP, where he served as a manager in the audit practice, and holds an active CPA license. Mr. Whitmore received his B.A. in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
ABOUT HARPOON THERAPEUTICS
Harpoon Therapeutics is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company founded by Patrick Baeuerle, Ph.D., a pioneer in the development of T cell engaging therapies, and MPM Capital. The company is focused on the discovery and development of novel T cell engaging biologics for the treatment of cancer. Harpoon Therapeutics created a novel T cell redirection platform called TriTAC (Tri-specific T cell Activating Construct) to unleash the targeted cell-killing properties of a patient’s own immune system through T cell activation. This approach has been designed to potentially overcome the limitations of existing immunotherapies to penetrate tissues and extend serum exposure for superior efficacy in solid tumors. Harpoon Therapeutics is seeking to develop a robust pipeline of TriTAC candidates. The company has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial for lead candidate HPN424, a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeting TriTAC, and expects to file an investigational new drug application for HPN536, a mesothelin-targeting TriTAC in the near future. For more information, please visit www.harpoontx.com.
CONTACT
Harpoon Therapeutics
Kinkead Communications, Inc.
Susan Kinkead
+1 415-509-3610
susan@kinkeadcomm.com
