Williams and newly formed SAB bring decades of cancer drug development experience to help Valink lead innovation in the rapidly advancing ADC space
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Valink Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing innovative bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (bsADCs) to transform the treatment of cancer and other diseases, has appointed Martin D. Williams as Chair of its Board of Directors. The company also named its Scientific Advisory Board, which assembles experts in the discovery, development, manufacture and commercialization of ADCs and bispecific therapeutics.
“We are thrilled to welcome Martin, whose expertise in strategy, development and partnering, and track record of leading multiple U.S. biopharmaceutical companies, will be instrumental to the next stages of Valink. He brings deep experience advancing a wide range of therapeutics from early development through regulatory approval and commercialization and developing industry partnerships that move promising medicines closer to patients. Martin’s career journey, which began in the UK before his move to the U.S. over 30 years ago, mirrors Valink’s roots as a University of Oxford spinout based in the U.S., with a strong UK presence,” said Arne Scheu, DPhil, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Valink. “Furthermore, I am excited to announce our Scientific Advisory Board, which brings together a distinguished group of advisors who have been at the forefront of ADC and bispecific innovation and development.”
Mr. Williams brings to Valink more than 35 years of experience in the global biopharmaceutical business, having closed more than $5 billion worth of corporate transactions, including numerous partnerships, M&A, and public and private financings. He recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Caraway Therapeutics, a venture-backed company developing therapeutics to modulate lysosomal function for neurodegenerative and rare diseases, through the company’s acquisition by Merck & Co. at the end of 2023. Previously, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Tokai Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage oncology company; Chief Business Officer at Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, a leading RNAi company with programs in oncology; and Chief Business Officer and Senior Vice President for commercial and business development at Synta Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage public company focused on oncology and inflammation. Earlier in his career, he held various leadership positions and directed the development, commercialization and launch of several flagship brands for GSK, Hoffmann-La Roche and Lederle/Wyeth (now Pfizer), including GSK’s blockbusters Zantac® and Zofran®; Hoffmann La-Roche’s Xenical®; and Lederle/Wyeth’s global anti-infective portfolio, including Zosyn®/Tazocin®. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MS from the University of Manchester, UK.
“Valink has developed a compelling approach to realizing the unmet potential of ADCs to improve outcomes for patients with cancer and other diseases, which has been restricted by dose-limiting toxicities and the range of suitable targets. Their technology addresses a significant challenge to ADC innovation by enabling rapid and cost-effective generation and screening of bispecific ADCs, unlocking a vast range of target synergy and potentially bringing previously undruggable space within reach,” said Mr. Williams. “I am excited to work closely with the Valink executive team and Board as the company builds on its discoveries and pursues its clinical aspirations.”
Valink also announced the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board, initially consisting of:
- Sonia Quaratino, MD, PhD is Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Innate Pharma, a clinical-stage biotech utilizing monoclonal antibodies, multi-specific NK cell engagers and ADCs to develop immunotherapies for cancer. Her career spans over 25 years in basic research, clinical development and translational medicine across academia, biotech and global pharmaceuticals. She has held numerous leadership positions, including serving as CMO at Kymab (until its acquisition by Sanofi) and Georgiamune Inc, and was Professor of Immunology at the University of Southampton.
- Marc Damelin, PhD is Chief Scientific Officer at Alphina Therapeutics and an expert in oncology drug discovery and development. Previously he served as VP and Head of Biology at Mersana Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech developing ADCs to treat cancer. Prior to that he worked for a decade in ADC discovery and development in Pfizer’s Oncology Research Unit.
- Robert Lutz, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at leading ADC company Iksuda Therapeutics, is a recognized expert in ADC discovery and development. As VP of Translational R&D at ImmunoGen, he was responsible for bringing eight ADC product candidates into development and was the research lead for Kadcyla®, the first ADC to be approved for solid tumor indications.
- Antoine Awad, Principal Executive Officer of Synlogic, has extensive experience in CMC, bispecific drug development and partnerships. Prior to Synlogic, he held leadership positions at various biotechs, including Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, where he led CMC development, manufacturing and approval of ONIVYDE® for treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer and transitioned to Ipsen Bioscience to lead global commercial manufacturing of ONIVYDE®.
- Mihriban Tuna, PhD is Chief Executive Officer of Immutrin and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Cambridge Innovation Capital, a leading UK-based venture company focused on deep tech and life sciences. She previously served as Chief Scientific Officer at Adaptate Biotherapeutics (acquired by Takeda) and SVP, Drug Discovery at F-star Therapeutics, and was an early employee at Domantis Ltd. (acquired by GSK).
- Alexey A. Lugovskoy, PhD is President and Chief Executive Officer of Diagonal Therapeutics, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Atlas Ventures and Associate Editor of mAbs. He formerly served as Chief Operating Officer at Dragonfly, Chief Development Officer at Morphic, Vice President of Therapeutics at Merrimack Pharmaceuticals and Associate Director of Drug Discovery at Biogen. He joined Valink’s Board of Directors in 2023, and this additional appointment highlights a close collaboration between the Scientific Advisory Board, Board of Directors and leadership team.
About Valink Therapeutics
Valink Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of first-in-class bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (bsADCs) to transform the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Valink’s technology platform utilizes a modular assembly approach to rapidly generate bsADCs with therapeutic potential, testing drugs at unparalleled scale and speed to improve on the payload delivery and selectivity of conventional ADCs. The company is based in Boston, Massachusetts and has research and development operations in London, UK. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.valinktx.com or contact the company at connect@valinktx.com.
Contacts
Contact for media and investors
Arne Scheu
connect@valinktx.com
