Amunix Appoints Fred Hausheer, MD, FACP, as Chief Medical Officer
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA–(Marketwired – February 13, 2017) – Amunix Operating Inc., a privately held biotechnology company and developer of a broad portfolio of biopharmaceuticals based on its novel XTEN® polymer half-life extension technology, XTEN drug-conjugate delivery technology and bispecific T-cell engager (ProTIA) pro-drug cancer therapeutics platforms, announced that it has appointed Frederick Hausheer, MD, FACP, as its Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Hausheer brings more than 25 years’ experience in global oncology drug development, translational medicine, and drug discovery in commercial and academic settings to Amunix.
Volker Schellenberger, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are extremely pleased to have Fred join the Amunix management team. He brings exceptionally broad product development leadership and clinical expertise to the organization. His deep clinical experience in the oncology field will be especially valuable in the support of our ProTIA oncology platform. I look forward to working with Fred to accelerate the advancement of our clinical pipeline.”
Dr. Hausheer said, “It is a great privilege to be joining Amunix. I am exceedingly impressed with the technology, the Amunix team and the progress that has been made with the company’s ProTIA T-cell engager cancer targeting platform which has broad potential to serve as a novel important therapeutic option over current cancer treatment regimens. I am excited about the prospects for advancing the pipeline of ProTIA platform products into patients and beyond. I believe that Amunix’ innovative technologies will be an important advance for immuno-oncology drugs to improve patient outcomes.”
Over the course of his career, Dr. Hausheer has helped secure over $750 million in financial transactions involving capital raising, joint ventures, strategic alliances and licensing of compounds for partnership opportunities. He is experienced in trial design and execution, and involved in numerous regulatory interactions for drugs spanning from pre-IND and Phase I-III development in the United States, Europe, Asia/PAC and other territories. As founder, Chairman, CEO and President of BioNumerik from 1992-2015, he led the discovery and development of two novel oncologic therapeutics from laboratory through global Phase III development. In addition, he co-founded and served as Chairman of KI Pharma from 2005-2013, a joint venture between BioNumerik Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., with a focus on development and commercialization of oncology products in Japan.
Prior to joining industry, Dr. Hausheer was an Associate Professor of Medical Oncology and Associate Director Drug Development and Chief, Molecular Design at the University Texas Health Science Center and Cancer Therapy and Research Center and performed oncology drug research as a Senior Scientist at the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Hausheer completed his graduate training in Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Illinois-Champagne. He obtained his MD and completed his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, followed by completion of Medical Oncology fellowship training and joining the faculty at Johns Hopkins, where he focused on development of novel experimental therapeutics and pharmacology. He currently holds adjunct professorships at the University of Missouri in Internal Medicine and Oncology and The Johns Hopkins Oncology Center in Medical Oncology. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology.
Dr. Hausheer has published over 200 articles, abstracts and book chapters, and is an inventor or co-inventor on more than 400 issued/allowed United States and international patents. He has served as a board member to JP Morgan Chase, the Whittaker Institute for BioMedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Experimental Therapeutics Study Section I, and the NCI Institutional Review Board.
About Amunix
Amunix, based in Mountain View, CA, is a privately held biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of biologics with improved in vivo half-lives. Amunix’ half-life extension technology is based on XTEN – hydrophilic, unstructured, biodegradable proteins that impart a number of favorable properties upon the molecules to which they are attached. XTEN can be recombinantly fused or chemically conjugated to peptides, proteins, and other pharmaceuticals. In addition to the advantages of reduced dosing frequency, XTENylation also stabilizes plasma drug concentrations, which often results in increased efficacy as well as reduced side effects. Two genetically fused XTENylated products have been tested clinically. VRS-859 (exenatide-XTEN) has been tested through Phase I in the treatment of diabetes and VRS-317 (human growth hormone-XTEN) is currently in Phase III testing. Amunix is also working with additional partners, including Eli Lilly, Bioverativ, Roche, Janssen, Naia and other undisclosed companies in a wide range of therapeutic areas.
Amunix is developing an internal pipeline of ProTIA (Protease Triggered Immune Activator) immuno-oncology therapeutics. ProTIAs are bispecific molecules that bind tumor antigens and T cells. ProTIAs are administered as long-acting prodrugs that can be activated in the tumor environment by tumor-associated proteases. Amunix is actively seeking partnerships for applications of its XTEN technology and its ProTIA platform. For additional information about the company, please visit www.amunix.com.
Contact:
Volker Schellenberger, Ph.D.
President and CEO
Tel: 650-889-5095
vschellenberger@amunix.com