CytoDyn Appoints Richard Pestell, M.D., Ph.D. as Lead Consultant in Oncology
Download as PDFNovember 25, 2024 8:30am EST
VANCOUVER, Washington, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytoDyn Inc. (OTCQB: CYDY) ("CytoDyn" or the "Company"
, a biotechnology company developing leronlimab, a CCR5 antagonist with the potential for multiple therapeutic indications, announced today that Richard Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed as Lead Consultant, Preclinical and Clinical Oncology. Dr. Pestell will lead the Company’s research and development strategy in oncology and utilize his expertise and vast network to further CytoDyn’s clinical evaluation of the capabilities for leronlimab in cancer treatment.
Dr. Pestell brings over three decades of in-depth research experience to the CytoDyn team, with robust expertise investigating novel drug products and therapies. He is currently the President of the Pennsylvania Cancer and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, a part of the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Prior to this role, he spent a decade at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving as Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Chairman of the Department of Cancer Biology and Executive Vice President. Dr. Pestell’s work has been published in over 600 publications, and his research has been credited with well over 95,000 citations. He previously served as Vice Chairman of the Board, and Chief Medical Officer (CMO), spearheading the Company’s successful effort to obtain Fast Track Designation from the FDA for the use of leronlimab in combination with carboplatin for the treatment of patients with CCR5-positive metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. In addition, Dr. Pestell was instrumental in designing and initiating CytoDyn’s Phase 1b/2 clinical trial in that indication.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Pestell back to the CytoDyn team. I have known Dr. Pestell personally for a number of years, and I look forward to leveraging his insights and expertise to advance our clinical development pipeline in oncology,” said Dr. Jacob Lalezari, CEO. “As we continue to prioritize the development of leronlimab in oncology, Dr. Pestell’s expertise will help CytoDyn maximize opportunities to pursue breakthrough treatment in a variety of cancer indications.”
Dr. Pestell added, “I am confident that leronlimab holds significant promise for improving patient care and expanding treatment options in oncology. I am eager to support the Company’s efforts to advance our clinical development pipeline and leverage the potential of leronlimab to improve outcomes for cancer patients.”
Dr. Pestell holds a medical degree from the University of Western Australia, and a Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne, Howard Florey Institute. He conducted clinical training in oncology and endocrinology and was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physicians. His postdoctoral research at the Harvard School of Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital with Dr. Larry Jameson focused on endocrine oncology. He completed his executive MBA at New York University’s Stern School of Business in 2011. Dr. Pestell has received numerous awards for his research discoveries including elected membership to ASCI (American Society of Clinical Investigation), Elected Member of the Royal Society of Medicine, Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the RD Wright Medallion, the Eric Susman Prize in Medicine, Advance Global Australian Award (Biotechnology), a Doctor of Medical Sciences, HonorisCausa, from the University of Melbourne and awards from Susan G. Komen (Light of Life award, Jamie Brooke Lieberman Award). Dr. Pestell received the Order of Australia (AO) in 2019 from Queen Elizabeth II and was elected as a Member of the Academia Europaea in 2024.
Download as PDFNovember 25, 2024 8:30am EST
VANCOUVER, Washington, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytoDyn Inc. (OTCQB: CYDY) ("CytoDyn" or the "Company"
, a biotechnology company developing leronlimab, a CCR5 antagonist with the potential for multiple therapeutic indications, announced today that Richard Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed as Lead Consultant, Preclinical and Clinical Oncology. Dr. Pestell will lead the Company’s research and development strategy in oncology and utilize his expertise and vast network to further CytoDyn’s clinical evaluation of the capabilities for leronlimab in cancer treatment. Dr. Pestell brings over three decades of in-depth research experience to the CytoDyn team, with robust expertise investigating novel drug products and therapies. He is currently the President of the Pennsylvania Cancer and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, a part of the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Prior to this role, he spent a decade at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving as Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Chairman of the Department of Cancer Biology and Executive Vice President. Dr. Pestell’s work has been published in over 600 publications, and his research has been credited with well over 95,000 citations. He previously served as Vice Chairman of the Board, and Chief Medical Officer (CMO), spearheading the Company’s successful effort to obtain Fast Track Designation from the FDA for the use of leronlimab in combination with carboplatin for the treatment of patients with CCR5-positive metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. In addition, Dr. Pestell was instrumental in designing and initiating CytoDyn’s Phase 1b/2 clinical trial in that indication.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Pestell back to the CytoDyn team. I have known Dr. Pestell personally for a number of years, and I look forward to leveraging his insights and expertise to advance our clinical development pipeline in oncology,” said Dr. Jacob Lalezari, CEO. “As we continue to prioritize the development of leronlimab in oncology, Dr. Pestell’s expertise will help CytoDyn maximize opportunities to pursue breakthrough treatment in a variety of cancer indications.”
Dr. Pestell added, “I am confident that leronlimab holds significant promise for improving patient care and expanding treatment options in oncology. I am eager to support the Company’s efforts to advance our clinical development pipeline and leverage the potential of leronlimab to improve outcomes for cancer patients.”
Dr. Pestell holds a medical degree from the University of Western Australia, and a Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne, Howard Florey Institute. He conducted clinical training in oncology and endocrinology and was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physicians. His postdoctoral research at the Harvard School of Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital with Dr. Larry Jameson focused on endocrine oncology. He completed his executive MBA at New York University’s Stern School of Business in 2011. Dr. Pestell has received numerous awards for his research discoveries including elected membership to ASCI (American Society of Clinical Investigation), Elected Member of the Royal Society of Medicine, Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the RD Wright Medallion, the Eric Susman Prize in Medicine, Advance Global Australian Award (Biotechnology), a Doctor of Medical Sciences, HonorisCausa, from the University of Melbourne and awards from Susan G. Komen (Light of Life award, Jamie Brooke Lieberman Award). Dr. Pestell received the Order of Australia (AO) in 2019 from Queen Elizabeth II and was elected as a Member of the Academia Europaea in 2024.
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