Skip to main content

Gadeta appoints Marco Londei as Chief Executive Officer

Written by: Pharmiweb editor
Published on: 9 Apr 2020

Strengthens management team as Gadeta receives approval to start first clinical study in multiple myeloma

07 April 2020, Utrecht, Netherlands: Gadeta, focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer immunotherapies based on gamma delta T cell receptors (TCRs), announces the appointment of Marco Londei as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the Company as it transitions from a preclinical stage company to a clinical stage company. The company also announces it has received FDA approval to commence its first clinical study in multiple myeloma.

Dr Londei joins Gadeta from AnaptysBio, (NASDAQ: ANAB) where he served as Chief Development Officer and Chief Medical Officer. Dr Londei has played a crucial role in the development of AnaptysBio from preclinical phase to its successful IPO, and several rounds of financing, as a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company. Prior to AnaptysBio, Dr Londei held leadership roles at Novartis and Bristol-Myers Squibb, in charge of global teams for early clinical development in transplantation, autoimmune and inflammatory disease areas. Over the 15 years in the pharma industry, Dr Londei and his team brought more than a dozen of new molecular entities into clinical development, six of which have since entered the market.  Before his move to the pharmaceutical industry, Dr Londei was Professor of Medicine at Imperial College and University College London in the UK. From his academic tenure he also brings his valuable expertise in human T lymphocyte (ab and gd) and their role in pathology.

Gadeta is developing first-in-class cell therapies for the potential treatment of various hematological cancers and solid tumors. Its proprietary TEGs platform combines the advantages of conventional T cells, which express alpha and beta TCR chains, with TCRs derived from gamma delta T cells that recognize novel targets in cancer cells. Unlike alpha beta T cells, gamma delta TCRs do not require expression of cell surface proteins (major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules) for target recognition, and their specificity in recognizing novel targets under stress or metabolic conditions offer an attractive approach to develop potentially effective cell therapies against both hematological and solid tumors whilst leaving healthy tissue unharmed. Gadeta has recently received approval from the US FDA to commence its first clinical study in multiple myeloma.

Giovanni Mariggi, Partner at Medicxi, and member of Gadeta’s Supervisory Board said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Londei to Gadeta. He has a fantastic track record in the industry bringing a wealth of translational and clinical drug development experience. His leadership and expertise, particularly in the rapidly expanding and evolving field of immunology, will be invaluable to Gadeta as the company moves its first asset into clinical development and looks to leverage the TEGs technology across multiple cancer types.”

Dr Marco Londei, newly-appointed CEO of Gadeta, said: “Gadeta’s TEGs platform has enormous potential to transform the treatment of various hematological cancers and solid tumors. This highly differentiated approach, combined with the stellar team and Board backed by Medicxi and Kite Pharma, makes Gadeta a very exciting company. The initiation of clinical studies is a critical milestone for the Company as it progresses to be a fully-fledged clinical company focused on bringing novel gamma delta TCR cell therapies to cancer patients.”

Dr Londei received his M.D. from the Faculty of Medicine at University of Bologna and has conducted post-doctoral studies at Tumor Immunology Unit, London, UK. He was a key member of the team which pioneered the development of anti-TNF therapies while at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology (KIR) Faculty of Medicine Imperial College, London with Professors Ravinder Maini and Marc Feldmann. He is a widely recognized world-class contributor in the field of inflammation and self-recognition by T lymphocytes.

About Gadeta

Gadeta is developing first in class cell therapies for the potential treatment of various hematological cancers and solid tumors. Its proprietary TEGs platform combines the advantages of conventional T cells, which express alpha and beta TCR chains, with TCRs derived from gamma delta T cells that recognize novel targets in cancer cells.

The company is backed by founding investor Medixci. In July 2018, Kite Pharma, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), and Gadeta entered into a strategic collaboration to develop novel gamma delta TCR therapies in various cancers. For more information: www.gadeta.nl.

Related links