NeoPhore appoints Dr Matthew Baker as VP Immunology
NeoPhore Limited, a small molecule cancer immuno-oncology company, today announces the appointment of Dr Matthew Baker as VP Immunology to the company’s management team.
Dr Baker has more than 15 years’ experience developing biologics in biotech and pharma companies and is a research expert in B and T cell immunology, including drug immunogenicity. He has held entrepreneurial and leadership positions across the biotechnology industry including Chief Scientific Officer of Abzena plc and co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer of Denceptor Therapeutics. Prior to this he was co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of Antitope Ltd. Dr Baker is currently Non-Executive Director at Oxford Genetics Ltd.
Commenting on today’s announcement Jeff Roix, CEO of NeoPhore, said: “I’m very pleased to welcome Matthew to the NeoPhore management team. His broad immunology and immune therapeutics development expertise will be invaluable as we progress our discovery programmes towards the clinic. NeoPhore is now in a strong position to accelerate the development of its highly promising first-in-class I/O drug strategy targeting DNA mismatch repair (MMR), and we look forward to Matthew’s leadership as we develop our new MMR product concept in the future.”
Dr Matthew Baker commented: “As the burden of cancer continues to rise globally there is an urgent need for effective therapies and I believe NeoPhore has one of the most exciting approaches to cancer treatment, by offering a novel modality for neoantigen generation in cancer immunotherapy. I look forward to working with the team as we progress the company’s pipeline of MMR drugs from the lab to the clinic.”
Prior to co-founding Antitope in 2004, Dr Baker held a variety leadership positions at Biovation Ltd, Cellular Technologies Limited and Whatman BioSciences. Dr. Baker completed his postdoctoral studies in Cambridge after receiving his Ph.D in cellular immunology from the University of Birmingham.
NeoPhore, based in Cambridge, UK is focused on the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapies to treat cancer through stimulation of the immune system. Cancer neoantigens are known to stimulate the immune system and potentially be a weak spot in a tumour cell’s defence mechanisms. The Company’s approach targets DNA mismatch repair (MMR); both clinical and lab studies suggest MMR inhibition will promote neoantigen creation and diversity across numerous cancers. Using these insights, the Company aims to generate next-generation immuno-oncology therapeutics to improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients. NeoPhore was spun-out of PhoreMost Ltd and is backed by Sixth Element Capital LLP, a UK based fund manager established to manage investments for the £70 million CRT Pioneer Fund.
