CellCentric continues uptick with key executive hire

The appointment comes at a pivotal time for the company, following its recently announced scale-up funding co-led by RA Capital Management and Forbion and a growing body of clinical data supporting the clinical potential of inobrodib.

Celia has more than two decades of strategic leadership experience across biotech finance, corporate development and capital markets. She will oversee financial strategy, business development and investor relations as CellCentric continues to expand its global footprint. The company announced the opening of its US headquarters in the Boston area last month.

Celia previously held senior roles at several publicly traded biotechnology companies and was most recently interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Gritstone bio, Inc.

Will West, CEO of CellCentric, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Celia to CellCentric. Her proven leadership in building and financing biotech companies, coupled with her deep understanding of the US market will be instrumental as we advance inobrodib towards registration. Our global footprint is expanding rapidly to meet the needs of our next phase of progress, with the goal of improving the lives of people with multiple myeloma.”

Celia added: “I am honoured to join CellCentric at such an exciting inflection point. Inobrodib is truly a compelling potential oral first-in-class treatment for multiple myeloma. I look forward to partnering with Will, the board, our investors, and the CellCentric team to shape the next phase of growth, maximise value and ultimately bring a much-needed treatment to patients.”

CellCentric has significantly strengthened its executive and scientific leadership over the last year. The team as it now stands, has collectively been involved in the R & D of over 50 per cent of targeted myeloma drugs currently in use or in late-stage development.

Inobrodib is a potential new treatment for people with cancer, and multiple myeloma in particular. It is a small molecule drug that targets p300/CBP, lowering the expression of key cancer drivers, MYC and IRF4. Delivered as an oral capsule, it is said to be easy for patients to take and can be taken at home, without the need for intensive monitoring.

Its safety profile is seen as encouraging for a drug in this setting, partly because It has the potential to be used by those who are unable to access or tolerate other types of treatment.  Being easy to administer, it may represent a possibility to lower overall burden on the healthcare system as compared to more complex agents.

CellCentric was originally spun out from the University of Cambridge, with pioneering developmental biologist Professor Azim Surani, who wanted to further explore the potential of targeting cell fate control mechanisms.