HOX Therapeutics Appoints Stephen Shuttleworth as Non-Executive Director

GUILDFORD, England, January 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

HOX Therapeutics, the private biotechnology company developing first-in-class, highly targeted cancer therapies based on HOX genes, announces the appointment of Dr Stephen Shuttleworth as Non-Executive Director.

Stephen is currently CSO and COO of Karus Therapeutics and is the founding scientist of the PI3K-p110β/δ and HDAC6 programs. He led the development of oral small molecule anti-tumour agents from concept to Phase I clinical trials. In January 2019, Stephen was also appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Samsara BioCapital, California.

Previously, Stephen held R&D leadership positions in UK and North American biotech, working in several disease areas across multiple therapeutic targets, notably at Chiroscience, BiochemPharma, Tularik, CRUK and Piramed. At Piramed, he directed the PI3K programs, designing and leading the preclinical development of Pictilisib, partnered with Genentech and subsequently taken into Phase II by Roche, which acquired Piramed for $160M in 2008.

Stephen obtained his BSc and PhD in Chemistry from the University of Liverpool, has published extensively, and has been an invited speaker at multiple international conferences. In 2007 he was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and in 2014 an Honorary Professor (Molecular & Clinical Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Science) at the University of Manchester.

James Culverwell, Chairman of HOX Therapeutics, said: "We are delighted to welcome Stephen to the Board. His extensive experience in drug discovery and development in oncology will be invaluable as we progress our lead asset into clinical development later this year."

Stephen Shuttleworth, Non-Executive Director of HOX Therapeutics, added: "I believe the Company's technology holds potential to represent an exciting new approach to the treatment of cancer. I look forward to supporting HOX through this important phase of growth."

The HOX Therapeutics technology has potential applicability across many cancer types, offering a novel modality to develop therapeutics. The Company is initially focused on developing innovative therapies for brain cancer and prostate cancer, huge areas of major unmet medical need.  It aims to take its lead asset HTL-001 to treat brain cancer into clinical development in 2019.

Brain tumours are one of the rarest cancers and account for 3% of the overall cancer occurrences in the UK. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and malignant sub-type of brain tumour. There are few clinically meaningful treatment options for patients with these aggressive cancers. The Glioma market in the US, EU5 and Japan is c. $700m today with growth to > $3bn by 2024 (source, GlobalData).

About HOX Therapeutics 

HOX Therapeutics is developing innovative, first-in-class and highly targeted cancer therapies. Its scientific approach is based on the over expression and unique role of developmental HOX genes in tumour biology and pathogenesis. The HOX genes offer a novel therapeutic target in cancer biology with potential applicability across many cancer types.  Largely silenced just after birth, aberrant HOX gene expression has been shown to have pro-oncogenic effects. There is increasing recognition that re-activation of HOX genes is involved in the pathogenesis of common cancers. HOX proteins bind to DNA in combination with a co-factor, Pre-B-cell Leukaemia Homeobox (PBX). The Company was founded by world leading experts in HOX gene family biology and clinical oncology, Professor Hardev Pandha, Head of Oncology, University of Surrey and Professor Richard Morgan, Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Bradford. The Company is initially focused on novel treatments for brain and prostate cancer.  For more information: www.hoxtherapeutics.com