PASADENA, Calif., May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Meditope Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) using its proprietary monoclonal antibody (mAb) technology platform, today announced the appointment of C. Dan Dumitru, M.D., Ph.D., as Vice President of Translational Research.
"We are delighted to expand our highly focused team to include Dan, who brings a strong background in preclinical and translational drug development for biologics and a variety of therapeutic proteins," said Stephanie Hsieh, Meditope's president and chief executive officer. "As we continue to optimize our technology platform for ADCs and advance proprietary preclinical product candidates, his scientific, drug development and medical skills will enrich our current team and add tremendous value to our company's research and development efforts."
Dr. Dumitru is currently a member of the Department of Chemical Physiology at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego. He was previously director of physiology at aTyr Pharma, where he oversaw preclinical and early clinical drug development programs for inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. From 2008 to 2012, Dr. Dumitru was a senior research fellow at Merck & Co., Inc. where he led basic biology and translational activities to support multiple Merck BioVentures initiatives, including biomarker validation activities to support an anti-PD-1 antibody clinical development program. At Merck BioVentures, he also led the translational and non-clinical pharmacology group, supporting a portfolio of biosimilar and novel therapeutic proteins in various stages of development, from post-lead identification through early clinical development. Previously, Dr. Dumitru held research management roles at Genentech and 3M Pharmaceuticals, and he was a research associate in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomson Jefferson University. Dr. Dumitru has degrees from the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences at Cornell University in New York, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and the Gr. T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Romania.
About Meditope Biosciences, Inc.
Meditope Biosciences is a biotechnology company developing best-in-class antibody-based cancer products. Discovered at City of Hope, a National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Meditope's technology is capable of turning any mAb into a proprietary, site-specific "Lego-like" system that is able to attach and detach drugs to antibodies without the need for chemical conjugation. The result is a memAb (meditope-enabled mAb) product, which is anticipated to be significantly more effective and offer multiple manufacturing advantages compared to existing antibody-drug conjugate technologies. The technology has the potential to advance the antibody market by producing an array of new therapeutic and diagnostic products. More information regarding the company can be found by visiting www.meditope.com.
SOURCE Meditope Biosciences, Inc.