iPSirius appoints COO to oversee human trials with allogeneic cancer vaccines made from stem cells
Paris, France, 10th February 2023 – iPSirius, a pre-clinical biotech company in the immuno-oncology field, is pleased to announce the appointment of a new COO, Dr. Stephen Sullivan. Dr. Sullivan, previously the program manager at the Global Alliance for iPSC therapies, is a pluripotent stem cell manufacturing expert. He will oversee the day-to-day operations of the company and the first in-human trials for the company’snovel therapeutic, IPVAC.
iPSirius is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company pioneering development of next generation of allogeneic cancer vaccines based on Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs).
Dr. Sullivan brings over 20 years of experience in the field of human pluripotent stem cell therapeutics, with a track record of driving operational excellence and leading successful international teams. He initially earned his PhD at the Roslin Institute (Edinburgh) under Dolly cloners Professor Ian Wilmut and Dr. Jim McWhir. His work focused on pluripotency induction in human somatic cells. He subsequently worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and UCSD, and has an MBA from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Previously the CSO of the Irish Stem Cell Foundation, he also worked at Novartis managing and communicating clinical trial data, and most recently was the program manager at the Global Alliance for iPSC Therapies (GAiT).
“I look forward to joining the iPSirius Founders in their effort to improve prognoses for patients with aggressive cancer types, including solid tumors, using induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. It takes a village of experts to bring a new therapeutic to the clinic and I look forward to engaging colleagues and leveraging the global advanced therapy infrastructure to make this happen.
I will now complete an exploratory road trip engaging and listening to specialist investors, getting their input on the indications we should focus on in the first in human trials so we can extend the clinical program over time. IPVAC is cancer agnostic, so we have several cancer types we can choose. With the underpinning IP exhibiting competitive tension, I look forward to starting human trials after a thorough planning and optimization process has been completed, and regulatory approval has been acquired.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Stephen to the team as our Chief Operating Officer,” said Prof. Annelise Bennaceur, Co-Founder of iPSirius. “With his wealth of experience and strategic vision, we are confident that he will be a valuable asset as we grow and scale our clinical program.”
About iPSirius
iPSirius is a European immunotherapy company that is working to bring a new range of off-the-shelf vaccines to cancer patients worldwide to improve their prognosis and quality of life. iPSirius has developed a pipeline of engineered induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) vaccines using its proprietary iPVAC technology. In late 2022, iPSirius won a Pathfinder Award from the European Innovation Council, securing $2M in non-dilutive funds, to translate its technology to the clinic.
For more information, please contact:
Annelise Bennaceur, Founder, iPSirius
Email: stem@iPSirius.com
Further detail at www.iPSirius.com
Phone: + +33 977 215 957