Ottimo Pharma Strengthens Board with Appointment of Roger Dansey, M.D. to its Board of Directors

• Dansey, a former senior executive at Pfizer and Seagen, Inc., brings extensive experience in immuno-oncology and drug development
• Board appointment reinforces Company’s commitment to advancing Jankistomig, a one-of-a-kind PD-1/VEGFR2 dual paratopic antibody, into clinical development
• IND-clearance for Jankistomig on track for late 2025

LONDON and BOSTON, April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ottimo Pharma (“Ottimo”), an innovative biotech company developing one-of-a-kind PD-1/VEGFR2 dual paratopic antibodies to extend the lives of patients living with cancer, today announces the appointment of Robert Dansey, M.D., a prominent leader in oncology research and drug development, to its board of directors.

Dr. Dansey is an accomplished biopharmaceutical leader, who has contributed significantly to the clinical development and subsequent approvals of breakthrough cancer medicines such as Keytruda (pembolizumab), Xgeva/Prolia (denosumab), Zydelig (idelalisib), Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin), Padcev (enoftumab vedotin), Tivdak (tisotumab vedotin) and Tukysa (tucatinib). Currently, he serves as an independent director on the boards of both Inovio Inc. and Kronos Bio Inc. He is also an advisor to the Research and Development organization at Pfizer Inc. and previously, served as the Chief Development Officer and Chief Oncology Officer at Pfizer Oncology. Prior to Pfizer, Dr. Dansey was Chief Medical Officer and President of Research and Development at Seagen Inc. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership positions at Merck Inc, Gilead Sciences and Amgen.

“As one of the leading experts in oncology research, Roger has made significant contributions to the treatment of cancers. His deep oncology and extensive leadership experience will be invaluable as we progress Jankistomig, our PD-1/VEGFR2 dual pathway antibody, towards first-in-human studies,” said David Epstein, Chair and Chief Executive Officer at Ottimo Pharma. “We are honored to welcome Roger to the Ottimo Board of Directors.”

“Jankistomig represents a remarkable opportunity to elevate the impact of next generation immunotherapies across cancers,” said Dr. Dansey. “I am thrilled to join David, the Ottimo board of directors, and the entire Ottimo team at this pivotal time as we seek to further advance immunotherapy and improve patient outcomes.”

About Ottimo Pharma
Ottimo Pharma is a private biotechnology company, co-founded by Medicxi and Jonny Finlay, that emerged from stealth in October 2024 to rapidly advance the clinical development of exquisitely designed dual pathway antibodies to extend the lives of patients living with cancer.

The Company’s lead asset, Jankistomig, is differentiated from bi-specific antibody fusions, as a first-in-class, one-of-a-kind, dual paratopic, single-agent IgG1 investigatory antibody that is designed to enable cooperative binding of immune checkpoint inhibition and angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment (TME). This innovative approach aims to offer a wider therapeutic window for patients, with the potential to improve outcomes across multiple solid tumor indications. Ottimo is currently advancing IND-enabling studies for Jankistomig, with planned IND clearance in late 2025.

Ottimo is backed by a global syndicate of life science investors including Medicxi, OrbiMed, Avoro Capital, Samsara BioCapital, RTW Investments, Decheng Capital, Janus Henderson Investors, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, and Invus. The Ottimo board includes Francesco De Rubertis, Co-Founder and Partner of Medicxi, Peter Thompson, General Partner at OrbiMed, Mark Chin, Partner at Avoro Capital, and Srinivas Akkaraju, founder, and Managing General Partner at Samsara BioCapital. For more information, please visit: www.ottimopharma.com.

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For Further Information:
Ottimo Pharma
E-mail: info@ottimopharma.com

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