Asgard Therapeutics appoints immunology expert Shane Olwill as Chief Development Officer
Pioneering cancer immunology company Asgard strengthens leadership team as it progresses its lead asset AT-108 towards clinical trials
Shane brings over two decades of expertise in immunology-driven drug discovery with a specialized focus on novel modalities
AT-108 is a first-in-class, off-the-shelf cell reprogramming therapy that leads to personalized and potent anti-cancer immune responses
LUND, Sweden, March 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Asgard Therapeutics, a privately held biotech company pioneering in vivo direct cell reprogramming for cancer immunotherapy, today announces the appointment of experienced immunology drug development specialist Shane Olwill as Chief Development Officer (CDO).
Shane, who joins Asgard from Pieris Pharmaceuticals, now merged with NASDAQ-listed Palvella Therapeutics, will lead IND-enabling studies and clinical trials planning for Asgard's lead asset AT-108. AT-108 is a first-in-class, off-the-shelf cell reprogramming therapy that forces tumor cells to present their own tumor antigens, inducing a personalized immune response tailored to target each patient's cancer. Last September, Asgard had a key paper published in the high-impact journal Science which provided strong in vivo pre-clinical proof-of-concept for AT-108.
During his thirteen years at Pieris, Shane played a pivotal role developing its diverse pipeline of clinical programs in immuno-oncology and respiratory diseases – progressing nine programs into the clinic. Prior to that he was Director of Research at AIM-listed Fusion Antibodies, building out its research team and establishing its technology platform. With over 60 intellectual property rights to his name, he is a recognized leader in drug development and a regular reviewer for prominent oncology and drug development journals. He holds a BSc in Biomedical Sciences and a PhD in Molecular Hematology from the University of Ulster, UK.
Cristiana Pires, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Asgard Therapeutics, said: "I'm delighted to welcome Shane as Asgard's CDO at this exciting time, as we progress our lead product AT-108 towards clinical trials and transition to a drug development company. Shane's skill set, derived from his extensive experience of pipeline development, particularly in immuno-oncology, is highly complementary to the other members of our team and will be of great benefit as we move forwards."
Shane Olwill, Chief Development Officer of Asgard Therapeutics, said: "Asgard's in vivo cell reprogramming technology, based on the deep research and understanding of its founders, is a potentially transformative new form of cancer immunotherapy that is not only powerful but also indication-agnostic. I'm delighted to be joining the Company, whose science is backed by very strong data and whose team is supported by high calibre investors. I look forward to working to progress AT-108 towards the clinic and maximizing the potential of Asgard's wider platform."
Martin Bonde, Chair of Asgard Therapeutics, said: "Shane will be instrumental as we further progress IND-enabling studies and CMC development for AT-108, to facilitate a seamless transition of the program to the clinic."
Notes to Editors
About Asgard Therapeutics
Asgard Therapeutics is a privately held biotech company pioneering in vivo direct cell reprogramming for cancer immunotherapy. The company builds on ground-breaking and proprietary reprogramming technologies to develop gene therapy products designed to set in motion efficient and personalized immune responses. Backed by Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., RV Invest, Novo Holdings, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, and Industrifonden, Asgard Therapeutics aims to establish a pipeline of off-the shelf cancer immunotherapies that trigger personalized anti-cancer immune responses for the benefit of cancer patients in need. For more information, please visit: www.asgardthx.com
About AT-108
AT-108 is a first-in-class, off-the-shelf gene therapy that directly reprograms tumor cells into a rare subset of dendritic cells critical for mounting efficient cytotoxic T cell responses, cDC1 cells (conventional dendritic cells type 1). Reprogramming forces the tumor cells to present their tumor antigens, ultimately leading to a personalized anti-tumor immune response. It is based on a replication-deficient adenoviral vector that delivers three proprietary reprogramming factors into tumor cells, rewiring their gene expression signatures and thus "programming" them to become antigen-presenting cDC1-like cells.
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