17 October 2022 - - US-based biotechnology company Ankyra Therapeutics, which is developing targeted immune potentiating agents for the treatment of cancer, has appointed Joseph J. Elassal, M.D., as chief medical officer, the company said.

Dr. Elassal will fill the role formerly served by Howard Kaufman, M.D., who was recently promoted to president and chief executive officer of Ankyra Therapeutics.

Dr. Elassal has served as an attending physician at Stamford Hospital for nearly 20 years, while also holding industry roles across the pharmaceutical and financial industries.

Most recently, he served as enior medical director, global medical affairs oncology at Regeneron, where he led efforts on cemiplimab and other immunotherapy approaches for patients with cervical and non-melanoma skin cancer.

He also held roles within the inflammation and immunology, and cardiovascular and metabolic divisions at Regeneron.

His other industry roles included senior medical director at Replimune, biosimilars medical affairs at Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), deputy vice president at Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), and vice president, senior medical director at Cline Davis and Mann.

Prior to industry, Dr. Elassal was a research associate at JP Morgan Securities. Dr. Elassal earned his M.D. from Eastern Virginia Medical School and MBA from Columbia Business School.

He completed his internship and residency at Columbia University/New York Presbyterian Hospital and is certified by the American board of Internal Medicine.

Ankyra Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that has developed a highly differentiated technology platform designed to expand the therapeutic window of cytokine drugs.

By forming a stable depot in the tumor after local administration, Ankyra's therapeutics aim to provide prolonged immune activation and potent local and systemic immunity with reduced systemic toxicity.

Ankyra was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.