Dr. Cheryl Keech Joins ILiAD Biotechnologies as Chief Medical Officer and Executive VP of Clinical Research

WESTON, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ILiAD Biotechnologies, LLC (ILiAD), a clinical stage biotech company developing the world’s most advanced next generation pertussis vaccine, today announced expansion of its executive team.

Following closely after full enrollment of its Phase 2b BPZE1 pertussis vaccine study, the Company has appointed Cheryl Keech, M.D., Ph.D. to the position of Chief Medical Officer and Executive VP of Clinical Research. Dr. Keech will assume responsibility for the planning and execution of all ILiAD sponsored clinical studies of therapeutics developed from its B-tech™ Technology platform, including the live attenuated intranasal pertussis vaccine BPZE1. She will report directly to Keith Rubin, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, and will join the Company’s executive leadership team.

“As ILiAD advances its lead BPZE1 clinical program through and beyond Phase 2b, we felt it was important to bring on board an experienced and accomplished industry veteran,” Dr. Rubin remarked, adding, “Dr. Keech brings more than 25 years of experience as a clinician, research scientist, and medical director for both Pharma and contract research organizations (CRO) with extensive experience in infectious disease vaccines. During her previous position at CRO PPD, Cheryl played a pivotal role in advising ILiAD, designing the on-going Phase 2b BPZE1 study, and formulating our overall clinical strategy. We are extremely fortunate to have her now join ILiAD’s executive team.”

Dr. Keech is a board certified and licensed internal medicine physician, with a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology. In addition to spending her early career as a practicing internist with a clinical appointment at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Keech has held senior medical director positions at Eli Lilly and GSK (Biologics) and was the Global Clinical/Regulatory Director for Access and Delivery at the NGO PATH. In her most recent position as Executive Medical Director at PPD, she led clinical strategy to support vaccine candidate advancement for multiple manufacturers as well as provided leadership to the vaccine operational hub. Dr. Keech received her medical degree from the Indiana School of Medicine and her PhD from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

“BPZE1 has the potential to improve the control of pertussis significantly over current vaccines by targeting pertussis transmission dynamics in addition to producing systemic antibody responses,” said Dr. Keech. “BPZE1 is the only next generation pertussis vaccine in Phase 2 U.S. clinical trials, with results expected in early 2020. I’m thrilled to join ILiAD in their mission to improve global health through advanced vaccine solutions.”

About B-tech™ Technology

ILiAD’s B-Tech™ platform is a validated proprietary technology that integrates basic R&D and synthetic biology to develop live attenuated B. pertussis-based biologics for the prevention and treatment of disease. BPZE1 is the most advanced ILiAD clinical candidate developed using the B-Tech™ platform.

About BPZE1

BPZE1 is a next-generation live-attenuated pertussis vaccine designed to induce comprehensive and durable protection against B. pertussis infection (colonization) and disease (whooping cough). BPZE1 is being developed to block B. pertussis from colonizing adult and adolescent nasal passages, with the goal to protect adults and adolescents from whooping cough, and to potentially prevent transmission, including transmission to infants. While ILiAD is currently focused on developing a vaccine to directly protect adults and adolescents and to indirectly protect vulnerable infants, future development aims to immunize neonates directly. BPZE1 is an investigational product. The FDA has not yet established the safety and effectiveness of BPZE1.

About Pertussis

Pertussis (whooping cough) is a life-threatening disease caused by the highly contagious respiratory bacterium Bordetella pertussis. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year pertussis affects approximately 16 million people globally, accounting for nearly 200,000 deaths. Although estimated global vaccination coverage is 84%, current vaccines have failed to control epidemics. In addition, current vaccines do not fully protect infants under age 6 months, since immunization requires multiple injections, usually at 2, 4 and 6 months.

About ILiAD Biotechnologies, LLC

ILiAD Biotechnologies (http://www.iliadbio.com) is a privately held, clinical stage biotechnology company dedicated to the prevention and treatment of human disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. The company is developing and acquiring key technologies, working with leading scientists to overcome the limitations of current vaccines, investigating the impact of B. pertussis in a range of human disease, and is focused on validating its proprietary products in human clinical trials.

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

In addition to historical facts or statements of current, this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide ILiAD’s current expectations or forecasts of future events. These may include statements regarding anticipated development of potential products, interpretation of clinical results, prospects for regulatory approval, outsourcing trends in the pharmaceutical industry, levels of industry research and development spending, rapid technological change, risks associated with acquisitions and investments, risks associated directly with BPZE technologies including but not limited to uncertainties of product development, and uncertainties of clinical development, dependence on third parties, competition, protection of patents and proprietary technology, potential for infringement and other statements regarding matters that are not historical fact. Some of these forward looking statements may be identified by use of words in the statements such as “estimate,” “intend,” or other words and terms of similar meaning. Statements in this release are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are difficult to predict. Therefore actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed in such forward-looking statements. ILiAD cautions investors not to place reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. These statements speak only as of the date of this release and ILiAD undertakes no obligations to update or review these statements, except as may be required by law.

Contacts

Ken Solovay

COO

ILiAD Biotechnologies, LLC

[email protected]
954.336.0777