Topas Therapeutics GmbH (Topas), a private biotechnology company developing immune tolerance-inducing drugs to treat and potentially cure a variety of autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of Cristina de Min, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer. In this position, she will be responsible for Topas’ clinical development programs based on its proprietary Topas Particle Conjugates technology platform, with a focus on lead product candidate, TPM203, currently in clinical development for the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris, and TPM502 for the treatment of celiac disease, which is expected to enter the clinic in the coming months, the company said in its press release.
Klaus Martin, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Cristina to Topas. She is a great addition to our team as she brings a wealth of experience from the translational stage of drug development through regulatory approval. Her strategic acumen combined with her hands-on approach will be invaluable as we move our programs through development and the regulatory process.”
Dr. de Min spent eleven years at Roche in various executive positions, including Life Cycle Leader for the development of the IL-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab (Actemra) for rheumatic diseases. She also served as Medical Director of Roche’s affiliate in Italy, where she set up the medical department. This included creating a new structure based on therapeutic areas and defining and implementing new processes. Following her years at Roche, she joined Novimmune, serving for nine years as Chief Medical Officer before the company was acquired by Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (SOBI). At Novimmune, she set up the clinical development department and was responsible for the global development strategy for drug candidates from translational activities across all phases of clinical development and registration, as well as prioritizing the portfolio.
Cristina de Min, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, said: “I am excited to join the Topas team. I have been very impressed with the data generated to date with the Topas Particle Conjugates technology platform, which show the potential of the platform and the opportunity to bring more effective, potentially curative therapies to patients who today have limited treatment options. I look forward to working with the team to advance the product candidates in pemphigus vulgaris and celiac disease, as well as other programs in earlier stages of development, such as in rheumatoid arthritis and Type I diabetes.”