ALAMEDA, Calif. and TAIPEI, Sept. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Acepodia, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class cell therapies with its unique Antibody-Cell Conjugation (ACC) and allogeneic gamma delta 2 T-cell platforms to address gaps in cancer care, today announced that Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., was recently appointed Chief Scientific Advisor. Dr. Bertozzi's work applying click chemistry to living cells is the basis of Acepodia's ACC platform, and her expertise will support the development and innovation of the company's differentiated therapeutic approach. Dr. Bertozzi's appointment was celebrated at Acepodia's Annual Symposium in San Francisco Bay Area, CA on September 13.
"Dr. Bertozzi's Nobel Prize-winning research in click chemistry is the foundational science upon which Acepodia was built, and it is a tremendous honor to have her join us as we advance our programs through the clinic," said Sonny Hsiao, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Acepodia. "My early experience in immune cell therapy which led to the development of our ACC platform began in Dr. Bertozzi's lab, and we are proud to have her support as we work to progress our pipeline of enhanced cell therapies for solid tumors and hematologic cancers."
Dr. Bertozzi was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a novel form of click chemistry, known as bioorthogonal chemistry. The revolutionary approach utilizes, bioorthogonal reactions that transpire inside living organism, seamlessly integrating with cellular functions without disrupting the normal functions of a cell. She advanced these reactions that are now used to explore cells, track biological processes and improve disease targeting in cancer more efficiently, moving click chemistry into living organisms. Dr. Bertozzi is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Inventors and has been a significant leader in advancing novel approaches to treating a variety of diseases, including cancer.
"Acepodia is transforming the current method of cell therapy development with the introduction of antibody-cell conjugation in cancer care, and it is clear that this team is poised to make a significant impact on the treatment landscape," said Dr. Bertozzi. "I look forward to working alongside Dr. Hsiao's team and building on the significant progress the company has made, with the ultimate goal of improving upon existing therapeutic options for patients."
As Chief Scientific Advisor, Dr. Bertozzi will lead Acepodia's Scientific Advisory Board in guiding the company's scientific progress and offering insights based on their relevant experience. The esteemed list of members includes experts in immunology and pioneers of innovative strategies to design new therapies.
About Acepodia
Acepodia is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class cell therapies with its unique Antibody-Cell Conjugation (ACC) platform technology to address gaps in cancer care. Leveraging its ACC technology, the company links tumor-targeting antibodies to its proprietary immune cells, such as natural killer and gamma delta T cells to create novel ACE therapies, which have increased binding strength against tumors that express low levels of tumor antigens.
Acepodia is made up of seasoned leaders and scientific experts dedicated to advancing its robust pipeline of ACE therapies with the potential to bring innovative, effective, and affordable cell therapies to a broad population of patients across a variety of solid tumors and hematologic cancers. For more information, visit www.acepodia.com and follow Acepodia on Twitter and LinkedIn.
