Verismo Therapeutics Welcomes Dr. Mala Talekar as Vice President of Clinical Development

Veteran cell therapy and immuno-oncology physician brings clinical and industry experience to Verismo

PHILADELPHIA, July 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Verismo Therapeutics, a clinical-stage CAR-T company, Penn spinout, and pioneer of the novel KIR-CAR platform technology, today announced that Dr. Mala Talekar, MBBS, DABP, DNB has joined the company as Vice President of Clinical Development.

Mala is board certified in both General Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology with more than 20 years of experience in the field. Prior to joining industry, Mala completed her pediatric residency at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and her fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital and Medical Center. Following her fellowship, Mala was an attending physician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Cancer Immunotherapy Program where she managed, along with Dr. Stephan Grupp, inpatient and outpatient care for children receiving tisagenlecleucel.

Most recently, at GSK, Mala was a medical director and clinical lead for multiple Phase I through Phase III immuno-oncology and cell therapy trials including Letetresgene autoleucel. In her time at GSK she also founded and chaired the Pediatric Oncology Strategy Team (POST) as well as receiving several Innovation Awards for her contributions.

"I am excited to be a part of the Verismo team and to continue developing and delivering cutting-edge treatments to patients," said Mala.

"We are excited to have Mala join our team," said Dr. Bryan Kim, Verismo's Chief Executive Officer. "As a veteran physician in both cell therapy and immuno-oncology with experience in the clinic and industry, she will be a valuable asset as we continue to bring innovative treatments to patients."

Mala is Board Certified physician in both General Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology-Oncology by the American Board of Pediatrics (DABP). She also holds an MBBS from Grant Medical College at the University of Mumbai and a DNB in Pediatrics from the National Board of Pediatrics in India.

About the KIR-CAR Platform 
The KIR-CAR platform is a dual-chain CAR T cell therapy and has been shown in preclinical animal models to be capable of maintaining antitumor T cell activity even in challenging solid tumor environments. DAP12 acting as a novel costimulatory molecule for T cells, aids additional T cell stimulating pathways, further sustaining chimeric receptor expression and improving KIR-CAR T cell persistence. This continued T cell function and persistence can lead to ongoing regression of solid tumors in preclinical models, including those refractory to traditional CAR T cell therapies. Furthermore, the KIR-CAR platform can be combined with many additional emerging technologies, such as in vivo gene engineering, advanced cell manufacturing and reprogramming, combinational therapies, and even allogeneic cellular therapies to provide the next-generation multimodal targeted immunotherapy for patients in need.

About Verismo Therapeutics
Verismo Therapeutics is a pioneer in dual-chain KIR-CAR technology, and its lead asset, SynKIR™-110, is currently undergoing first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial. Verismo is the only company developing the KIR-CAR T cell platform, a modified NK-like receptor designed to improve persistence and efficacy against aggressive solid tumors. The KIR-CAR T cell platform technology was developed specifically for advanced solid tumors, an area of high unmet medical need. For more information, visit: www.verismotherapeutics.com

Media contact: Alyson Kuritz, alyson@0to5.com

SOURCE Verismo Therapeutics