CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Akamis Bio has named Andrew Hirsch, MBA, president and chief executive officer of C4 Therapeutics, to its board of directors as the company advances its Tumor-Specific Immuno-Gene Therapy (T-SIGn®) platform in oncology.
Hirsch brings more than two decades of experience in finance, operations, and life sciences leadership. Since 2020, he has led C4 Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company developing targeted protein degraders for oncology and other indications. His previous roles include chief financial officer and head of corporate development at Agios Pharmaceuticals, president and CEO of BIND Therapeutics, chief financial officer at Avila Therapeutics, and vice president of corporate strategy and M&A at Biogen. He also serves on the board of Editas Medicine, where he chairs the audit committee.
“We are delighted to welcome Andrew Hirsch to our Board of Directors,” said Howard Davis, PhD, CEO of Akamis Bio. “His extensive industry leadership, operational and strategic expertise, and proven ability to advance novel therapeutic modalities make him an exceptional addition to our Board.”
Hirsch said he is impressed by Akamis Bio’s approach to delivering targeted immunotherapies to solid tumors. “I look forward to supporting the team as they advance toward key near-term milestones, drive pipeline growth, and forge new strategic collaborations,” he said.
Akamis Bio is currently enrolling patients in its Phase 1b FORTRESS study (NCT06459869) of NG-350A, its lead candidate, in combination with chemoradiotherapy for individuals with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) at high risk for recurrence or with oligometastatic disease. The trial builds on the earlier CEDAR study, which showed improved complete response rates compared to standard chemoradiotherapy.
NG-350A is an intravenously delivered T-SIGn® therapeutic designed to produce intratumoral expression of a CD40 agonist monoclonal antibody, activating antigen-presenting cells in tumors and lymph nodes to stimulate a targeted T-cell immune response. Prior studies have indicated a favorable safety profile with no observed transgene-related or off-target toxicities.
