BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TransCode Therapeutics today announced that it has recently elected a Chairman of its Board of Directors, appointed two new Independent Directors to the Board, and appointed a new member to its Advisory Board.

Philippe Calais, Pharm D, Ph.D., President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of MatriSys Bioscience, Inc., has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of TransCode. Dr. Calais has served on TransCode’s Board of Directors since October 2018. With an extensive background in drug development, Dr. Calais’ experience has been instrumental in advancing TransCode’s lead therapeutic candidate, TTX-MC138, focused on treating metastatic cancer.

TransCode also recently appointed Erik Manting, Ph.D. and Magda Marquet, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors, and Lubomir Nechev, Ph.D. to its Advisory Board.

Dr. Manting served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Office of DCprime BV, a Netherlands-based clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company, until DCprime’s merger with Immunicum AB in December 2020. Dr. Manting currently serves as Chief Business Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Immunicum. Previously, he was Executive Director Corporate Finance at Kempen & Co., an investment bank focused on the life sciences and healthcare sector.

Dr. Marquet is an experienced life sciences entrepreneur who has built, led and commercialized multiple life sciences companies including AltheaDx and Althea Technologies through the acquisition of the latter by Ajinomoto, a global Japanese company. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Arcturus Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ARCT) and AnaptysBio (Nasdaq: ANAB), having also served on the Board of Directors of Pfenex Inc. (Nasdaq: PFNX) until its acquisition by Ligand Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Marquet is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of MatriSys Bioscience, Inc.

Dr. Nechev is Vice President Process & Analytical Sciences at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he leads the Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) aspects of all Alnylam programs from drug candidate to commercialization. His expertise in RNA therapeutics is expected to provide valuable guidance to TransCode’s drug development programs.

About TransCode Therapeutics

TransCode Therapeutics is an emerging RNA oncology company created to realize our belief that cancer can be defeated through the intelligent design of RNA therapeutics. This belief is based on a new approach to address what TransCode believes has been the most intractable challenge in RNA therapeutics: delivering an oligonucleotide to its target before the body’s immune system can attack and dismantle it. Our platform of investigational drug candidates is dedicated to improving patient outcomes encompassing a variety of tumor types. TransCode’s lead therapeutic candidate, TTX-MC138, is focused on treating metastatic cancer, which TransCode believes has the potential to produce regression without recurrence in a range of cancers, including breast, pancreatic, ovarian and colon cancer, glioblastomas and others. TransCode anticipates submitting an IND, in the second half of 2021 to support initiation of a Phase 0 clinical study with TTX-MC138. For more information about TransCode Therapeutics, Inc., visit: www.transcodetherapeutics.com

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TransCode Therapeutics Announces Key Appointments