Imcyse, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a new class of active, specific immunotherapies for the treatment of severe, chronic autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of Denis Bedoret as Chief Executive Officer of Imcyse S.A., effective September 1, 2020.
Liège, Belgium, September 07, 2020 – Imcyse, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a new class of active, specific immunotherapies for the treatment of severe, chronic autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of Denis Bedoret as Chief Executive Officer of Imcyse S.A., effective September 1, 2020.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome Denis Bedoret as our new CEO. With the addition of his profound experience in life sciences and immunology, the Company now has all the necessary components to drive the success of Imotopes™ for the benefit of autoimmune patients across a variety of indications,” saidThomas Taapken, Imcyse Chairman. “Denis joins Imcyse at a pivotal time, strengthening the management team as we gear up for the start of our Phase 2 program for the Company’s lead candidate, IMCY-0098 Imotope™, which shows great promise for the treatment of patients with early type 1 diabetes. I am confident that Denis is the right person to shepherd Imcyse into its next development stage as a leading immunology platform company.”
Prior to joining Imcyse, Denis was Chief Executive Officer at MaSTherCell SA, Belgium and President of MaSTherCell Global Inc., U.S. for four years. Under his leadership, the Company expanded into the U.S. market, growing from 60 to 260 employees and EUR 6 to EUR 27 million sales turnover. Earlier this year, Catalent Pharma Solutions, Inc. acquired MaSTherCell Global for USD 315 million, and Denis managed the transition period.
“I am thrilled to join Imcyse in the run-up to the start of its Phase 2 type 1 diabetes study. Building on promising Phase 1 clinical data, Imotope™ technology represents a revolutionary therapeutic option for patients with this and many other severe, chronic autoimmune diseases," said Denis Bedoret, Imcyse CEO. “It is an honor to step into a team already composed of talented and passionate innovators. With their drive and commitment to developing Imotopes™ technology, I am confident we have what it takes to successfully advance the already encouraging trajectory of Imcyse.”
Prior to his position at MaSTherCell, Denis, previously held the position of Chief Operations Officer at Quality Assistance S.A. a leading European analytical CRO where he was also a member of the Board of Directors. Before that, Denis served as engagement manager at McKinsey & Company, focusing on life science projects. Through these experiences, Denis has gained strong expertise in the global development of innovative human medical products with a focus on biologicals as well as in corporate strategy development and implementation. Denis holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine, a Ph.D. in Life Sciences from University of Liège and a postdoc in Immunology from Harvard Medical School.
Going forward, Thomas Taapken, who had been serving as de facto interim CEO will step back from the daily management duties at Imcyse and focus on his future position as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors.
ABOUT IMCYSE
Imcyse is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a new class of active specific immunotherapies for the treatment of severe chronic autoimmune diseases. The company’s unique technology platform allows it to locally target immune cells involved in the destruction of the diseased organ. This platform is based on the administration of Imotopes™, which are specifically modified peptides, allowing for the generation of cytolytic CD4 T-cells, that specifically eliminate antigen-presenting cells and autoantigen specific lymphocytes. Imcyse’s approach, sustained over time, helps to prevent and treat diseases with no current therapeutic alternative and to potentially cure patients without impairing immune defense. The company has established proof of concept in several indications and has completed its first clinical trial in type 1 diabetes with promising results. Beyond type 1 diabetes, Imcyse is developing a pipeline of Imotopes™ for the treatment of several autoimmune diseases. Founded as a spin-off of the Catholic University of Leuven in 2011, Imcyse subsequently relocated to Liège, Belgium.
www.imcyse.com
