Basel, Switzerland – 5 January 2023 Alentis Therapeutics (“Alentis” or “the Company”), the biotechnology company developing breakthrough treatments for organ fibrosis and CLDN1+ tumors, today announced the appointment of Dr. Luigi Manenti as Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
In his new role, Dr. Manenti will be responsible for leading the development of Alentis’s portfolio of monoclonal antibodies that are highly selective in targeting exposed and non-junctional Claudin-1 (CLDN1). Alentis’s pipeline includes ALE.F02, which is currently in Phase 1 clinical studies for the treatment of advanced kidney, liver and lung fibrosis; and ALE.C04, currently at IND submission stage to treat CLDN1+ solid tumors. Alentis recently published data in the peer-reviewed journals Science Translational Medicine and The Journal of Hepatology that provided further evidence to support the role of CLDN1 as a previously unexploited target for kidney, liver, and lung fibrosis and CLDN1+ tumors.
Dr. Luigi Manenti, new CMO at Alentis, commented: “Alentis’s clinical approach to treating CLDN1 fibrotic diseases has the potential to offer a transformative treatment for patients. I am also very pleased to progress the Company’s oncology clinical program to develop a treatment option for CLDN1+ cancers, as patients may benefit from single-agent anti-tumor efficacy. I am excited to contribute to the CLDN1 platform to develop truly innovative treatment options and I look forward to working closely with the Alentis team to advance the development of these first in class anti-CLDN1 programs.”
Dr. Roberto Iacone, CEO at Alentis Therapeutics, added: “Luigi brings to Alentis years of experience leading clinical teams and programs at international Big Pharma companies, and his expertise will be invaluable as we progress the clinical development of ALE.F02 and prepare ALE.C04 for clinical trials later this year.”
Dr. Manenti is a physician and scientist with extensive international pharmaceutical experience designing and executing innovative clinical trials, particularly in translational clinical oncology. He most recently served as CMO of HiFiBiO Therapeutics where he led the clinical development organization that delivered successful IND and CTA submissions and secured supply agreements for the investigational oncology drug tislelizumab.
Previously, Dr. Manenti served as Team Leader for Solid Tumors in Novartis’s Oncology Business Unit where he oversaw the early commercial and pipeline strategy of various internal and partnered assets. Prior to this role, he worked at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), the innovation engine of Novartis, as Executive Global Clinical Program Leader, leading the development of multiple programs including the cancer drug capmatinib (Tabrecta). Prior roles include several positions at Roche in Switzerland and China. Dr. Manenti is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), has published several articles, and is a co-inventor of several patent applications. He holds an M.D. in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Pavia in Italy.
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About Alentis Therapeutics
Alentis Therapeutics, the Claudin-1 company, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that focuses on developing breakthrough treatments for CLDN1+ tumors and organ fibrosis.
Alentis is pioneering a novel approach to modify and reverse the course of disease progression targeting Claudin-1 (CLDN1), a previously unexploited target that plays a key role in the pathology of tumors with immune evasive properties and fibrotic disease across multiple organs. Alentis is the only company developing potential treatments for solid cancers and fibrosis targeting Claudin-1.
Alentis’ portfolio of anti-CLDN1 monoclonal antibodies includes a novel class of anti-cancer therapies designed to reprogram the tumor microenvironment (TME). The interplay between cancer cells and their surrounding microenvironment is highly promising for drug development as many cancers use the TME to build barriers that shield against immune system attack. Alentis’ lead oncology asset, ALE.C04, is the first potential treatment to target CLDN1 to open up the mechanical barrier that characterizes immune-excluded CLDN1+ tumors, thus making the tumors vulnerable to treatment.
In addition, Alentis’ pipeline includes a first-in-class therapy designed to modify and reverse the course of advanced organ fibrosis. ALE.F02, which is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials, is designed to target pathological overexpression of CLDN1 outside of the tight junction to resolve and reverse organ fibrosis, and is being investigated for the treatment of fibrotic disease in the kidney, lung and liver.
The company was founded in 2019 based on ground-breaking research in the laboratory of Prof. Thomas Baumert MD at the University of Strasbourg and the French National Institute of Health (Inserm). Alentis is headquartered in Basel’s pharma-biotech hub in Switzerland with a subsidiary for R&D in Strasbourg, France.
For more information, visit https://alentis.ch
For more information please contact:
Alentis Therapeutics
Nathalie Graf-Tschupp
info@alentis.ch
Consilium Strategic Communications (International)
Mary-Jane Elliott / Matthew Cole / Ashley Tapp
alentis@consilium-comms.com
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700