NextPoint Therapeutics Appoints Ivan Cheung as Chief Executive Officer

Accomplished leader brings track record of value creation with scientifically unique assets to drive the company’s next phase of growth toward clinical success

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NextPoint Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new class of precision oncology therapeutics targeting the novel HHLA2 pathway, today announced the appointment of Ivan Cheung as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and to the Board of Directors.

Mr. Cheung brings 25 years of drug development, approval and product launch achievements, and organizational leadership experience to NextPoint, most recently serving as Eisai’s U.S. CEO. With his appointment, NextPoint aims to deliver breakthrough clinical outcomes from precision immuno-oncology therapeutics targeting the HHLA2 checkpoint axis and create additional modalities leveraging HHLA2 as a novel tumor antigen.

Mr. Cheung succeeds Detlev Biniszkiewicz, PhD, Managing Director at MPM BioImpact, who successfully led the company from its inception in 2018 and will continue to serve as the Chairman of the NextPoint Board of Directors. Under Dr. Biniszkiewicz’s leadership, NextPoint raised Series A and B funding and was transformed into a clinical-stage company.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ivan to NextPoint and his proven leadership, deep industry expertise and commitment to scientific innovation make him the ideal person to shepherd the company into this exciting next chapter,” said Dr. Biniszkiewicz. “Ivan’s leadership was instrumental in bringing the targeted anti-cancer therapy lenvatinib and the first disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer’s disease lecanemab to reach patients worldwide. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated team at NextPoint who have made my time here so rewarding and am honored to chair the esteemed Board and continue contributing to the company’s success and growth.”

Ivan Cheung, CEO of NextPoint, commented, “NextPoint exemplifies what is next in oncology innovation and I am pleased to join this stellar team to make a lasting impact in the lives of cancer patients and their families. My life-long passion is to create positive social impact and advance public health by means of breakthrough medications, and NextPoint is the ideal place to translate that goal into reality. I look forward to building upon the strong foundation that Detlev has created and work with our incredible team in this next phase of growth to establish NextPoint as a high-value biotechnology company.”

At Eisai, Mr. Cheung guided the significant growth of the North America business to over $1.5 billion in revenue. Under his leadership, lenvatinib was successively launched in a range of tumor types, and combination clinical trials with a PD-1 inhibitor were initiated. In addition, Mr. Cheung led the groundbreaking development and the first-ever full U.S. approval for lecanemab, a monoclonal antibody therapeutic to treat the underlying pathophysiology of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. His stewardship also led to the first wide reimbursement access from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for this class of medicines. Prior to Eisai, he was at Booz Allen Hamilton where he provided strategic and operational advice to pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Mr. Cheung received an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BSE from Duke University.

About NextPoint Therapeutics

NextPoint is advancing the field of immuno-oncology through its leading scientific work on the novel HHLA2 checkpoint axis. Our innovative approach integrates foundational science with a defined clinical biomarker strategy to deliver a new class of monotherapies for patients who do not benefit from PD-1/L1 inhibitors. NextPoint is simultaneously advancing therapeutic approaches utilizing the unique upregulation of HHLA2 in cancer as an anchor for tumor-targeting therapeutic modalities. Our team of proven drug developers is working closely with our renowned scientific founders to launch a new world of precision immuno-oncology and beyond. To learn more, visit nextpointtx.com.

Chelsea Rule
MacDougall Advisors
1(781)235-3060
crule@macdougall.bio