Ottimo Pharma Strengthens Leadership Team with Senior Appointments
Robert Tighe appointed as Senior Vice President of Preclinical and Translational Sciences and Katherine Bell-McGuinn, M.D., Ph.D. appointed as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development
Appointments support Ottimo Pharma as it rapidly advances the clinical development of lead candidate, Jankistomig, its first-in-class dual pathway, biparatopic IgG1 therapy
IND clearance for Jankistomig is on track for late 2025
[25 February 2025]: [London, UK/ Boston, US]: Ottimo Pharma (“Ottimo”), an innovative biotech company developing one-of-a-kind PD1/VEGFR2 dual pathway antibodies to extend the lives of patients living with cancer, today announces the appointment of Robert Tighe as Senior Vice President of Preclinical and Translational Sciences, who will be leading Ottimo's preclinical programs and translational strategy, and Katherine Bell-McGuinn as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development, leading Ottimo’s clinical development strategy and execution.
Robert (Rob) Tighe is an accomplished biopharmaceutical research executive with over 20 years of experience in preclinical and translational cancer therapy development, with a focus on immuno-oncology. Most recently, he served as Chief Scientific Officer at Ankyra Therapeutics, where he oversaw the advancement of the Company’s novel anchored immunotherapy platform for intratumoral drug delivery. He has also held senior positions at TCR2 Therapeutics, Compass Therapeutics, and EMD Serono. Throughout his career, Rob successfully translated innovative immunotherapies into the clinic, contributing to six successful Investigational New Drug (IND) applications.
Katherine (Kathy) Bell-McGuinn brings decades of leadership in oncology clinical development. Kathy has held key executive roles at leading biopharma companies, including Chief Medical Officer at 858 Therapeutics and Vice President, Head of Oncology Early Development at AbbVie. At AbbVie, she oversaw early-stage oncology programs and played a pivotal role in advancing novel therapies from preclinical stages into clinical trials. Prior to this, Kathy held senior roles at Eli Lilly and Company, contributing to the development and execution of oncology clinical strategies.
David Epstein, Chief Executive Officer at Ottimo Pharma, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Rob and Kathy to Ottimo. Their combined expertise in immuno-oncology, clinical development, trial design, and execution will be invaluable as we progress Jankistomig, our PD1/VEGFR2 dual pathway antibody into the clinic.”
Robert Tighe, Senior Vice President of Preclinical Sciences at Ottimo Pharma, commented: “Ottimo’s innovative bifunctional approach, exemplified by Jankistomig, has the potential to redefine cancer treatment. I’m eager to collaborate with the world-class team at Ottimo to advance this promising candidate through IND-enabling studies towards clinical development.”
Katherine Bell-McGuinn, Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Ottimo Pharma, added: “Jankistomig’s differentiated profile and unique mode of action could transform outcomes for patients with solid tumors, regardless of VEGF levels. I look forward to moving its development into clinical trials.”
These strategic appointments come as Ottimo accelerates efforts to bring transformative cancer therapies to patients. The Company’s lead candidate, Jankistomig, is a one-of-a-kind PD1/VEGFR2 dual pathway antibody, expected to enter clinical trials following an IND filing in late 2025.
