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From left to right, Dr. Aleix Prat, Dr. Jutta Amersdorffer and Stéphane Durant des Aulnois. Photos / Ona Therapeutics
 19.02.2025

Ona Therapeutics strengthens management team to accelerate clinical development of first ADCs in different types of cancer

The biotechnology company Ona Therapeutics, located in the Barcelona Science Park, has announced new appointments within the management team as part of the growth strategy of its innovative product portfolio, focused on the development of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies for the treatment of advanced cancer.

Dr. Aleix Prat has been appointed Chairman of the Advisory Board, while Dr. Jutta Amersdorffer has joined as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Stéphane Durant des Aulnois as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). All three bring key experience at a crucial time for the startup, which is accelerating the development of its first antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapy. This treatment, designed to target new specific tumour markers, aims to eliminate resistant and difficult-to-treat cancer cells, thus advancing its clinical development in multiple types of cancer.

Ona´s unique strategy is enabled by analyzing scarce real-world patient biopsies to uncover novel therapeutic targets that are fundamental to the particular biology of treatment-refractory advanced cancer. Its lead ADC, ONA-255, has broad potential to treat breast, gastric, and other solid tumours, and is advancing through IND-enabling studies to initiate clinical development by the end of 2025. In parallel, Ona is developing ONA-389, a second ADC that is positioned for the treatment of advanced microsatellite stable (MSS) colon and liver cancers. This promising therapeutic is set to begin IND-enabling studies in the second half of 2025.

Dr. Aleix Prat, is the Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Clínic de Barcelona, ​​​​is Professor of Medicine at the University of Barcelona and co-founder and scientific director of REVEAL GENOMICS®. He is an internationally recognized leader in precision oncology with an outstanding track record in cancer research, biomarker development and clinical trials. He has more than 300 publications and has been at the forefront of the development and application of new therapies and diagnostic tools in clinical practice. “As a strong advocate of precision oncology, I am committed to driving the development of new and targeted therapies that improve patient outcomes. I am honoured to contribute my experience to this groundbreaking innovation,” said the new Chairman of the Advisory Board.

In collaboration with Dr. Prat, Dr. Roger Gomis, he has been instrumental in identifying the target of ONA-255 and functionally validating it, working alongside the expert team at Ona. Their combined efforts have generated critical preclinical data to support the clinical development of ONA-255. This important data, which has been exclusively licensed to Ona from FCRB-IDIBAPS, IRB Barcelona, UB and ICREA, bolsters the foundation for ONA-255’s progression. Dr. Prat serves as the Director of the Clínic Barcelona Comprehensive Cancer Center, Professor of Medicine at the University of Barcelona, and is Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of REVEAL GENOMICS®.

Dr. Jutta Amersdorffer, appointed Chief Medical Officer, has extensive experience in translational medicine, clinical and medical development and pharmacovigilance for innovative biologics. The company has also named Stéphane Durant des Aulnois as new Chief Financial Officer, citing his expertise in finance, business development, investor relations and private equity.

The company’s co-founder and CEO, Valerie Vanhooren, Ph.D., explained that “Ona’s tailor-designed ADCs have the potential to define new treatment paradigms and patient populations” and added that the expansion of the executive team and advisory board, the company is well-positioned “execute our strategic vision to develop multiple first-in-class ADCs and advance our pipeline into clinical development to improve clinical results across multiple tumour types in patients”.

» Link to the news: Ona Therapeutics website [+]