Appointments

Swedish biotechnology company Asgard Therapeutics has appointed Shane Olwill as chief development officer (CDO) to further its work on in vivo direct cell reprogramming for cancer immunology.

“Asgard’s in vivo cell reprogramming technology, based on the deep research and understanding of its founders, is a potentially transformative new form of cancer immunotherapy that is not only powerful but also indication-agnostic. I’m delighted to be joining the company,” he said.

Olwill is a specialist in immunology drug development, and in his new position he will lead Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies and clinical trials planning for Asgard’s AT-108 therapy. This is a cell-programming therapy that focuses tumour cells to present their own tumour antigens, prompting a personalised immune response tailored to target each patient’s cancer.

Olwill previously worked at Pieris Pharmaceuticals, which has since merged with NASDAQ-listed Palvella Therapeutics, where he developed clinical programmes in immunooncology and respiratory diseases. Prior to this he was director of research at Fusion Antibodies.

Cristiana Pires, co-founder and chief executive officer of Asgard Therapeutics, said: “Shane’s skill set, derived from his extensive experience of pipeline development, particularly in immuno-oncology, is highly complementary to the other members of our team and will be of great benefit as we move forwards.”