BriaCell Thereapeutics (CVE:BCT) said last week that it named biotechnology veteran Dr. William Williams as its president & CEO effective Nov. 1.
The Berkeley, Calif.-based company’s lead product is a genetically engineered, whole-cell vaccine derived from a human breast tumor cell line. BriaCell suggests that the vaccine may be able to trigger the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancerous cells by encouraging tumor-directed T cell and antibody responses. Results from 2 Phase I trials showed encouraging results in patients with advanced solid tumors, according to BriaCell.
Prior to joining BriaCell, Williams was VP of exploratory development at Incyte, bringing more than 20 compounds into the clinic. He also worked as head of experimental medicine & VP of clinical pharmacology at GlaxoSmithKline.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Williams to BriaCell’s management and the board, and are confident that his extensive biopharmaceutical clinical experience will be of a great value to BriaCell to maximize shareholder value and unlock the company’s true intrinsic value,” chairman Dr. Saeid Babaei said in prepared remarks. “We believe that Dr. Williams’ knowledge and expertise are timely additions to boost the depth and breadth of our strategy for clinical advancement of BriaVax in advanced breast cancer patients. Dr. William also has significant success with business development that will be important for our strategic objectives. On behalf of the board of directors, I want to thank Mr. Rahoul Sharan for his efforts and commitment to the company over the past year as interim CEO. We are grateful for his continued involvement as director of the company.”
“I am very honored and excited to join BriaCell as CEO. I believe BriaCell’s lead candidate, BriaVax, has the potential to significantly improve the treatment outcome for advanced breast cancer patients,” Williams added. “My ambition is to focus on product innovation, lead the teams, and form strategic alliances to create value for the company, and most importantly to bring hope to the cancer patients with limited treatment options.”
