Additions of Elyse Seltzer, M.D., as CMO and Robert Francomano as CCO Strengthen Company’s Presence in the U.S.
Seasoned Team to Drive Forward Pivotal Phase 3 Trial of Emactuzumab in Patients Suffering from Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumours (TGCT)
DUBLIN, IRELAND and OXFORD, UK, November 7, 2024 – SynOx Therapeutics Limited (“SynOx”), a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel treatment for CSF-1 related and macrophage-driven disorders, today announced the appointments of Elyse Seltzer, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Robert Francomano as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). These strategic hires come at a pivotal time as SynOx accelerates the clinical development of emactuzumab, a potentially best-in-class CSF-1R inhibiting monoclonal antibody. The company recently announced that the first patients have been dosed in its Phase 3 registrational study of emactuzumab for the treatment of Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumours (TGCT).
Dr. Seltzer brings more than 20 years of expertise in clinical development and regulatory strategy across various therapeutic areas to SynOx. She most recently served as a Senior Therapeutic Subject Matter Expert at Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), where she supported collaborations between the U.S. government and biotech and pharmaceutical companies on treatments for emerging infectious diseases and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Previously, Dr. Seltzer held key leadership roles including Chief Development Officer at Urogen Pharma, where she oversaw the development and approval of Jelmyto® for urologic oncology, and Chief Medical Officer at Nabriva Therapeutics, where she led the successful development of Xenleta®, approved for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. SynOx believes that Dr. Seltzer’s strategic experience, which spans early-stage research to late-stage clinical trials and commercialization, will be instrumental in advancing the company’s clinical programs, including the recently initiated Phase 3 TANGENT trial for emactuzumab in TGCT.
Mr. Francomano joins SynOx as a highly accomplished leader in the global commercialization of oncology and rare disease therapies. With a proven track record in driving revenue growth and executing successful global product launches, he will spearhead the company’s commercial strategy. Prior to joining SynOx, he served as CCO at SELLAS Life Sciences, where he established a fully integrated commercial framework underpinned by diagnostic and AI-driven demand generation strategies. Mr. Francomano also previously held the position of the CCO at Stemline Therapeutics, where he led the corporate transformation from a clinical-stage entity to one with a full commercial infrastructure and capability in the U.S. and EU. Successful execution led the company to exceed revenue targets and deliver one of the industry’s top-ranked product launches for first launch biotechnology organizations. SynOx expects that his experience will be vital in preparing for the potential commercialization of emactuzumab and expanding the company’s footprint in the global market.
“We are thrilled to welcome Elyse and Robert to the SynOx leadership team as we continue to work to strategically build out our presence within the key U.S. market. Their extensive expertise in clinical development and commercialization will be crucial as we advance emactuzumab towards regulatory submissions and potential commercial launch in both the U.S. and globally,” said Ray Barlow, Chief Executive Officer of SynOx Therapeutics. “With the recent closing of our $92M Series B financing and launch of the registrational TANGENT Phase 3 trial, we are working diligently to accelerate development of our clinical programs and bring novel therapies to patients suffering from TGCT and other debilitating diseases.”
SynOx recently announced the initiation of the TANGENT study, a global, multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of emactuzumab in patients with TGCT. The study’s primary outcome measure is overall response rate (ORR). Investigators will also assess several secondary outcomes including functional and quality of life measurements, impact on tumour volume, and duration of response. Investigators expect to enrol approximately 130 patients in the trial. Additional study details can be found on ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05417789).
For the full press release see here: SynOx CCO and CMO PR
