Prof. Diane Simeone from University of Michigan Medical Center becomes latest appointment to Immunovia Scientific Advisory Board
Extensive expertise in clinical tumor management and tumor biomarkers, will help accelerate pancreatic cancer diagnostic program
LUND, Sweden ― Immunovia announced today that Prof. Diane Simeone, Greenfield Endowed Professor of Surgery and Physiology at the University of Michigan Medical Center and the Director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center and a leading authority on the management of solid and cystic pancreatic tumors, has joined the company’s Scientific Advisory Board. This latest appointment is in line with Immunovia´s strategy to deliver the first validated test for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Simeone also directs the GI Oncology Program and the Translational Oncology Program at University of Michigan. She has been the recipient of numerous NIH grants (multiple R01s, U01, P50) investigating the biology of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and the development of novel, more effective therapeutic strategies to treat pancreatic cancer patients. She has served as President of both the Society of University Surgeons and the American Pancreatic Association. Dr. Simeone is the Chair-Elect of the National Scientific and Medical Advisory Board for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and serves as the U.S. lead on the Precision Promise Project, focused on developing a new national pancreatic cancer clinical trial infrastructure. She has served on the Board of Directors for the National Pancreas Foundation and on the Lustgarten Foundation Scientific Advisory Board, and is currently on the NCI Pancreatic Cancer Task Force. Dr. Simeone is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
“We are delighted that Prof. Simeone has agreed to join Immunovia’s Scientific Advisory Board. Her expertise in tumor management combined with her interest in their molecular mechanisms and potential biomarkers are especially relevant to our pancreatic cancer diagnostics program,” said Mats Grahn, CEO, Immunovia.
Prof. Simeone added: “To improve patient survival rates and patient management during pancreas cancer which is one of the most deadly cancers, diagnosis as early as possible is the key. Therefore, I am looking forward to working with Immunovia´s test as it has the true potential to provide early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.”
For more information, please contact:
Mats Grahn
Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Immunovia
Tel.: +46-70-5320230
Email: mats.grahn@immunovia.com
About Immunovia
Immunovia AB was founded in 2007 by investigators from the Department of Immunotechnology at Lund University and CREATE Health, the Center for Translational Cancer Research in Lund, Sweden. Immunovia’s strategy is to decipher the wealth of information in blood and translate it into clinically useful tools to diagnose complex diseases such as cancer, earlier and more accurately than previously possible. Immunovia´s core technology platform, IMMray™, is based on antibody biomarker microarray analysis. The company is now performing clinical validation studies for the commercialization of IMMray™ PanCan-d that could be the first blood based test for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. In the beginning of 2016, the company started a program focused on autoimmune diseases diagnosis, prognosis and therapy monitoring. The first test from this program, IMMray™ SLE-d, is a biomarker signature derived for differential diagnosis of lupus, now undergoing evaluation and validation. (Source: www.immunovia.com)
Immunovia’s shares (IMMNOV) are listed on Nasdaq First North in Stockholm and Wildeco is the company’s Certified Adviser. For more information, please visit www.immunovia.com.
About Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer is one of the most deadly and difficult to detect cancers, as the signs and symptoms are diffuse and similar to other diseases. There are more than 40,000 deaths and over 50,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the U.S. alone, and the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is currently 4-6%. It is predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer death by 2020. However, because resection is more successful in stage I/II, can significantly improve pancreatic cancer patients’ 5-year survival rates from 4-6% to potentially 50-60%.
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