Highly respected T-cell immunologist brings more than three decades’ experience working across diverse R&D disciplines in T-cell immunology and cancer biology
Joining forces is Estelle Marrer-Berger, Ph.D., as chief development officer
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., October 25, 2023 – 3T Biosciences (“3T”), an immunotherapy company changing the future of treatment for solid tumors and other immune-mediated diseases, today announced the appointment of Bryan Irving, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer (CSO). In this role, Dr. Irving will be responsible for the company’s scientific strategy and direction and will chair 3T’s Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. Irving is a highly respected scientist with more than 30 years of experience working across diverse disciplines of research and development (R&D) to deliver innovative medicines. During his career, he led small-to-larger-scale organizations in drug discovery and development in multiple therapeutic areas, including immunology and oncology. His work has focused primarily on exploring ways to modulate T-cell activity for therapeutic benefit in both oncology and autoimmune settings.
“Our goal at 3T is to create safer and more effective medicines for patients with solid cancers and autoimmune diseases,” said Stefan J. Scherer, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of 3T Biosciences. “This is no easy task. Bryan is an accomplished inventor and research executive in cellular therapeutics and brings the knowledge and experience necessary to help deliver our life-changing therapies to patients who have few treatment options for these difficult-to-treat cancers.”
“3T is a company that is changing the future of cancer immunotherapy,” said Dr. Irving. “Our groundbreaking work will identify novel, tumor-specific therapies with improved safety for delivery to cancer patients. By understanding how the immune system recognizes, targets, and destroys cancer cells, 3T’s technology has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases.”
Before joining 3T, Dr. Irving was senior advisor at Frazier Life Sciences and prior to this role he was CSO at Amunix Pharmaceuticals until its acquisition by Sanofi. Previously, Dr. Irving was executive vice president and CSO of Five Prime Therapeutics (acquired by Amgen) and vice president, Cancer Immunology at CytomX. Following post-doctoral work at Harvard and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Dr. Irving began his industry career at Genentech where for 12 years his work focused on biologics’ drug discovery and development in both areas of inflammation and immune oncology. Among his most notable contributions at Genentech was serving as key inventor and research leader of the PD-L1 immunotherapy TECENTRIQ® (atezolizumab).
Dr. Irving received his Ph.D. in immunology from UCSF where his doctoral work, conducted with Art Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., pioneered the single-chain chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology. His work has been published in journals that include Cell, Science, Cancer Cell, Nature Immunology, Nature Communications, Immunity and Journal of Experimental Medicine. Dr. Irving is an inventor on patents that include CARs and atezolizumab.
As part of 3T’s drive to advance its therapies to the clinic in 2024, the company has also appointed Estelle Marrer-Berger, Ph.D., as chief development officer, responsible for the company’s preclinical, and early clinical translational programs.
“Estelle is a recognized expert in translational sciences known for innovative strategies that balance the most advanced science and technologies and regulatory compliance. Her ability to transform novel ideas into development candidates will be a tremendous asset to 3T as we fulfill our mission to change how we treat solid cancers and other immune-mediated diseases,” said Dr. Scherer.
“3T’s innovative approach and unwavering commitment to transforming patients’ lives resonates with me,” said Dr. Marrer-Berger. “3T shares my passion for innovation and has a culture of rigor and dedication to advancing novel therapies. We believe in the best science for better lives.”
Dr. Marrer-Berger has 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry at Novartis Pharma AG and Roche. She brings a wealth of expertise and leadership in drug safety, and nonclinical and translational development, with a proven track record of successful Investigational New Drug (IND) and Clinical Trial Authorization (CTA) filings in oncology and autoimmunity. Of note, she pioneered the use of Human Model Systems to support Entry into Human milestones for T-cell receptor (TCR)-based therapies, which earned global health authority approvals. Dr. Marrer-Berger received her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
3T Biosciences
3T Biosciences is an immunotherapy company focused on discovering and developing next-generation therapies with curative potential based on its immune-response-guided target discovery approach. 3T Biosciences’ 3T-TRACE platform technology is designed to overcome the challenges of advancing T-cell receptor (TCR)-based therapeutics. Based in South San Francisco, 3T Biosciences is led by an experienced management team and supported by top investors including Westlake Village BioPartners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. For more information, please visit https://3tbiosciences.com.
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Greig Communications
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