We are a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapeutics for a broad range of cancer indications. Our product candidates currently include galinpepimut-S, or GPS, a cancer immunotherapeutic agent that targets the Wilms tumor 1, or WT1, protein, and SLS009, a highly selective small molecule cyclin-dependent kinase 9, or CDK9, inhibitor.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, CMC & Quality
Vice President, Associate General Counsel & Head of Compliance
In September 2014, SELLAS announced an exclusive global collaboration and exclusive license agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) for the development, marketing and commercialization of MSKCC’s proprietary WT1 cancer immunotherapy, galinpepimut-S.
In December 2020, SELLAS entered into an exclusive license agreement with 3D Medicines Inc., a China-based biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation immuno-oncology drugs, for the development and commercialization of GPS, as well as SELLAS’ next generation heptavalent immunotherapeutic GPS+, which is at preclinical stage, across all therapeutic and diagnostic uses in the Greater China territory (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). SELLAS has retained sole rights to GPS and GPS+ outside of the Greater China area.
In March 2022, SELLAS entered into an exclusive license agreement with GenFleet Therapeutics (Shanghai) Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on therapies in oncology and immunology, to develop, manufacture, and commercialize a small molecule cyclin-dependent kinase 9, or CDK9, inhibitor for use in all countries outside of the Greater China area.
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President and Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Angelos M. Stergiou is the founder, President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to founding SELLAS in 2012, Dr. Stergiou co-founded Genesis Life Sciences, Ltd. (now Genesis Research), a boutique health economics and pricing-reimbursement and health access company, where he served as President and Chief Operating Officer from 2009 to 2011. From 2002 to 2009, Dr. Stergiou held global positions of increasing responsibility in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including PAION AG, Accentia Biopharmaceuticals, BioVest International, Analytica International and Anavex Life Sciences. During this time, Dr. Stergiou held roles ranging from Head of Clinical Research and Vice President of Product Development, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Operations Officer with responsibility for medical affairs, clinical research and development, pharmacovigilance, clinical operations, project management, regulatory affairs, biostatistics, and chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC).
Dr. Stergiou has led and overseen research endeavors in all phases of clinical development across many indications, including CNS, cardiovascular, oncology, respiratory and autoimmune diseases, and has a broad understanding of all aspects of clinical development and medical affairs. He has designed and implemented research projects in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Europe.
Dr. Stergiou was a member of the joint steering and oversight committee of PAION AG with Forest Laboratories, Inc. He also led the Phase 3 development of a therapeutic cancer vaccine, BiovaxID, into completion which was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology plenary session in 2009 and also holds a patent on the technology.
Dr. Stergiou holds a Doctor of Medicine from the U.S. American Institute of Medicine and a Doctor of Science (honoris causa) degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College, and received his Bachelor of Sciences degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College with a major in Pre-Medicine, Biology and Chemistry.
Dr. Stergiou was a member of the Board of Trustees at Kentucky Wesleyan College from March 2017 to January 2021, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK – ID:00707077), an active member of the World Medical Association, a member of the American Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research, and a member of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals. Dr. Stergiou has served on the Board of Directors of Cleara Biotech B.V., a biotech company located in the Netherlands, since January 2022.
Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer
Dr. Cicic has over 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Before joining SELLAS, he was Senior Vice President, Clinical Lead, at Klus Pharma, a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Kelun, a major China-based multinational pharmaceutical company. At Klus Pharma, Dr. Cicic led the global clinical development of targeted solid cancer biologicals and was involved in the development of novel checkpoint inhibitors as well as other innovative biological and small molecule drug candidates.
Prior to Klus Pharma, Dr. Cicic held senior management positions at Actinium Pharmaceuticals, where he launched key clinical trials, both early and late stage, in hematologic malignancies, primarily in acute myeloid leukemia. Dr. Cicic also worked with QED Technologies, a consulting company focused on life sciences. He received his medical degree from the University of Belgrade and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Cicic also did a Fellowship at Harvard University. Dr. Cicic has published extensively in the fields of hematologic malignancies and solid cancers. He is a member of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
John T. Burns is Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Burns has 15 years of experience in finance and accounting. Mr. Burns joined the Company in May 2013 and has held various positions of increasing responsibility during his tenure, including Vice President, Finance and Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Burns was a Securities and Exchange Reporting Manager at Pixelworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSLW), and began his career in public accounting at Moss Adams LLP.
Mr. Burns received a Bachelor of Science in Management in Finance and Master of Accounting degree from Tulane University. He is an active Certified Public Accountant.
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, CMC & Quality
Andrew Elnatan is Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, CMC & Quality. Mr. Elnatan has extensive regulatory and CMC pharmaceutical industry experience in the areas of oncology, immunology, and hematological diseases. His career spans over 25 years at companies such as Amgen, SQZ Biotechnologies Company, Celldex Therapeutics, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, and CSL. He has successfully coordinated regulatory submissions, negotiations and approvals of drugs and biologics with several global regulatory authorities, including the US Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency, European national agencies, China’s National Medical Products Administration Center for Drug Evaluation, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, and Australian Therapeutics Goods Administration. This includes achievement of US FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation granted for an oncology asset.
Mr. Elnatan received a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Victorian College and a Master of Pharmacy degree from Monash University.
Vice President, Associate General Counsel & Head of Compliance
Stacy E. Yeung leads the legal and compliance functions and brings 20 years of experience to her role as Vice President, Associate General Counsel & Head of Compliance. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Yeung served as Assistant General Counsel at Arena Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Pfizer in 2022. Previously, she held positions of increasing responsibility at DBV Technologies and Bayer. Before her corporate roles, Ms. Yeung was a commercial litigator for almost a decade, primarily focused on advising companies in the life sciences. She began her career at the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. Ms. Yeung earned her bachelor’s degree and law degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
Dr. Scheinberg has been a director of the Company and Chair of the Science Committee since December 2017. Dr. Scheinberg is currently the Vincent Astor Chair and Chairman of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics at MSK, where he spearheaded the discovery and early clinical development of galinpepimut-S and founded and is the Deputy Director of the Sloan Kettering Institute, for Therapeutic Discovery. Additionally, Dr. Scheinberg is a Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology and until 2022 was co-chair of the Pharmacology graduate program at the Weill-Cornell University Medical College. He is a Professor in the Gerstner-Sloan Kettering Graduate School at MSK. Dr. Scheinberg is also an attending physician in the Department of Medicine, on the Leukemia Service, which he led as Chief from 1992 -2001. Dr. Scheinberg is an advisor to charitable foundations and cancer centers and sat on the board of directors of Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a biotechnology company, from 1996 to 2019, which then merged with Lantheus (NASDAQ: LNTH), and currently sits on the board of directors of Sapience Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held, preclinical stage biotechnology company. Dr. Scheinberg also served on Private SELLAS’ Scientific Advisory Board from 2015 to 2017. From 2010 through 2016 he served on the board of directors of Contrafect Corporation, a publicly traded clinical-stage biotechnology company. Dr. Scheinberg holds an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Scheinberg earned his undergraduate degree in Biology from Cornell University.
Dr. Stergiou has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer, and a director, since December 2017. Dr. Stergiou founded, in 2012, our predecessor entity, or Private SELLAS, that completed a business combination with Galena Biopharma on December 29, 2017, and served as the President and Chief Executive Officer and a director since that time, both as Chairman from 2012 to July 2016, and as Vice Chairman from July 2016 to December 2017. In connection therewith, Dr. Stergiou led the negotiation of an exclusive license agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (“MSK”) to develop and commercialize MSK’s WT1 peptide vaccine technology, which was satisfied in part by the transfer to MSK of certain of Dr. Stergiou’s shares in Private SELLAS. Dr. Stergiou also co-founded Genesis Life Sciences, Ltd. (now Genesis Research), a boutique health economics and pricing-reimbursement and health access company where he served as President and Chief Operating Officer from 2009 to 2011. From 2004 to 2008 Dr. Stergiou served as Vice President and Head of Drug Development at Accentia Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. and also served in the same capacity as well as Chief Medical Officer at its subsidiary Biovest International, Inc. during the same time. While at Biovest International, Inc., Dr. Stergiou led the Phase 3 development of a therapeutic cancer vaccine,BiovaxID, which was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology plenary session in 2009. Dr.Stergiou started his biotechnology career in 2002 at PAION AG where he served as its U.S. program lead of desmoteplase (DEDAS) and served on the joint steering and oversight committee of PAION AG with Forest Laboratories, Inc. in 2003-2004. Dr. Stergiou holds an M.D. from the U.S. American Institute of Medicine and a Sc.D. h.c. from Kentucky Wesleyan College and received his undergraduate degree in pre-medicine, biology and chemistry from Kentucky Wesleyan College. Dr. Stergiou was a member of the Board of Trustees at Kentucky Wesleyan College from March 2017 to January 2021, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, an active member of the World Medical Association, and a member of the American Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research and the Association of Clinical Research Professionals. Dr. Stergiou has served on the Board of Directors of Cleara Biotech B.V., a biotech company located in the Netherlands, since January 2022.
Mr. Varian has been a director of the Company since December 2017 and became Chair of the Board in June 2024. Mr. Varian served as Chief Executive Officer of XOMA Corporation from August 2011 through December 2016 and served as a member of the board of directors of XOMA from December 2008 through May 2017. Mr. Varian served as a member of the board of directors of Versartis, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAR) from March 2014 through October 2018, when it acquired Aravive, and the board of directors of Egalet Corporation (NASDAQ: EGLT) from June 2018 through February 2019, when it acquired the assets of Iroko. Mr. Varian has also been a member of the board of directors of Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACOR) since January 2022 and AmMax Bio, Inc. (a privately held clinical stage biotechnology company) since February 2021. Mr. Varian previously served as Chief Operating Officer of ARYx Therapeutics, Inc. from December 2003 through August 2011. Beginning in May 2000, Mr. Varian was Chief Financial Officer of Genset S.A. in France, where he was a key member of the team negotiating Genset’s sale to Serono S.A. in 2002. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Varian served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration of Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., joining the company as part of its acquisition of Neurex Corporation. Prior to the acquisition, he served as Neurex Corporation’s Chief Financial Officer from 1997 until 1998. From 1991 until 1997, Mr. Varian served as the VP Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Anergen Inc. Mr. Varian was an Audit Principal/Senior Manager at Ernst & Young LLP from 1987 until 1991, where he focused on life sciences. Mr. Varian was also a founding committee member of Bay Bio and a former chairman of the Association of Bioscience Financial Officers International Conference. Mr. Varian holds a B.B.A. from Western Michigan University. He was a Certified Public Accountant.
Dr. Sattva Neelapu serves as a Professor and Deputy Department Chair at the Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.
Dr. Neelapu’s laboratory is focused on characterization of immune-regulatory mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment in patients with lymphoma and development of novel therapeutic strategies for patients with lymphoma. Dr. Neelapu’s clinical research has focused on the development of therapeutic vaccines for lymphoid malignancies and he has conducted some of the first immune checkpoint inhibitor trials in lymphoma. Most recently, his work on the pivotal trial of axicabtagene ciloleucel CD 19 CAR T-cell therapy in aggressive B-cell lymphoma led to its FDA approval as the first CAR-T therapy for lymphoma. His research is supported and recognized by numerous awards from national and international organizations including the National Institutes of Health, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Hematology, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Dr. Neelapu has been also awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Indo-American Cancer Association (IACA), as well as the Excellence in Oncology Award by Oncology Times.
Dr. Neelapu obtained his medical degree in India and subsequently moved to the United States where he completed residency in Internal Medicine at Coney Island Hospital, Brooklyn, New York, and a clinical fellowship in Medical Oncology and postdoctoral fellowship in tumor immunology and immunotherapy at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Neelapu has published more than 200 peer reviewed journal articles, textbook chapters and monographs.
Professor Weber is the deputy director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center (PCC), and works with a multidisciplinary team of medical and surgical oncologists, dermatologists, and pathologists to treat patients with melanomas ranging from the most common to the most complex. He serves as co-director of PCC’s Melanoma Research Program, and is head of Experimental Therapeutics at PCC, overseeing work in experimental therapeutics.
Professor Weber’s clinical and research interests primarily lie in the field of immunotherapy for cancer. He works at the forefront of new ideas in immunotherapy for treating patients with melanoma and managing the side effects of these novel therapies. He has been instrumental in the development of ipilimumab for melanoma, publishing some of the earliest papers showing its efficacy, and has been an early advocate for the use of checkpoint inhibition as adjuvant treatment, culminating in the publication of the New England Journal of Medicine work showing benefit for the PD-1 antibody nivolumab compared to ipilimumab for resected high risk melanoma. He has also been involved in a large variety of clinical trials, including trials for melanoma vaccines, protocols involving adoptive cell therapy, and novel immunotherapy trials for patients with melanoma.
Professor Weber is the principal investigator of a number of ongoing studies funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), including trials in clinical drug development and managing the autoimmune side effects of immunotherapy for melanoma. He has been the chair of the CONC study section of NCI and also serves as the co-principal investigator of NYU’s Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant for skin cancer and melanoma research from the National Cancer Institute. His research has been funded by RO1 grants from the NCI for over 25 years.
Professor Weber has published more than 230 articles in the top peer-reviewed journals in his field. He currently sits on the scientific advisory boards of seven cancer-related biotechnology companies and numerous cancer institutions and foundations.