MetaboMed, a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel drugs in the field of cancer metabolism, today announced the appointment of Ali Fattaey, Ph.D. as its new CEO.
Dr. Fattaey brings over 20 years of experience in private and public biotech executive management roles focused on cancer drug discovery and development. Most recently he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Curis, Inc., a Boston-based biotechnology company dedicated to development of innovative medicines for patients with cancer. Dr. Fattaey has successfully raised significant capital in the private venture and public markets, recruited and built cancer drug development teams, and has established strategic partnerships and collaborations within the industry.
“Ali brings to MetaboMed a proven track record in oncology drug development and a deep biotech industry skill set. He has led the development of several cancer therapeutics through all stages of discovery, development and regulatory process” said Prof. David Aviezer, MetaboMed’s chairman of the board. “MetaboMed is at the forefront of one of the most exciting new areas in cancer biology and drug discovery, with a significant foundation, a compelling vision, great people, deep science and a growing pipeline already in place. We look forward to Dr. Fattaey leading MetaboMed to the next stage as we near clinical development and continue to expand our presence in the U.S.”
Incoming Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ali Fattaey said: “I am excited to continue building on the world-class scientific foundation, exceptional team and culture of MetaboMed and lead the company into the next stage by establishing an equally strong clinical development dimension to the company. MetaboMed has already used its proprietary synthetic lethal screening platform to build an impressive pipeline of novel drug candidates addressing cancer metabolism targets, and we expect to initiate human trials for the first of these in the next year. We look forward to continuing and growing our ongoing pipeline discovery efforts in Israel, and our expansion in the Boston biotech community allows us to effectively execute the drug development and corporate aspects of our strategy.”
Prof. Aviezer added: “I wish to thank Dr. Simone Botti, our departing CEO, for his dedicated and diligent work at MetaboMed, from its inception as an incubator company, until today. The foundation he has built will serve MetaboMed in the years to come. We wish him the best in his new endeavor.”
“Dr. Simone Botti, the departing CEO, will be joining the senior team of a large European VC fund” Prof. Aviezer added: “I wish to thank Simone, for his dedicated and foundational work at MetaboMed, starting from its inception as an incubator company, until today. The foundation he has built, and the achievements made during his tenure will serve MetaboMed in the years to come. We wish him the best of luck in his new endeavor.”
Dr. Botti said: “I am proud of the work made together with our founders and investors, and our stellar R&D team. I am confident that Metabomed will be able to fulfill its potential as a global leader in oncology.”
About Cancer Metabolism
Cancer cell metabolism is marked by profound changes in nutrient requirement and usage to ensure cell growth, proliferation, and survival. This metabolic reprogramming is regulated by the same oncogenes and tumor suppressor signaling pathways that are mutated in cancer cells in order to fuel their uncontrolled proliferation. Cancer cells become addicted to certain energy sources and metabolic pathways, with glucose and fatty acid utilization playing a critical role in cancer cell metabolism. Identifying and disrupting key enzymes in these and other metabolic pathways provides a powerful intervention point for discovery and development of novel drugs for cancer treatment.
About MetaboMed
MetaboMed is leading the discovery and development of novel drugs that target the unique dependencies identified in cancer cell metabolic pathways. The Company has built its integrated synthetic lethal and metabolomic screening platform based on decades of biochemistry and genetics research performed by its founders. The platform leverages computational biology combined with phenotypic screening approaches to identify and address synthetic lethal drug targets within the context of cancer cell metabolism. The Company’s pipeline includes an advanced program with a potent and selective inhibitor of the ACSS2 enzyme, as well as multiple lead compounds addressing novel cancer metabolism targets. MetaboMed is dedicated to building a product pipeline addressing cancer cell metabolic targets to improve the lives of cancer patients. The company operates from its facilities in Yavne, Israel, and offices in Cambridge Massachusetts.
