AELIX Therapeutics, a drug development company specialised in the discovery and development of immunotherapies for HIV infection, appointed Dr Thomas Hecht as Chairman of its Board of Directors.
Dr Hecht joins the company at the same time as the first patient is enrolled in the company’s phase I clinical trial for the assessment of its proprietary HIVACAT T-cell Immunogen (HTI) vaccine.
As Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr Hecht will support the company in establishing proof-of-concept for the HTI vaccine as well as completing the assembly of an experienced management team.
Dr Hecht brings extensive expertise in leading value creation processes for stakeholders as well as deal-making with large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In his new position he will also use his experience as chairman of a number of boards; he currently serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Affimed, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Cell Medica and Vaximm.
He was also, amongst others, Chairman of the Supervisory Council at SuppreMol, Chairman of the Board of Directors at ESBATech and Delenex, and served on the Board of Directors at Humabs BioMed.
He is currently Head of Hecht Healthcare Consulting in Küssnacht, Switzerland, a biopharmaceutical consulting company.
“AELIX Therapeutics has reached a crucial milestone by enrolling the first patient in the Phase I clinical trial. I am thrilled to join the company at this exciting time,” said Dr Thomas Hecht.
“After decades of work to develop an HIV vaccine, I hope to contribute with my experience in building a strong player that I believe has good chances to be amongst the very few, which could eventually succeed.”
At the beginning of September, AELIX Therapeutics announced the enrolment of the first patient in its phase I randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled safety, tolerability and immunogenicity study of its HTI vaccine, with results expected in 2018.
According to WHO estimates, about 36.7 million people are living with HIV and in 2016 more than one million people died of HIV-related causes.