Swedish biotechnology company Simris Group has appointed Dr András Strassz as chief medical officer (CMO), strengthening its clinical leadership as it prepares to advance its antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programmes.
Strassz brings more than 20 years of pharmaceutical and biotechnology experience across oncology, haematology and immunology, with a particular focus on ADC development.
He was previously CMO at Heidelberg Pharma, where he established the company's clinical development function and led pipeline strategy. This included several Investigational New Drug (IND) applications and the first successful dose-escalation trial of HDP-101, an amanitin-based ADC targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
Strassz will oversee clinical development and provide medical and therapeutic leadership across the company's programmes
Earlier roles included clinical development positions at Janssen Cilag, Amgen and Sandoz, followed by a position as medical director at oncology biotechnology company Affimed. He holds an MD and an MBA from the University of Pécs in Hungary.
At Simris, Strassz will oversee clinical development and provide medical and therapeutic leadership across the company's programmes. His responsibilities will include programme design, regulatory engagement and preparations for future clinical trials. He will work alongside the management and development teams, including recently appointed Dr Andreas Pahl.
Interim CEO Daniel Kubitza said the appointment would help put the expertise in place to deliver the company's strategy, adding that Strassz's experience in oncology drug development and amanitin-based ADCs would be valuable as Simris prepares to move its programmes towards clinical development.
Strassz said he was looking forward to helping shape the company's development plans as its programmes progress towards clinical trials.
