Novel Approaches in Cancer Immunotherapy — Featuring OncoC4 founder, CEO and CSO Dr. Yang Liu and CFO Abid Ansari – Xtalks Life Science Podcast Ep. 146

This episode features an interview with Yang Liu, PhD, founder, chairman, CEO and chief scientific officer; and Abid Ansari, MBA, Chief Financial Officer at OncoC4, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for cancer. This includes first-in-class immunotherapy products such as novel antibodies and CAR T-cell treatments targeting CTLA-4.

OncoC4 is a spinout of OncoImmune, which was acquired by Merck in December 2020. OncoImmune was founded in 2000 based on the scientific discoveries of the company’s founders who moved their lead product from a basic concept into clinical trials for multiple indications.

Dr. Liu is recognized internationally for his research on immune recognition of cancer and activation of lymphocytes. He has received several academic and research awards including the Snyder Award for Cancer Research in 2015, and was elected to the rank of fellow at the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2004 for his pioneering contribution to innate immunity, T cell costimulation and cancer immunology. Prior to serving full-time as OncoC4’s CEO, Dr. Liu was a faculty member at multiple academic institutions, including New York University and the Ohio State University.

Abid Ansari is a finance executive with a more 20-year track record in the life sciences industry encompassing corporate finance, fundraising, business development and investor relations experiences for public and private life science companies. Previously, he served as CFO of Artios, a UK-based DNA damage response company where he led the company’s $153 million Series C fundraising. Earlier in his career, Abid held positions at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in deal finance and portfolio management.

Tune into the episode to hear more about the development of new, cutting-edge cancer treatments, including current challenges in oncology and immunotherapies. Also hear about OncoC4’s collaborations, including a co-development commercialization partnership with BioNTech on its lead product and a collaboration with Merck.

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