On Monday, June 15, Ziopharm announced (press release) the appointment of Carl June as chairman to the company’s newly formed scientific advisory board (SAB). Below, FENIX provides thoughts on this appointment, particularly around June’s experience pioneering the initial CAR-T studies leading to the commercialization of Kymriah.
On May 7, 2020, Ziopharm held their Q1 2020 earnings call (press release/slides), highlighting their clinical and regulatory milestones for both TCR-T and CAR-T programs. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on Ziopharm’s CD19 CAR-T and TCR-T pipeline, particularly within the context of COVID-19.
On Thursday, April 30, Gilead held their Q1 2020 earnings call (press release / financial report / slides). Of note, Yescarta sales continued to grow versus the previous quarter (Q4 2019), seemingly with little initial impact from COVID-19, in contrast to Kymriah which saw a slight dip in Q1 2020 sales. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on Gilead’s cell therapy program, particularly in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.