Cytheris Appoints Damian Marron as Chief Executive Officer

Cytheris SA has announced the appointment of Damian Marron as chief executive officer.

The first task for Damian Marron at Cytheris will be to guide the acceleration of the development of its lead compound CYT107 (glycosylated r-hIL-7) with pivotal studies in two targeted indications with urgent medical needs and no current treatments:

• Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) in severely lymphopenic patients; an orphan indication with a one year survival of around 50 per cent that affects approximately 4,000 people year in the US and EU alone
• Reduction of severe complications in Immune Non-Responders with HIV (HIV-INR) controlled by anti-retroviral treatment; 15-25 per cent of HIV patients are lymphopenic despite optimal treatment (HAART) leading to a significant increase in risk of death and serious complications.

CYT107 also holds great promise in other lymphopenic conditions such as idiopathic lymphopenia or cancer associated lymphopenia.

“I am delighted to be taking on responsibility for leading Cytheris in the next stage of its development,” said Damian Marron.

Marron continued, “Cytheris has already generated a significant body of clinical and pre-clinical evidence demonstrating the ability of CYT107 to reverse lymphopenia and restore immune function. I look forward to allying my experience with that of the Cytheris team, its board and investors to build further value and bring treatments to patients with serious and under-treated conditions.”

Olivier Martinez, chairman of the Cytheris board added: “We congratulate Damian Marron on his appointment. He brings over 25 years of biotechnology and industry experience to the role, especially from his last four years as CEO with Trophos. There Damian was instrumental in establishing and executing on a strategy that included an innovative option acquisition agreement with Actelion, undertaking a pivotal registration program in an orphan indication and ensuring Trophos was well-financed to advance its programs.”