enGene, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company mainstreaming gene therapy through its novel platform for the delivery of therapeutics to mucosal tissues and other organs, today announced the appointment of Richard Bryce, MBChB, MRCGP, MFPM as its Chief Medical Officer, effective September 19, 2023. Dr. Bryce will oversee the clinical development of EG-70, enGene’s lead product candidate for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), as well as the development strategy for enGene’s therapeutic pipeline of tissue-targeted non-viral gene therapies.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Bryce join enGene during a pivotal period in our growth as we advance our Phase 1/2 registrational LEGEND study for EG-70 in NMIBC,” said Jason Hanson, CEO of enGene. “We believe that the potential efficacy and ease of administration of EG-70 could transform how NMIBC is managed, and Dr. Bryce’s extensive track record advancing oncology therapeutics through late-stage trials and approval makes him well positioned to lead this program, while also leveraging our Dually Derivatized Oligochitosan (DDX)® platform to expand our pipeline.”
Before joining enGene, Dr. Bryce was most recently Chief Medical Officer at Rain Oncology, a late-stage company developing precision oncology therapeutics, where he built a clinical development team and oversaw multiple clinical studies, including a global Phase 3 registrational study in dedifferentiated liposarcoma. Prior to that, he was Chief Medical & Scientific Officer at Puma Biotechnology, where he led the development strategy for neratinib. His leadership of this program resulted in FDA, EMA and multiple other global approvals, a diverse clinical development program, and an active translational program with several hundred scientific and clinical publications during his tenure. Earlier in his career, Dr. Bryce was Senior Director of Clinical Science for Onyx Pharmaceuticals, where he oversaw the Phase 3 registrational studies for carfilzomib.
“I am excited to join the enGene team and share in its relentless focus on patient needs and dedication to the translation of innovative science into practical non-viral genetic medicines,” said Dr. Bryce. “I believe EG-70 has the potential to change the treatment paradigm for NMIBC patients and clinicians, and I look forward to advancing the pivotal LEGEND study and expanding our pipeline of non-viral genetic medicines.”
Dr. Bryce obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) Degrees from the University of Edinburgh and is certified in the EU in primary care/general practice and pharmaceutical medicine. He holds numerous postgraduate specialist clinical qualifications including those from the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). He also served as a Surgeon Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy.
enGene Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company mainstreaming gene therapy through its novel platform for delivery of therapeutics to mucosal tissues and other organs, potentially creating new ways to address diseases with high unmet clinical needs. Our proprietary Dually Derivatized Oligochitosan (DDX)® platform is designed to enable a carrier to penetrate mucosal tissue and deliver a wide range of sizes and types of cargo, including DNA and various forms of RNA, by turning mucosal cells into therapeutic production “factories” that generate proteins and RNAs for a desired local effect. This platform will enable localized treatment specifically to the target site without the immunogenicity and systemic effects typical of viral vector-based genetic medicines, potentially expanding gene therapy to multiple clinical settings.
enGene’s lead product candidate, EG-70, is a non-viral immunotherapy comprised of three gene cargos delivered via our proprietary DDX platform; it is being evaluated as a monotherapy in a registrational study to treat NMIBC patients with carcinoma-in-situ (Cis) who are unresponsive to treatment with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). It is also being studied as a monotherapy to treat NMIBC patients with Cis who are naïve to BCG. EG-70 is applied by intravesical administration and encodes two RIG-I agonists intended to stimulate the innate immune system and IL-12 to stimulate the adaptive immune system. With cargoes selected to stimulate both arms of the immune system, EG-70 is designed to generate a strong local immune reaction in proximity to tumors, enabling the immune system to reduce or clear the tumor and develop memory to resist recurrence without significant systemic toxicities.
The LEGEND study, both first-in-human and first-in-class, is a Phase 1/2 open-label, monotherapy, multi-center, dose-escalation trial evaluating the safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy of EG-70 administered by intravesical instillation. To learn more about the first-in-human clinical trial of EG-70 in BCG-unresponsive NMIBC, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov. For additional information about the LEGEND study, please visit TheLegendStudy.com.
