JACKSONVILLE, Florida, December 6, 2017 / TapImmune Inc. (NASDAQ: TPIV), a leading clinical-stage immuno-oncology company with ongoing clinical trials in ovarian and breast cancer, today announced the appointment of Richard Kenney, M.D., F.A.C.P., as Acting Chief Medical Officer. In this newly created role at TapImmune, Dr. Kenney will continue to manage the Company’s ongoing and planned clinical programs for its novel, multi-epitope, T-cell vaccine candidates. Dr. Kenney has served as Head of Clinical Development for TapImmune since May 2017, and served previously as Chief Medical Officer for two biotech publicly traded companies focused on developing immunotherapies for oncology and infectious disease.
“As part of our continuing effort to advance our clinical programs in ovarian and breast cancer as efficiently as possible, we are very pleased to have Dr. Kenney join our executive team to lead the clinical development for TapImmune as Acting Chief Medical Officer,” said TapImmune President and CEO Peter Hoang. “Since joining the Company in February of this year, Dr. Kenney has been successful in driving operational efficiency, working with our clinical teams and investigators to optimize patient enrollment, study design, and execution. We are confident that his continued leadership and dedication will lead to the achievement of many value-driving clinical milestones for TapImmune over the months and years to come.”
Dr. Richard Kenney, Acting Chief Medical Officer of TapImmune, stated, “I believe TapImmune is in a unique position to fulfill important treatment gaps with its novel vaccine technologies, presenting an exciting opportunity for the company and for patients. My primary objective is to continue to optimize the execution of our active Phase 2 clinical trials in ovarian and breast cancer, to launch our planned clinical studies in a timely and cost-effective manner, and to drive TapImmune towards becoming the most efficient clinical organization in our industry. With continued focus on clinical execution, I believe TapImmune can help advance the field of immuno-oncology with its therapeutic vaccine platform and potentially improve the lives of patients who currently have few or no effective treatment options.”
Dr. Kenney also serves as President of ClinReg Biologics, LLC, his own clinical consulting firm. Prior to this role, Dr. Kenney served as Principal Medical Advisor and Chief Medical Officer of Immune Design, where he led the clinical development, pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs groups to advance the development and commercialization of the company’s prime-boost immunotherapeutic vaccines. Previously, Dr. Kenney served as Chief Medical Officer of Crucell Holland, BV, where he directed the development of a broad platform of vaccines, and as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development for Vical Incorporated, where he led the clinical development of DNA vaccines for cancer immunotherapy and infectious diseases. Dr. Kenney held key positions in vaccine development at GSK Biologicals from 2005 to 2009, most recently as Senior Director of Global Clinical R&D, Vaccines for Viral Diseases. He earned his M.D. degree at Harvard Medical School, then completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Duke University Medical Center and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
