STAT+: Novartis, Seagen veteran David Epstein is back, leading a new cancer startup

LONDON — It hasn’t even been a year since Pfizer closed its $43 billion acquisition of Seagen — one of the biggest biopharma deals in years — but David Epstein, who was CEO of Seagen, is back.

Epstein is now the CEO of Ottimo Pharma, a new company unveiled Monday aiming to develop a drug that could work in a variety of cancers. It’s an experimental antibody that targets two proteins called PD-1 and VEGF, an approach that has become one of the hottest areas in immuno-oncology. 

Ottimo’s aim is to run a Phase 1 trial starting perhaps late next year, the data from which will hopefully be promising enough to attract an acquisition offer for the company, Epstein said. The company will consider types of cancer, such as non-small cell lung cancer, where other anti-VEGF/PD-1 drugs have shown promise, and cancer types that could appeal to potential suitors, he said. 

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