Cambridge-based Mestag Therapeutics, a biotech company working on fibroblast-immune interactions to develop treatments has appointed Dr Cassandra Choe-Juliak, Dr Greg Elson and Samantha Vieira as expert advisors.

Each has played significant roles in multiple clinical trials across indications, particularly solid tumors including lung, breast and colorectal cancer.

Choe-Juliak has spent more than 17 years in oncology medical affairs and clinical drug development. She was chief medical officer at Flame Biosciences, acquired by Leap Therapeutics in January this year. At Karyopharm, she was head of development for the multiple myeloma and sarcoma programmes. She was previously head of clinical development at Affimed. She also worked at Ipsen, Merck, AVEO Oncology and Celgene.

Elson is co-founder and managing partner at Prevail Biopharma Solutions, and chief technology officer at Alentis Therapeutics. He has also worked at AMAL Therapeutics (Boehringer Ingelheim), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, NovImmune, Pierre Fabre and Glaxo Biomedical Research Institute.

Vieira has 18 years’ experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, spanning early-to-late stage R&D and pre-launch planning, within roles across programme management, cross-functional leadership, strategy and operations. Mostly recently she was chief operating officer at Anjarium Bioscience, a Swiss-based non-viral gene therapy company. Prior to that she was global product development and commercial lead at Biogen, and vice-president program management at Nightstar Therapeutics before its acquisition by Biogen.

Mestag Therapeutics’ chief executive Dr Susan Hill said: “Each brings an outstanding track record in their field, and we are delighted to welcome them to Mestag at an important stage in our development as we progress towards clinic. As members of our advisory team, they will play a key role in guiding Mestag as we leverage our unique understanding of fibroblast-immune biology to urgently advance our first-in-class antibody programmes.”