Epitopea Strengthens Leadership Team as RNA-Based Cancer Immunotherapy Platform Advances Toward Clinical Trials
Key Insights
Epitopea (search) has appointed key executives including Siri Brinchmann-Hansen Torhaug as Head of Oncology Development and Gertrud Koefoed Rasmussen as Head of Development Operations to accelerate clinical development of its CryptiVax (search)™ RNA-based immunotherapies.
The company expanded its research capabilities with the addition of Dr. Theres Oakes as Director of Translational Sciences and Dr. Lisa Smith as Director of Research to support the transition from preclinical to clinical stages.
Epitopea (search)'s proprietary CryptoMap™ platform identifies novel Cryptigen™ tumor-specific antigens hidden within cancer's "junk" DNA, targeting a new class of broadly shared antigens across multiple patients with the same tumor type.
Epitopea (search), a transatlantic cancer immunotherapeutics company, has significantly strengthened its leadership team with key appointments across clinical development and research operations as it prepares to advance its RNA-based immunotherapy platform into clinical trials. The company announced the formation of its dedicated clinical team and expansion of research capabilities, marking a crucial milestone in bringing its CryptiVax (search)™ immunotherapies to patients with hard-to-treat cancers.
Executive Leadership Expansion
The company has appointed Siri Brinchmann-Hansen Torhaug as Head of Oncology Development and Gertrud Koefoed Rasmussen as Head of Development Operations, both joining Epitopea (search)'s Executive leadership team. They will report to Dr. Klaus Edvardsen, who has served as the company's Chief Medical Officer since February 2025 and oversees strategic direction of clinical trials and regulatory affairs.
Siri Brinchmann-Hansen Torhaug brings extensive experience as a board-certified oncology specialist with a background in clinical strategy and development. She previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Nykode Therapeutics, where she developed clinical strategies for oncology and autoimmune disease therapies across both early-phase translational research and late-stage clinical trials.
"It's a pleasure to join Epitopea (search)'s Executive and clinical leadership team," said Torhaug. "With my background in oncology clinical trials, I am excited to contribute to the company's innovative work in cancer immunotherapy. I look forward to working alongside Klaus and Gertrud to advance Epitopea's promising pipeline, with the aim of improving patient outcomes in oncology."
Gertrud Koefoed Rasmussen contributes over 20 years of clinical operations experience across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology and rare diseases. Most recently, she held the position of VP and Head of Development Operations at Nykode Therapeutics, where she built and expanded the clinical operations department and led clinical trials across all phases of development.
"Joining Epitopea (search) is an exciting opportunity to leverage my expertise in clinical operations and contribute to the development of innovative therapies," said Rasmussen. "I look forward to collaborating with the team to manage and execute clinical trials that will bring groundbreaking cancer immunotherapies to patients with significant unmet medical needs."
Research Team Enhancement
Epitopea (search)'s research team in Cambridge has been extended to include translational immunology capabilities with the appointment of Dr. Theres Oakes as Director of Translational Sciences and Dr. Lisa Smith as Director of Research (UK). Both report to Dr. Jon Moore, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, and will collaborate closely with the clinical team to ensure seamless integration of research and clinical strategies.
Dr. Theres Oakes brings extensive expertise in antigen-directed immuno-oncology through her academic training and prior role at Achilles Therapeutics (search). Dr. Lisa Smith contributes considerable experience in drug discovery and oncology from her previous roles at Kudos Therapeutics, Mission Therapeutics and Benevolent AI.
"We are harnessing the talents of our existing research team and recent joiners to build world-class cancer immunotherapeutics," said Dr. Moore. "Furthermore, with the translational sciences team we are building around Theres, we will have the capability to assess the performance of our immunotherapeutics in patients with unrivalled precision. It has been a real privilege to be able to build such a strong biology group, and I am very excited to see what impact we can make on the treatment of these devastating diseases."
Proprietary Platform Technology
Epitopea (search) is developing accessible off-the-shelf RNA-based immunotherapies for hard-to-treat cancers by targeting a new class of untapped tumor-specific antigens, known as Cryptigen™ TSAs, that are broadly shared across multiple patients with the same tumor type.
The company has created an extensive library of novel Cryptigen™ TSAs, discovered by its proprietary CryptoMap™ platform that leverages immunopeptidomics, genomics, and a bioinformatics pipeline. This approach allows the identification of aberrantly-expressed, tumor-specific antigens (aeTSAs) that are hidden within cancer's "junk" DNA. These hidden Cryptigen™ TSAs were first discovered through research led by Drs. Claude Perreault and Pierre Thibault at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer at the Université de Montréal.
Company Background and Funding
Founded in 2021, Epitopea (search) consists of sister companies based in Cambridge, UK and Montreal, Canada. The company is backed by leading life science investors including Advent Life Sciences, CTI Life Sciences, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Le Fonds de Solidarité FTQ, Investissement Québec, adMare BioInnovations, Jonathan Milner, the Harrington Discovery Institute, IRICoR and Novateur Ventures. Epitopea also maintains a license and research collaboration with MSD (tradename of Merck & Co (search)., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA).
Dr. Klaus Edvardsen, CMO of Epitopea (search), commented on the team expansion: "It is an honor to lead the formation of this clinical team, and I am thrilled to work with Gertrud and Siri, who both bring invaluable experience and expertise to Epitopea. Their leadership will be crucial as we move forward with our clinical trials and work to bring our transformative cancer immunotherapies to the clinic."