Context Therapeutics® Expands Board of Directors
— Company Adds Richard Berman, Jennifer Evans Stacey and Linda West to Board —
— Appointments Bolster Business and Clinical Development and Commercial Strategy Expertise as Context Prepares to Advance ONA-XR into Late-Stage Trials —
PHILADELPHIA, March 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Context Therapeutics, a women’s oncology company developing advanced small molecule and immunotherapy treatments to transform care for hormone-driven breast and gynecological cancers, today announced the appointment of Richard Berman, Jennifer Evans Stacey and Linda West as independent members to its Board of Directors, and Mr. Berman has been named Chairman. As part of the planned transition, Mel Sorensen, M.D., and Elizabeth Anderson will step down from the board.
“We are pleased to welcome this distinguished group of board members and would also like to thank Dr. Sorensen and Ms. Anderson for their important contributions and guidance during the last several years,” said Martin Lehr, chief executive officer of Context. “This is a important time for Context, as we embark on the next phase of development for ONA-XR, with several near-term data readouts this year, and expand our pipeline. Ms. Stacey’s, Ms. West’s and Mr. Berman’s robust regulatory, capital-raising and commercial experience will be invaluable to Context as we develop and advance best-in-class investigational therapeutics to treat women’s cancers.”
The company’s lead program, onapristone extended release (ONA-XR), is a novel, first-in-class complete antagonist of the progesterone receptor (PR), a key unchecked mechanism in women’s cancers. ONA-XR is currently being evaluated in ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials in hormone-driven breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers.
“With 70 percent of breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers being hormone-driven, there is a significant unmet need for a therapy to selectively target PR+ cancers,” said Mr. Berman, Chairman of Context’s Board of Directors. “ONA-XR is poised to be a powerful addition to the current standard of care in hormone-driven cancers and the independent board members, including myself, are pleased to support Context at this exciting time.”
Mr. Berman brings more than 35 years of venture capital, senior management and merger and acquisitions experience. Currently, he is a director of five public companies: Advaxis, Inc., Cryoport, Inc., COMSovereign Holding Corp., BioVie Inc., and Cuentas, Inc. Mr. Berman has served on the board of five companies that have reached over $1 billion in market capitalization – Cryoport, Advaxis, EXIDE, Internet Commerce Corporation and Ontrak (Catasys) – over the last 10 years.
Ms. Stacey is currently Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Government Relations at The Wistar Institute, an international biomedical research institute focused on cancer, vaccines and infectious disease. She brings 25 years of global senior executive experience managing public, private and nonprofit companies, primarily within the life sciences industry, focused on basic research through product launch and commercialization.
Ms. West is a seasoned financial and operations professional with nearly 40 years of deal-making and management experience in the specialties and chemical industries. She currently serves on the board of Galera Therapeutics and held multiple financial and leadership roles of increasing responsibility for E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company from 1981 until her retirement in December 2019.
About Context Therapeutics®
Context Therapeutics, LLC, is a women’s oncology company developing advanced small molecule and immunotherapy treatments to transform care for hormone-driven breast and gynecological cancers. The company’s robust clinical program for lead candidate onapristone extended release (ONA-XR) comprises four ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials in hormone-driven breast, ovarian and endometrial cancer, as well as a window of opportunity trial in breast cancer. ONA-XR is a novel, first-in-class complete antagonist of the progesterone receptor, a key unchecked mechanism in hormone-driven women’s cancers. Context is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa. For more information, visit www.contexttherapeutics.com.
Media Contact:
Heather Anderson
6 Degrees
919-827-5539
handerson@6degreespr.com
