Attivare Therapeutics, Inc., a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company pioneering new treatments for cancer and infectious diseases through its innovative immune-activating scaffold platform, ATTimmune, has named David Sherris, Ph.D. the company’s new President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board.
Dr. Sherris’s appointment coincides with Attivare’s progression toward clinical trials with lead programs in oncology and infectious disease. The oncology program leverages ATTimmune for innate immune activation, immune cell recruitment, and controlled IL-12 delivery, positioning as a potentially superior therapy compared to current IL-12 treatments. Additionally, Attivare’s slow-release malaria vaccine program, developed in partnership with the Gates Foundation and Harvard, secured a $4M non-dilutive grant.
“I am thrilled to join Attivare, furthering its mission bringing innovative therapeutics to patients,” said Dr. Sherris. “The pre-clinical data for our lead programs is promising, and I look forward to working with our talented team of scientists and our supportive venture capital partners.”
Dr. Joaquim Trias, Board Member, commented, “We are very pleased welcoming David to lead Attivare through its next growth phase. His proven ability to develop innovative patient treatments, along with experience in both large pharmaceutical and smaller biotech companies, will provide the strategic and operational expertise necessary for Attivare’s success. With our expanding programs in cancer and infectious disease addressing critical unmet needs, David joins us at a pivotal time.”
Dr. Sherris brings over 30 years experience in translational medicine, spanning basic research, pharmaceutics, and diagnostics. A successful serial entrepreneur, he has built biotechnology companies from the ground up, formulating corporate strategies, implementing programs, and guiding companies through funding and acquisitions. Dr. Sherris is a published author, multiple patent holder in diverse therapeutic areas, and a frequent speaker at biopharmaceutical business and scientific conferences.
About Attivare Therapeutics
Attivare was founded by a team from the Wyss Institute at Harvard to tackle the challenge of treating tumors with low immunogenicity. The company’s ATTimmune platform is a novel biomaterial scaffold capable of recruiting, reprogramming, and releasing target immune cells, providing 3D spatiotemporal control of bioactive components. This significantly enhances the magnitude and durability of patient immune responses. The ATTimmune platform synergizes with standard of care having applications beyond oncology, including infectious disease. ATTimmune creates a new physical microenvironment within the body, concentrating immune cells delivering immunomodulatory agents reprograming immune response overcoming cancer antigen tolerance.
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