Coulter Partners strengthens leadership team at hC Bioscience with two placements: Chief Scientific Officer and SVP of Translational Science and Cancer Biology
London, 17 October 2023 – Coulter Partners, the global experts building leadership teams for Health, Science and Technology innovation businesses, recently partnered with hC Bioscience and is pleased to announce the placements of Jose Lora, Ph.D. as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), and Heather Hirsch, Ph.D. as SVP of Translational Science and Cancer Biology.
hC Bioscience is a pioneering biotech company dedicated to advancing tRNA-based therapies, a new class of treatments that target disease-causing proteins at the level of translation.
“Jose’s experience across multiple therapeutic areas and technologies make him a valuable addition to our team,” said Leslie Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer of hC Bioscience. “He brings a proven track record in translational research and will be instrumental in bringing about a new class of treatments with therapeutic tRNA.”
Commenting on Dr. Hirsch’s appointment she added: “We welcome Heather to hC Bioscience and look forward to her contributions as we advance our therapies to the clinic. Dr. Hirsch’s proven track record of driving clinical translation aligns with our goal to develop effective treatments that are able to target multiple gene mutations implicated in cancer and rare diseases.”
Leslie Williams concluded: “It was our pleasure to work with Coulter Partners and we thank the team for their professionalism and outstanding support in making these appointments, both of which are critical to our continued success.”
Dr. Lora will play a pivotal role in helping to shape the Company’s strategic direction around its innovative portfolio of therapeutic tRNAs and advancing their lead candidates into the clinic.
Among Lora’s priorities is the focus on bringing the Company’s lead oncology candidate into the clinic. This candidate is designed to repair premature termination codons (PTCs) in mRNA in order to restore the production of proteins that naturally suppress tumors. Additionally, Lora will oversee the Company’s pipeline, direct therapeutic applications across cancer and inherited diseases, and expand the platform to address missense and frame-shift mutations.
Dr. Lora has ushered numerous candidates from target identification to IND. In his career, he has worked across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including oncology, rare disease and ophthalmology, and has expertise in multiple therapeutic modalities, including proteins, gene therapies and small molecules.
Prior to hC Bioscience, Dr. Lora served as Chief Scientific Officer at Intergalactic Therapeutics and at enGene, a clinical-stage non-viral gene therapy company. Prior to enGene, Lora held senior research positions at Synlogic, Constellation, GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, and Millennium. Lora received his Ph.D. from the University of Seville, Spain, and was a postdoctoral researcher at Brown University and the University of Utah.
As the newly appointed SVP of Translational Science and Cancer Biology, Dr. Hirsch will lead the company’s efforts to bring the first tRNA therapies into the clinic. Through her deep understanding of tumor biology and translation, she will play a crucial role in advancing hC Bioscience’s lead platform, targeting tumor suppressor genes with nonsense mutations or PTCs.
Dr. Hirsch will join a growing team of scientists and brings a wealth of experience and expertise, having served most recently as the Vice President of Clinical Translational Sciences at IMV Inc. Her extensive background in cancer biology and translational sciences makes her an invaluable addition to the leadership team at hC Bioscience. In her previous roles at IMV Inc., Jounce and Merck, she played a pivotal role in the development of groundbreaking therapies, demonstrating her ability to drive successful clinical translation from the laboratory to the patient’s bedside. Dr. Hirsch holds a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Michigan State University and conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School.
With a commitment to improving the lives of patients through precision protein editing, hC Bioscience is at the forefront of developing first-in-class tRNA-based therapeutics to target protein dysfunction. The company’s innovative approach has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of genetically defined conditions, which account for 10-15% of all human diseases.
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Notes to editors:
About hC Bioscience
hC Bioscience is dedicated to bringing tRNA-based therapies to patients. Therapeutic tRNA is a new class of treatments that target disease-causing proteins at the level of translation.
Our initial focus is designing and developing therapeutic tRNAs to treat cancers caused by gene mutations and inherited diseases. Our lead indications include colorectal cancer that has metastasized to the liver (CRCLM), inherited retinal disease such as retinitis pigmentosa, and muscular dystrophies.
Therapeutic tRNA represents the next-generation of RNA-based therapies. It holds the potential to repair or eliminate damaged proteins from the body by modifying errors in mRNA, a key molecule that translates genes into proteins.
hC Bioscience is Based in Boston, MA and was founded on technology out of Universities such as Iowa, Wisconsin, Rochester, and Chicago. The Company secured $40 million in series A financing with investments from leading venture firms including ARCH Ventures, Takeda Ventures, 8VC, Taiho Ventures, Panacea Venture, and CureDuchene.
For more information, visit: https://hcbioscience.com
About Coulter Partners
We are executive search and leadership development specialists working to build a better future. As advisors and consultants to companies at the cutting edge of Health, Science, and Technology, we are united by our mission to build teams that change the world. Operating uniquely as one global team, we have honed our expertise, platform, and data for over two decades, working across three continents, and in 40 countries. Applying what we learn through our work with boards, leadership teams, and investors in the world’s most innovative companies, we bring together and develop the right people at the right time to propel them to achieve their worthwhile goals.
