Havah Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative hormonal implant therapies for breast cancer prevention and treatment, has established a Clinical Advisory Board chaired by founder Stephen Birrell, MD, PhD. This board comprises experts in breast cancer biology, endocrine signaling, and biomarker-driven risk reduction strategies.
Matthew Brewer, CEO of Havah Therapeutics, emphasized the significance of the board’s expertise, stating, “The scientific and clinical guidance of this esteemed group will be invaluable as we advance our androgen-targeted therapy into late-stage clinical studies for Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ (DCIS) and investigator-sponsored combination studies in more advanced disease.”
Among the notable members of the Clinical Advisory Board is Shelley Hwang, MD, MPH, a Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) Investigator and a leading authority on pre-invasive disease and DCIS. She expressed enthusiasm for her involvement, saying, “I am thrilled to be involved with Havah Therapeutics at this critical stage of their development. Insights gained from their ongoing Phase 2 study (RECAST DCIS), coupled with my experience as the principal investigator of the COMET Study, will potentially enable the company’s androgen receptor-targeting therapy to provide a much-needed alternative to invasive surgery and radiation treatment.”
Members of Havah Therapeutics’ Clinical Advisory Board:
- Stephen Birrell, MD, PhD (Chair): Founder of Havah Therapeutics and Chief Medical Officer of Wellend Health, an Australian clinic specializing in breast hormone health and high-risk breast cancer. He is also a Clinical Affiliate academic at the University of Adelaide’s Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories.
- Shelley Hwang, MD, MPH: Mary and Deryl Hart Distinguished Professor of Surgical Oncology and Radiology, Vice Chair of Research, and Disease Group Leader for the Breast Cancer Program at Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on breast cancer prevention, less invasive treatments for early-stage cancers, and mitigating healthcare disparities in breast cancer.
- Seema A. Khan, MD: Professor of Surgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and Co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention Research Program at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research aims to improve breast cancer risk stratification and develop preventive interventions for high-risk women, funded by various prestigious organizations, including the NIH and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
- Professor Wayne Tilley, PhD: Inaugural Director of the Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories at the University of Adelaide. He was among the first to clone the human androgen receptor during a fellowship at UT Southwestern in the late 1980s. His current research focuses on developing new treatments for breast cancer that enhance the tumor-suppressive activity of the androgen receptor, countering the effects of estrogen.
This newly formed Clinical Advisory Board will play a crucial role in guiding Havah Therapeutics as it progresses its innovative treatment approaches aimed at improving outcomes for patients with breast cancer.
About RECAST DCIS
Havah Therapeutics is currently participating in the Re-Evaluating Conditions for Active Surveillance Suitability as Treatment: Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (RECAST DCIS), a Phase 2 platform study aimed at preventing the progression of DCIS to breast cancer. Havah Therapeutics’ HAVAH T+Ai™, a proprietary combination of testosterone (T) and anastrozole (Ai) that targets the androgen and estrogen receptor pathways, is being evaluated alongside two other endocrine therapy arms.
About Havah Therapeutics
Havah Therapeutics is developing a novel therapeutic implant for treating hormonally sensitive cancers and other breast conditions. This groundbreaking method relies on stimulating (agonizing) the androgen receptor in breast tissue, utilizing natural hormonal mechanisms to treat patients safely and with greatly reduced side effects. The product is a combination of two registered agents (testosterone and anastrozole, a low dose aromatase inhibitor) that when dosed, provides three months of continuous medication enabling a superior product profile for compliance, safety and efficacy.
