Tvardi Therapeutics Appoints John Kauh, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tvardi Therapeutics, Inc. (“Tvardi”), a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of STAT3 inhibitors, announced the appointment of John Kauh, M.D. to the position of Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Kauh is a board-certified medical oncologist with proven leadership in early- and late-phase drug development including US and EU regulatory submissions for drug approval.

“We are delighted to have John join the Tvardi team, bolstering our leadership team with medical and drug development expertise. John’s background in clinical trial oversight and regulatory interactions comes at a critical time as we have initiated Phase 2 trials in liver cancer, breast cancer, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,” said Imran Alibhai, Ph.D., CEO of Tvardi.

Before joining Tvardi, Dr. Kauh most recently served as Vice President of Clinical Development at HUTCHMED where he oversaw clinical development of agents ranging from Phase 1 to Phase 3. He provided medical oversight to various global clinical trials evaluating small-molecule inhibitors in oncology and personally led the NDA and MAA regulatory submissions for surufatinib. Previously, he led early-phase oncology development for Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. He began his career in industry at Eli Lilly where he oversaw clinical development of multiple early-phase oncology assets as well as late-stage trials of ramucirumab (CYRAMZA^®). Prior to his transition into industry, Dr. Kauh was an Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine with a focus in gastrointestinal medical oncology and early-phase drug development.

About Tvardi Therapeutics

Tvardi is a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing small molecule inhibitors of STAT3, a key regulatory protein positioned at the intersection of many signaling pathways integral to the survival and immune evasion of cancer cells. STAT3 also plays a central role in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. The company’s lead product, TTI-101, completed enrollment in its first-in-man Phase 1 trial of relapsed/refractory patients with advanced solid tumors. To date, TTI-101 monotherapy has been well-tolerated and has clinical activity across a broad range of tumors including multiple durable radiographic objective responses. The company has now initiated Phase 2 clinical programs in hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic breast cancer, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. To learn more, please visit https://tvarditherapeutics.com/.