Coiled Therapeutics (AIM:COIL), the AIM-listed clinical-stage oncology company developing precision medicines for hard-to-treat cancers, has appointed Professor Guru Sonpavde and Dr Alexander Spira as founding members of a newly formed Medical Advisory Board to support the Phase I development of its lead asset, AO-252.
Professor Sonpavde is Director of Genitourinary Oncology and Phase I Clinical Research at AdventHealth Cancer Institute in Orlando, with more than 500 peer-reviewed publications and principal investigator roles on multiple pivotal Phase III trials, including studies that led to regulatory approvals for nivolumab plus gemcitabine-cisplatin in advanced urothelial carcinoma and enfortumab vedotin.
Dr Spira leads one of the most active early-phase oncology programmes in US community oncology settings at NEXT Oncology Virginia, has chaired the ASCO Broadening Clinical Trial Eligibility Committee, and holds a part-time appointment at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
The two advisers will guide expansion cohort design, indication prioritisation and combination therapy strategies for AO-252, which targets TACC3, a cancer vulnerability the company says has no validated therapy currently available.
The appointments follow a recent positive clinical update on AO-252 and the earlier addition of Professor Ozgur Sahin as Scientific Advisor.
"Their clinical guidance will be invaluable as we advance AO-252's new formulation into patients and initiate combination therapy studies later this year," said CEO Sridhar Vempati.
Coiled Therapeutics expects to move AO-252 from dose escalation into targeted expansion cohorts in the second half of 2026.
