MARSEILLE, France, July 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HalioDx SAS, an immuno-oncology diagnostic company, today announced the formation of its scientific advisory board (SAB). Approved by the executive leadership team and board of directors, the SAB is chartered to advise on the development and commercialization of HalioDx immune scoring tests and solutions. Led by Dr. Jérôme Galon, this world-class team is comprised of leading experts in oncology, immunology, pathology and molecular diagnostics from both the U.S. and Europe. 

"We are thrilled to have such a talented and experienced scientific advisory board providing critical expertise to our team," said Vincent Fert, co-founder and CEO of HalioDx. ". Our SAB, composed of renowned international experts in immuno-oncology and pathology, is aimed at guiding the company in its scientific and development efforts to make Immunoscore® a standard in the evaluation of treatment options in cancers. We are delighted to benefit from such invaluable input as we commercialize our first Immunoscore® assay in colon cancer. " 

The inaugural members of HalioDx scientific advisory board include:

• Dr. Jérôme Galon, Research Director at Inserm, heads the laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Paris, France, he is specialized in the fields of immunology and cancer and he chairs the SAB. Jérôme Galon received the William B. Coley Award, an international prize which honors the best scientists in fundamental and cancer immunology, for his research on the role of T cytotoxic cells in cancers. Jérôme Galon is a co-founder of HalioDx, and consultant.
• Pr. Dominique Bellet is Chief of the Oncobiology Laboratory at Institut Curie-Hôpital René Huguenin, Paris, France, and professor of immunology at University Paris Descartes. His main scientific interest is the characterization of biomarkers and the translation of basic research findings into clinical practices and new medicines. His research groups have developed four tests for the diagnosis and follow-up of cancers, a test for the screening of Down's syndrome and another one for the diagnosis of sepsis.
• Dr. Carlo Bifulco, Director of Molecular Pathology and Pathology Informatics at the Providence Regional Laboratory and Director of Translational Molecular Pathology at the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Bifulco is a surgical pathologist, with subspecialty training in Molecular Genetic Pathology and Hematopathology.
• Pr. Alexander M.M. Eggermont, Director General of Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Campus Grand Paris, France. Alexander M.M. Eggermont clinical specialties include immunotherapy, melanoma, sarcoma and regional therapy techniques as well as general drug development. He is a past Chair of the EORTC Melanoma Group and current Chair of the Adjuvant Therapy Committee EORTC MG.
• Pr. Stanley R. Hamilton, Professor and Head of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC) since 1998, is a gastrointestinal and molecular pathologist. Dr. Hamilton has been involved in research and clinical applications of the molecular pathology of gastrointestinal neoplasms since 1982.
• Pr. Ignacio Melero is professor of immunology and leads a group working in translational tumor immunotherapy at the University of Navarra (CIMA and Clínica Universitaria). The main focuses of Ignacio Melero's activity are immunotherapy clinical trials involving cell therapy and immunostimulatory monoclonal antibodies. Dr. Melero has been awarded the BIAL Prize of Medicine (Portugal, 2005) and other honors.
• Pr. Frédérique Penault-Llorca is the CEO of the comprehensive cancer center Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France. Frédérique Penault-Llorca is professor of pathology, head of the department of pathology and tumor biology /center Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France, Head of the INCa molecular diagnosis platform, Centre Jean Perrin, France, Director of the research Unit ERTICa (university of Auvergne), elected member direction committee medical school of Clermont-Ferrand, Member of the strategic scientific committee and Vice president of the translational research group of Unicancer.
• Dr. Josep Tabernero is currently the Head of the Medical Oncology Department at the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona and the Director of the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology. He is also the head of the Gastrointestinal Tumors and Phase I Unit. Dr. Tabernero is a member of the Executive Board of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), currently holding the position of Treasurer and Chair of Audit Committee. He has been elected ESMO President 2018-2019 and serves as President-Elect from 2016. In addition, he is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

About HalioDx SAS

The Immune Response to Cancer Diagnostics

By precisely measuring the immune reaction in and around the tumor, HalioDx tests allow the clinician to determine the degree of severity of the patient's disease and predict the response to treatment, regardless of the cancer stage or the molecular class.

HalioDx designs and develops a unique range of immune scoring tests, whose first-in-class product is Immunoscore®. Considered a future diagnostic standard in Oncology, this biomarker has already demonstrated strong prognostic value in colorectal cancer. HalioDx was founded in 2014 by the former management team of Ipsogen (leader in the molecular diagnosis of leukemia), and a pioneer in integrative immunology and oncology, Dr. Jérôme Galon. HalioDx benefits of worldwide licenses on a broad portfolio of IP rights on immuno-oncology biomarkers (including the Immunoscore® technology) developed by Dr. Jérôme Galon, Research Director at Inserm, and his team (Inserm UMRS1138) at Cordeliers Research Center, Paris, France.

HalioDx has an experienced team of 87 employees and compliant facilities to develop, manufacture, deliver and market in vitro diagnostic products and services in immuno-oncology.

For more information, please visit: www.haliodx.com

HalioDx and Immunoscore are registered trademarks.

Contacts

ATCG Press
Marie Puvieux (France), Mob: +33 (0)6 10 54 36 72
Jean-Mehdi Grangeon (ROW), Mob: +33 (0)6 62 22 00 24
haliodx@atcg-partners.com
Twitter: twitter.com/haliodx

PR in English http://hugin.info/168169/R/2027467/753504.pdf

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