Aprea Therapeutics Appoints Dr. Eugene Kennedy As Chief Medical Advisor To Advance WEE1 Inhibitor APR-1051 After Early Phase 1 Proof-Of-Concept In Advanced Solid Tumors

Aprea Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies that target cancer-specific vulnerabilities while minimizing harm to healthy cells, announced the appointment of Eugene (Gene) Kennedy, MD, as Chief Medical Advisor. Dr. Kennedy joins Aprea at a pivotal time, following the company’s recent demonstration of early clinical proof-of-concept in its ongoing Phase 1 dose-escalation study evaluating the WEE1 inhibitor APR-1051 in patients with advanced solid tumors. 

He brings more than 20 years of experience as a physician-scientist and biopharmaceutical executive, spanning oncology clinical development, regulatory strategy, and senior leadership roles in both public and private biotechnology companies. Aprea expects his expertise to strengthen the company’s clinical leadership as it advances dose escalation and refines patient selection in its WEE1-focused DNA damage response program.

Oren Gilad, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Aprea Therapeutics, said, “We are excited to bring on a high-caliber advisor such as Dr. Kennedy, who has extensive experience in oncology drug development and across multiple stages of clinical programs. His track record in leading complex oncology initiatives, collaborating with regulatory authorities, and supporting data-driven decisions will be invaluable as we build on our recent early clinical proof-of-concept, optimize dose and patient selection in our WEE1 program, and advance our DNA damage response pipeline toward key clinical and regulatory milestones.”

Dr. Kennedy commented, “DNA damage response inhibition has the potential to fundamentally change the way certain difficult-to-treat cancers are approached. I am aligned with Aprea’s strategy to pursue this opportunity and establish leadership in this space. I am impressed by the strength of the company’s medicinal chemistry and by the progress made in advancing high-quality clinical assets. The emerging clinical data, including the early proof-of-concept results for APR-1051, highlight the potential of this approach. I look forward to working with the team to continue advancing the pipeline and creating long-term value for patients and stakeholders.”