Xilio Therapeutics Appoints Immuno-Oncology Veteran Dr. Tunde Bello to the Board of Directors

Xilio Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotech company focused on tumor-activated immuno-oncology therapies, announced the appointment of Akintunde (Tunde) Bello, Ph.D., to its board of directors. Dr. Bello brings over 25 years of oncology drug development experience, with expertise in translational medicine and clinical pharmacology across biologics and immunotherapies.

“Xilio’s innovative approach to developing tumor-activated immuno-oncology therapies presents an exciting opportunity to advance novel molecules, which hold the potential to overcome the limitations of current cancer treatments. I am honored to join Xilio’s board of directors at this important time and look forward to contributing to Xilio’s efforts to meaningfully improve outcomes for patients while minimizing systemic toxicities,” said Dr. Bello. 

Dr. Bello most recently served as SVP and head of clinical pharmacology, pharmacometrics, and bioanalysis at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), where he led efforts across several therapeutic areas, including immune checkpoint inhibitors. Before BMS, he spent more than a decade at Pfizer overseeing clinical pharmacology for late-stage oncology programs.

“Tunde is an accomplished leader with a strong track record of successfully developing novel therapies across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including several important cancer immunotherapies for anti-CTLA-4, PD-1 and T-cell engager through all stages of development, and I am thrilled to welcome him to the board. With over 25 years of experience in oncology research and development, focused on translational medicine and clinical pharmacology at BMS and Pfizer, we look forward to benefitting from Tunde’s extensive expertise as we advance toward the clinic with XTX501, our masked PD-1/IL-2 bi-specific, and our bi-specific and tri-specific masked T cell engager programs,” said Paul Clancy, chair of the board of directors of Xilio Therapeutics. 

Dr. Bello holds a B.Sc. in biomedical sciences from Portsmouth Polytechnic, an M.Sc. in instrumentation and analytical science from the University of Manchester, and a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from King’s College London. His appointment is expected to enhance Xilio’s clinical development strategy and leadership in tumor-selective immunotherapies.