Agenus Inc (NASDAQ: AGEN), an immuno-oncology (I-O) company with a pipeline of immune checkpoint antibodies, cancer vaccines and adoptive cell therapies, has named Dr Manuel Hidalgo, MD, PhD as its new strategic advisor and Paulo Moreira as global head of Clinical Operations, it was reported yesterday.

Dr Hidalgo, an oncologist, has led clinical development of more than 50 novel anticancer agents including erlotinib, temsirolimus and nab-paclitaxel, which are FDA approved for the treatment of cancer. He is the director of Rosenberg Clinical Cancer Center and chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is also co-director of the Pancreas and Liver Institute, and co-director of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program, at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). His work in experimental cancer therapy and tumour model development has led to key advances in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Moreira joins Agenus from EMD Serono, where he served for 18 years in diverse positions within Clinical Development. He was named in PharmaVoice's 100 Most Inspirational Leaders in both 2015 and 2017, in recognition of his industry leadership in patient centricity and the advancement of clinical trials. More recently, he was recognised by CenterWatch as 2018 Top Innovator, for his work around the Clinical Trials Registry of the Future.