LOS ANGELES, June 9, 2025 — TORL BioTherapeutics LLC (TORL), a biotechnology firm in the clinical stage focused on the discovery and development of innovative antibody-based immunotherapies to enhance and prolong the lives of cancer patients globally, today announced that Anna Berkenblit, MD, MMSc, has been appointed to its Board of Directors.
Mark J. Alles, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TORL BioTherapeutics, stated, “We are thrilled to welcome Anna to TORL’s Board. Dr. Berkenblit’s work as a clinician and industry leader has significantly impacted patients worldwide, most recently by spearheading the clinical advancement of a novel targeted treatment for a subset of ovarian cancer patients.”
Dr. Berkenblit brings over two decades of experience in the clinical development of innovative anticancer treatments. She currently serves as the Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), where she oversees the organization’s scientific and clinical strategies through sponsored studies, research grants, health data initiatives, business development, and patient services.
Before joining PanCAN, Dr. Berkenblit was the Chief Medical Officer at ImmunoGen, where she spearheaded the development of mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx, a pioneering antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets folate receptor alpha (FRα). Under her guidance, mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx secured FDA approval for treating patients with FRα-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC).
Dr. Berkenblit commented, “I am excited to bring my experience and expertise in developing new cancer therapies to the TORL Board. I look forward to collaborating with the Board and Management to build upon the Company’s current discovery and development efforts, and to establish TORL BioTherapeutics as a leading global oncology-focused biotechnology company.”
Dennis Slamon, MD, PhD, Board Member, Scientific Co-founder, Professor of Medicine, and Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, noted, “Anna’s clinical and industry insights are particularly valuable for TORL at this stage, as we advance our portfolio of potential first- and best-in-class antibody-based therapies, starting with our Claudin 6-targeted ADC, TORL-1-23. We are delighted to have her join the TORL Board.”
Prior to her leadership role at ImmunoGen, Dr. Berkenblit held the position of Senior Vice President, Clinical Development at H3 Biomedicine, and Vice President, Head of Clinical Research at Aveo Oncology. She also held positions of increasing responsibility at Wyeth/Pfizer, including Vice President, Asset Team Leader. Throughout her career, Anna has directed clinical development and oncology trials, from early-stage testing through large registration programs.
Dave Licata, Co-founder, Board Member, President, and Chief Financial Officer of TORL BioTherapeutics, stated, “Dr. Berkenblit’s success in developing mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx, a first-in-class targeted ADC for PROC, will be extremely beneficial to the TORL team as we continue our registrational Phase 2 CATALINA-2 trial of TORL-1-23 ADC for Claudin 6-positive PROC patients, which is currently TORL’s top priority in 2025.”
Dr. Berkenblit received her MD from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Medical Sciences (MMSc) from Harvard/MIT Health Sciences & Technology. She completed her internship and residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and her hematology/oncology fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), where she remained as staff, focusing on clinical research in gynecological and gastrointestinal malignancies. Subsequently, Anna led the BIDMC/Dana-Farber Harvard Cancer Center Phase 1 oncology clinical trial program before transitioning to the biopharmaceutical industry.
About Claudin 6
Claudin 6 (CLDN6) is highly expressed in various cancers, with little to no detectable expression in normal tissues, making it an ideal target for ADC development. CLDN6 is a transmembrane protein crucial for cell-to-cell connectivity in normal tissues during development but not in adult tissues. Its overexpression in certain malignancies is implicated in the initiation, progression, and metastasis of certain cancers, including ovarian, non-small cell lung, endometrial, testicular, and others. High expression correlates with reduced survival rates for ovarian cancer patients.
About TORL-1-23
TORL-1-23 is a clinical-stage ADC, potentially the first and best in its class, being developed for the treatment of CLDN6+ solid tumors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted TORL-1-23 Fast Track Designation. TORL BioTherapeutics is currently enrolling patients in the pivotal Phase 2 CATALINA-2 study of TORL-1-23 in women with CLDN6+ PROC. More details are available at .
About CATALINA-2
CATALINA-2 is a global, randomized, open-label Phase 2 study assessing the novel CLDN6-targeted ADC TORL-1-23 in women with CLDN6+ PROC who have previously received one to three lines of therapy. The primary endpoint is objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST v1.1, as determined by blinded independent central review. Secondary endpoints include duration of response, ORR by investigator assessment, progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety. Further information can be found at .
About TORL BioTherapeutics LLC
TORL is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on creating new antibodies, including both monoclonal antibodies and ADCs, with the aim of transforming the lives of individuals affected by various human malignancies. Through a strategic alliance with the Slamon Research Lab at UCLA, TORL holds exclusive development and commercial rights to an extensive program of biologics-based drugs targeting new, promising, and novel cancer targets.
SOURCE TORL Biotherapeutics LLC
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