Abcuro has begun to add commercial muscle ahead of the anticipated launch of an inflammatory disease drug, appointing ex-Priovant Therapeutics executive Courtney Cupples to its C-suite to lead the preparations.
Cupples will now serve as chief commercial officer for Massachusetts-based Abcuro. The position will give Cupples a starring role as the biotech gears up to start selling ulviprubart, an anti-KLRG1 antibody that is in phase 3 development. The late-phase study is testing ulviprubart in inclusion body myositis, a muscle disease that involves inflammation—though Abcuro has said it sees applications in other indications, too.
Cupples arrives at Abcuro after a stint as chief commercial officer for Priovant Therapeutics. During her time at the Roivant subsidiary, Cupples led preparations to launch the TYK2-JAK1 inhibitor brepocitinib.
Before joining Priovant, the new Abcuro executive spent more than a decade at Genzyme before its acquisition by Sanofi, followed by eight years in commercial leadership roles at Alexion and close to five years as senior VP of commercial strategy and marketing at Biohaven prior to its acquisition by Pfizer.
Abcuro highlighted Cupples’ head role in the launch of Alexion’s Soliris in Latin America and leadership of the global metabolic disease franchise for its Strensiq and Kanuma, as well as her oversight of commercial strategic planning for Biohaven’s rare disease portfolio—which mainly covered neuromuscular conditions—as particularly relevant highlights of her job history.
The biotech is aiming to report initial data from the phase 3 Muscle trial of ulviprubart in the first half of next year. The antibody could become the first FDA-approved treatment for inclusion body myositis.
If ulviprubart comes to market, Abcuro is unlikely to face competition in the indication for the foreseeable future. Regeneron was interested at one time, but withdrew its phase 2 trial without enrolling a patient.
Abcuro raised $200 million to fund its late-phase trial in February, adding to earlier rounds that funneled $155 million and $42 million to its bank account. Sanofi Ventures co-led a series A round to get Abcuro up and running in 2021.