GlobeNewswire·Feb 4, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

Aprea Therapeutics Appoints Industry Veteran Eugene Kennedy, MD, as Chief Medical Advisor

APRE

Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. announced the appointment of Eugene (Gene) Kennedy, MD, as Chief Medical Advisor.
Dr. Kennedy joins following early clinical proof-of-concept data from the Phase 1 dose-escalation study of the WEE1 inhibitor APR-1051 in patients with advanced solid tumors.
He brings over 20 years of experience in oncology clinical development, regulatory strategy, and senior corporate leadership across public and private biotechnology firms.
CEO Oren Gilad stated Dr. Kennedy's expertise will support optimizing dose and patient selection for the WEE1 program while advancing the DNA damage response (DDR) pipeline.
Dr. Kennedy currently serves as fractional Chief Medical Officer at Percheron Therapeutics, overseeing a Phase 2 immuno-oncology checkpoint inhibitor program.
His prior roles include Chief Medical Officer positions at Carisma Therapeutics, Galera Therapeutics, Innovative Cellular Therapeutics, Lumos Pharma, and NewLink Genetics.
Dr. Kennedy previously advanced an NDA filing for a radiation-induced oral mucositis therapy at Galera and led first-in-human trials for cell therapies at Carisma and Innovative Cellular Therapeutics.
Before entering industry, he was an Associate Professor of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University, specializing in pancreatic and hepatobiliary surgery.
Aprea's clinical pipeline includes APR-1051, an oral WEE1 kinase inhibitor, and ATRN-119, an ATR inhibitor, both targeting solid tumors.
The company's strategy focuses on exploiting cancer-specific vulnerabilities to minimize damage to healthy cells across indications such as ovarian, endometrial, colorectal, prostate, and breast cancers.
The press release includes standard forward-looking statements regarding clinical trial timing, regulatory submissions, and financial projections subject to risks and uncertainties.