The Silicon Review - Best Business Review Magazine 50 Most Trustworthy Companies 2019 | Page 80

An Interview with Allan Camaisa, Calidi Biotherapeutics
CEO: “We are Disrupting Traditional Cancer Treatments.”
“Our mission is to eradicate difficult-to-treat cancers, through enhanced oncolytic viruses potentiated
and delivered by stem cells which is a breakthrough for cancer patients.”
C
onventional therapies for
cancer such as chemotherapy
and radiotherapy remain a
mainstay in the treatment of cancer,
but in many cases, a targeted
approach is lacking, and patients
can be vulnerable to drug resistance,
side effects, and cancer recurrence.
In recent years, novel concepts have
begun to emerge to improve the
traditional therapeutic options in
difficult to treat cancer types. viruses. The company is advancing
its cell-based oncolytic virus
delivery platform for the treatment
of difficult-to-treat cancers. The
company has announced an
exclusive veterinary worldwide
license for the development and
commercialization of its lead
drug SuperNova1 (SNV1) with
VetStem, an industry-leading
biopharmaceutical animal
health company.
Calidi is a clinical-stage
biotechnology company with
a proprietary technology that
overcomes the challenge of the
effective delivery of oncolytic Allan Camaisa, Calidi
Biotherapeutics CEO,
spoke exclusively with
The Silicon Review.
Below is an excerpt.
In light of the foregoing,
we’re thrilled to present
Calidi Biotherapeutics.
“
Our solution has
the potential to
have a global
footprint providing
low-cost cancer
treatment solutions
for many patients.
80
”
Calidi is headquartered in San Diego,
California with additional offices
outside Munich, Germany.
What’s the factor that makes
your company stand out
from the competition?
Our stem cell platform acts
as a ‘Trojan horse’ hiding
the virus, preventing the
oncolytic viral elimination
by the patient’s immune
system, and facilitating
initial viral amplification
inside stem cells. The stem
cells then release the active
oncolytic virus and promote
the replication of the virus at
the tumor sites. Our treatment
kills tumor cells and changes the
tumor from being unrecognizable
by the immune system (Cold) to
recognizable by the immune system
(Hot).
What challenges did you face
in your initial years? What
can your peers learn from it?
Funding: This is the main challenge
we faced in our initial years. We
have had to educate state and
federal organizations, investors,
and the pharmaceutical community
about our mission: We are a pioneer
in our cell-based approach to curing
cancer.
We take time to do things right while
ensuring that we provide a positive
patient experience.
Is your company a ‘leader or
a follower’?
Our company is a leader in the
delivery and potentiation of
oncolytic viruses utilizing a novel
stem cell-based platform. To be a
good leader you have to be a good
follower. Allowing others to lead
within the organization regardless of
the title is a hallmark of excellence.
What’s your most important
asset?
We have people with passion in
what they do, because they believe
in our mission to eradicate cancer
using a novel approach (stem
cell delivery of an oncolytic virus
into solid tumors). Our timing is