NextCure CMO Heller to resign; plus Vertex, Turning Point, Scholar Rock, C4, Vor and more

NextCure Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTC) said CMO Kevin Heller has resigned, effective Aug. 4, to pursue a new opportunity; the immunotherapy company is searching for a successor. NextCure also said Monday that, based on response data, it does not plan to enroll patients with non-small cell lung and ovarian cancers in the second part of a Phase I/II trial of NC318, a mAb targeting SIGLEC15. The trial will continue to enroll patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and triple-negative breast cancer.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTX) hired E. Morrey Atkinson as SVP and head of commercial manufacturing and supply chain, a new role. He was SVP, global manufacturing operations at Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY). In June, Vertex reached an agreement with England’s NHS for access to its cystic fibrosis triple combination therapy (see “Vertex, NHS in Deal for CF Triplet”).

Precision oncology company Turning Point Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:TPTX) named Andrew Partridge as EVP and chief commercial officer, a new position. He was CCO and COO of Centrexion Therapeutics Corp. This month, Turning Point out-licensed rights to its cancer therapy repotrectinib to Zai Lab Ltd. (NASDAQ:ZLAB) in Greater China (see “Zai Gains China Rights”)...