Jounce Therapeutics Appoints Luis A. Diaz, Jr., M.D., to its Board of Directors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:JNCE), a clinical-stage company focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer immunotherapies and predictive biomarkers for patient enrichment, today announced the appointment of Luis A. Diaz, Jr., M.D. to its board of directors. Dr. Diaz brings to the company his world-renowned expertise in cancer genetics and a precision medicine approach to immuno-oncology.

“We are thrilled to welcome Luis to our board of directors,” said Richard Murray, Ph.D., chief executive officer and president of Jounce Therapeutics. “He has an outstanding record of achievements as an exemplary and compassionate clinician and researcher. Luis’ work on PD-1 inhibition in microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) selected cancer patients has truly pioneered the vision of a biomarker driven, tumor type agnostic future for immuno-oncology.”

Dr. Diaz has served as the head of the solid tumor oncology division and a faculty member at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center since December 2016. From 2004 to December 2016, he was a faculty member and physician at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Diaz was a member of the renowned Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics and was Director of the Swim Across America Laboratory. He also founded several entities that focus on genomic analyses of cancers including Inostics, PapGene and Personal Genome Diagnostics, Inc. As a clinical scientist, he has also harnessed the power of cancer mutations as potent antigens and championed the use of checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of patients with tumors with high mutational burden. He and his team conceptualized and executed the landmark proof-of-concept study using PD-1 blockade in patients with MSI-H, which led to the historic first pan-tumor FDA approval for any solid tumors with this genetic lesion in May 2017. Dr. Diaz holds a B.S. in microbiology and an M.D. from the University of Michigan. He completed his internal medicine residency training at the Osler Medical Service and his medical oncology fellowship training at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, both part of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“The value Luis has placed in both his research and patient care on tumor-derived biomarkers as a cancer screening and monitoring tool aligns perfectly with the Jounce mission of delivering the right therapies to the right patients,” said Elizabeth Trehu, M.D., chief medical officer of Jounce Therapeutics. “He will provide invaluable insight as we continue to advance our innovative pipeline of immunotherapies, including our lead Phase 2 program with JTX-2011.”

“I am honored to join the Jounce board and work with a team that has deep expertise in cancer therapy. I have been impressed by the company’s multi-faceted approach to profile tumors and prioritize novel targets and related biomarkers as a way to address current challenges in immuno-oncology,” said Dr. Diaz. “I look forward to working together with my fellow board members and the management team to achieve Jounce’s vision of transforming the way cancer is treated.”

About Jounce Therapeutics
Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage immunotherapy company dedicated to transforming the treatment of cancer by developing therapies that enable the immune system to attack tumors and provide long‑lasting benefits to patients. Through the use of its Translational Science Platform, Jounce first focuses on specific cell types within tumors to prioritize targets, and then identifies related biomarkers designed to match the right therapy to the right patient. Jounce’s lead product candidate, JTX-2011, is a monoclonal antibody that binds to and activates ICOS and is currently in a Phase 2 trial. For more information, please visit www.jouncetx.com/.

Forward Looking Statements
Various statements in this release concerning Jounce’s future expectations, plans and prospects, including without limitation, Jounce’s expectations regarding the timing, progress and results of preclinical studies and clinical trials for Jounce’s product candidates and any future product candidates may constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws and are subject to substantial risks, uncertainties and assumptions. You should not place reliance on these forward looking statements, which often include words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “on track,” “plan,” “predict,” “target,” “potential” or similar terms, variations of such terms or the negative of those terms. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company cannot guarantee such outcomes. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, as well as those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Jounce’s most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Jounce’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All such statements speak only as of the date made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media Contact:
Katie Engleman
Pure Communications, Inc.
(910) 509-3977 
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Investor Contact:
Komal Joshi
Jounce Therapeutics, Inc.
(857) 320-2523
kjoshi@jouncetx.com