Month: April 2025

In this inaugural Season 3 episode, Dr. Paul Peter Tak, MD PhD FMedSci, shares his journey from rheumatologist and academic to biotech leader, framed by a central purpose: to transform cancer care with truly impactful medicine.

In this episode, Tak reflects on key themes that define mindful leadership, resilient innovation, and scientific courage.

From Clinic to CEO

Tak starts by revisiting his early medical calling—treating patients first-hand in Amsterdam—which shaped his values around translational science. He credits a pivotal mentor whose guidance helped pivot his career from academia into executive roles at GSK, where he became Head of Immunology and Global R&D portfolio lead. At GSK, he cultivated the “Immunology Network,” a strategic bridge between pharma and academic research.

Why Candel?

Tak chose Candel Therapeutics for its agility and mission alignment. He recounts how the company nearly got delisted from NASDAQ before refocusing on signature assets like CAN‑2409, a viral immunotherapy showing promising results in prostate, lung, and pancreatic cancers, even in chemo or radiation-resistant cases. The episode delves into how patient impact, not incremental metrics—shaped the turnaround strategy and investor confidence.

A “Bloody-Obvious Test” in Innovation

A core philosophy Tak shares is the “Bloody Obvious Test”: innovation must deliver material benefit, not just statistical significance. He pushed early clinical trials in experimental medicine to deliver dense, high-quality data, even with small patient cohorts, to rapidly learn whether a therapy could genuinely transform lives. This discipline enabled early program termination and resource reallocation, when clinical outcomes didn’t align with molecular targets.

Reframing Failure as Fuel for Growth

In a candid segment, Tak discusses a failure he’s proud of: the shutdown of the ribbon kinase development program at GSK. Despite excellent chemistry and target engagement, the trial lacked meaningful patient outcomes. By stopping it early, he preserved credibility, resources, and focus for more promising programs. He mentors others to see failure not as defeat but as opportunity, an essential part of innovation and self-discovery.

The Mindful Leadership Challenge

Tak offers a reflective challenge to leaders: “Could you do what you do today in a fundamentally different way? Not for novelty, but as a thought experiment.” He stresses questioning status quo, not necessarily to change, but to break mental boundaries and unlock creativity

The Studio at Kendall: Candel and IDEA Pharma CEOs on mindset and communication in biotech innovation.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/biotechtv_%F0%9D%90%93%F0%9D%90%A1%F0%9D%90%9E-%F0%9D%90%92%F0%9D%90%AD%F0%9D%90%AE%F0%9D%90%9D%F0%9D%90%A2%F0%9D%90%A8-%F0%9D%90%9A%F0%9D%90%AD-%F0%9D%90%8A%F0%9D%90%9E%F0%9D%90%A7%F0%9D%90%9D%F0%9D%90%9A%F0%9D%90%A5%F0%9D%90%A5-%F0%9D%90%92%F0%9D%90%AA%F0%9D%90%AE%F0%9D%90%9A%F0%9D%90%AB%F0%9D%90%9E-activity-7312982416371904513-yk7K?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAGrkxgBdQ2xnm-4oDLtOQKusdHauRmizn8

At ASCO 2025, BiotechTV sat down with Paul Peter Tak, MD PhD FMedSci, CEO of Candel Therapeutics, to discuss the firm’s pivotal Phase 3 prostate cancer data and the future outlook for its viral immunotherapy platform.

What is CAN-2409?

CAN‑2409 is an off‑the‑shelf adenovirus-based immunotherapy, a replication-deficient viral vector engineered to deliver cytotoxic gene therapy directly within tumours. Designed to synergize with standard radiotherapy, CAN‑2409 aims to enhance local tumour control and systemic immune activation.

Key Prostate Cancer Data from ASCO

• The Phase 3 trial evaluated CAN‑2409 plus radiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone in localised non-metastatic prostate cancer.
• The primary endpoint, disease-free survival (DFS), showed a 30% reduction in risk of recurrence or death (hazard ratio ≈ 0.70), a statistically significant improvement even in patients with age-related non-cancer deaths factored in.
• Cancer-specific DFS, excluding non-cancer deaths, demonstrated an even stronger benefit (~38% risk reduction).
• Two-year biopsies revealed that over 80% of patients on CAN‑2409 had pathological complete responses, compared to ~64% with radiotherapy alone.

These data mark a milestone in prostate cancer treatment, addressing a critical gap in improving curative outcomes beyond standard modalities.

Development Path & Regulatory Strategy

Tak explained that the Phase 3 study was conducted under an FDA Special Protocol Assessment (SPA), ensuring alignment on design and endpoints with regulatory expectations. Looking ahead, the team is actively preparing for BLA submission and scaling manufacturing to support commercial readiness across indications beyond prostate cancer.

The Bigger Picture: Pipeline Expansion

Beyond prostate cancer, Candel is advancing CAN‑2409 in borderline-resectable pancreatic cancer and therapy-resistant non‑small cell lung cancer, where unmet needs remain significant. Tak underscored the importance of building a pan–solid tumor immunotherapy pipeline, leveraging viral delivery to tackle difficult-to-treat cancers with limited therapeutic options.