Meet Paul Peter Tak

Paul Peter is President and CEO of Candel Therapeutics, where he is advancing viral immunotherapies designed to activate systemic anti-tumor immune responses. A physician-scientist trained in internal medicine, rheumatology, and immunology, he has worked across academic medicine, large pharma, and biotech, including senior leadership roles at GSK and Galapagos.

Under his leadership, Candel has reached several important clinical and regulatory milestones. Its lead program, aglatimagene besadenovec, also known as CAN-2409, completed a pivotal Phase 3 trial in localized prostate cancer and received FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation in 2025, with a BLA submission planned for late 2026. The program has also generated data in therapy-resistant advanced non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, while CAN-3110 is being developed for recurrent glioblastoma. In 2025, Paul Peter accepted the Scrip Award for Best Oncology R&D Advance on behalf of the Candel team.

“There is underappreciated progress in shifting the goalposts, from short-term tumor responses to long-term patient outcomes. Increasingly, we are seeing approaches that aim to keep patients free from recurrence, free from symptoms of progressive or metastatic disease, and free from the need for salvage therapies that often come with substantial toxicity and loss of quality of life.”