Joerg Matthiessen

In 2016, Joerg was diagnosed with two types of cancer, one in stage 4 and one in stage 3. The stage 3 cancer was a so-called “age cancer” that was slow growing and able to be removed surgically. The stage 4 cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma) was highly aggressive and needed an urgent systemic treatment. After several rounds of mostly ineffective chemotherapy, Joerg was put on a new immunotherapy drug, Opdivo, which had just been approved by the FDA for tumors such as Joerg’s.

The Opdivo was highly effective and resulted in the remission of the stage 4 cancer. Joerg reached the 2-year milestone of taking Opdivo and his oncologists decided to stop the treatment, at least temporarily, as there is simply not enough experience with the long-term use of the drug. Plus, Joerg was beginning to experience some side effects. Earlier in 2019, Joerg had heard of ennov1 and decided to join as a Founding Member. It is his hope that ennov1 will provide access to an effective, highly personalized treatment option, with potentially fewer side effects, for him and for others in the near future.