- Company appoints Mike Varney, Ph.D. and Kerry Blanchard, M.D., Ph.D. as founding SAB
members
SAN
DIEGO and SHANGHAI,
Sept. 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Adcentrx Therapeutics
("Adcentrx"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on
accelerating breakthroughs in developing protein conjugate
therapeutics for cancer and other life-threatening diseases, today
announces the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to
support the advancement of its innovative Antibody-Drug Conjugate
(ADC) technology platform and pipeline, including ADRX-0706, a
Nectin-4 targeting ADC therapeutic currently being evaluated in a
Phase 1a/b clinical trial.
Formation of SAB with founding members Dr.
Varney and Dr. Blanchard represents significant advancement for
Adcentrx.
The inaugural SAB will work closely with Adcentrx's executive
team to provide strategic guidance and expert insights to advance
its mission of creating the best therapies to treat serious and
life-threatening diseases.
"The establishment of our SAB represents a significant
advancement for Adcentrx as we progress our ADC portfolio," said
Hui Li, Ph.D., President and CEO of
Adcentrx. "We are privileged to welcome these exceptional
scientific leaders to the Adcentrx team, and their combined
expertise and guidance will be instrumental in shaping our future
research and clinical development."
The Founding Members of the Adcentrx SAB are:
Mike Varney, Ph.D.
Dr. Varney brings extensive experience in drug discovery and
development, having served as Executive Vice President, Head of
Genentech Research and Early Development, where he was responsible
for all research activities. During his tenure at Genentech, he
oversaw the discovery and development of multiple innovative
therapies, including the approved cancer treatments
Erivedge® and Cotellic®. Earlier in his
career, Dr. Varney pioneered the use of protein-structure based
drug design at Agouron Pharmaceuticals. This innovative approach
led to the discovery and market approval of HIV protease inhibitor,
Viracept®. After Agouron's acquisition by Warner Lambert and subsequently by Pfizer, he
served as Vice President of Drug Discovery at Pfizer Global
Research & Development, leading research initiatives across
oncology, virology, diabetes, and ophthalmology at the La Jolla site.
Dr. Varney holds a Ph.D. in Organic Synthesis from the
California Institute of Technology and
a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of
California, Los Angeles, and was an American Cancer Society
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Columbia
University.
Kerry Blanchard, M.D.,
Ph.D.
Dr. Blanchard has been a drug hunter and entrepreneur for more
than four decades in the US and Asia. He is currently cofounder, Chairman, and
CEO of Perpetual Medicines, a peptide therapeutics/computational AI
platform company. Previously, he was the CEO of Everest Medicines,
Chief Science Officer at Innovent Biologics, Senior Vice President
of Lilly China Drug Development and External Innovation, and a
senior executive at Eli Lilly and Company. He was a member of the
board for Lilly China and Zymeworks
Inc., and was the co-chairman of the Lilly Asia Ventures Investment
Committee. Prior to joining Lilly in 2000, he was a tenured
Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at
Louisiana State University Health Sciences
Center in Shreveport, LA.
Dr. Blanchard has brought four medicines to the market from his own
research including Verzenio®, a CDK 4/6 inhibitor, and,
his development teams in China
have had more than 30 approved medicines in Asia including Trodelvy®,
Trulicity®, Byetta®, Forteo®, and
Tyvyt®. At Innovent and Everest, Dr. Blanchard
successfully raised over $2 billion
to support and expand their pipelines. His track record in
accelerating clinical development and navigating regulatory
landscapes will significantly enhance Adcentrx's strategic
initiatives and global expansion.
Dr. Blanchard received his M.D. and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from
Indiana University and completed his
residency and fellowships at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana
Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard Medical
School.
About Adcentrx Therapeutics
Adcentrx is a biotechnology company focused on accelerating
breakthroughs in protein conjugate therapeutic development for
cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Adcentrx has pioneered
the development of i-Conjugation™, an ADC technology
platform addressing key components of protein conjugate design to
solve challenges typically seen in ADCs. In addition to ADRX-0706,
Adcentrx is developing a robust pipeline of ADCs with
first-in-class potential.
For more information about Adcentrx and its innovative ADC
technologies, please visit https://adcentrx.com.
Contact Information:
Investor Relations
ir@adcentrx.com
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SOURCE Adcentrx Therapeutics