| Name | Title | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|
Stephen Monks |
Chief Technology Officer | Profile |
Calithera is discovering and developing novel small molecule drugs directed against tumor metabolism and tumor immunology targets for the treatment of cancer. Calithera Biosciences is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel small molecule drugs directed against tumor metabolism and tumor immunology targets for the treatment of cancer. Tumor metabolism and tumor immunology have emerged as promising new fields for cancer drug discovery, and recent clinical successes with therapeutic agents in each field have demonstrated the potential to create fundamentally new therapies for cancer patients. Our lead product candidate in tumor metabolism, CB-839, is an internally discovered, first-in-class inhibitor of glutaminase, a critical enzyme in tumor metabolism. We are currently evaluating CB-839 in three Phase 1 clinical trials in solid and hematological tumors. In tumor immunology, our lead preclinical program is directed at developing inhibitors of the enzyme arginase and may provide a first-in-class therapeutic agent for this novel target. Our ongoing research efforts are focused on discovering additional product candidates against novel tumor metabolism and immunology targets.
Bio-Path is a biotechnology company developing targeted therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and other challenging cancers. The company`s lead product candidate, prexigebersen (Liposomal Grb2 Antisense), formerly BP1001, is currently being assessed in a Phase 2 clinical study in 54 people with previously untreated AML who are not eligible for or who have decided to forego intensive induction therapy because of their age or fragile health.
Simcha Therapeutics uses directed evolution to engineer novel cytokines designed to unlock the precision and power of the immune system.
Pervasis Therapeutics Inc is a Cambridge, MA-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.
Kezar co-founder Christopher Kirk, Ph.D. began his work on the unique function of the immunoproteasome at Proteolix in 2005, while working on the compound that would become the successful multiple myeloma drug KYPROLIS™ (carfilzomib). As VP of Research at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, which acquired Proteolix in 2009, Christopher led the efforts to develop the first selective inhibitors of the immunoproteasome and designed multiple studies demonstrating their profound immunomodulatory effects. In parallel with this work, Christopher and Kezar co-founder Jack Taunton, Ph.D. collaborated on several research projects involving protein secretion. This collaboration inspired a belief in the strong synergies between protein degradation and protein secretion, two fertile areas for drug discovery with platform potential. In 2014, Christopher and Kezar co-founder John Fowler began developing the business plan for Kezar, acting on a longstanding desire to work together and build a world-class company. In 2015, John and Christopher raised $23M and negotiated a worldwide, exclusive license agreement with Amgen for the Onyx immunoproteasome inhibitor patent estate. Now underway, John and Christopher are excited to leverage their complementary skill sets to build Kezar into a leader in small molecule drug development.