Redx Pharma Plc (LON:REDX) has appointed a chief medical officer ahead of the imminent launch of phase I clinical trials of its lead drug.
Dr Andrew Saunders has 25 years in the cancer field and was recruited from Lytix Biopharma, a Norwegian immuno-oncology firm, where he held the same role.
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He will work with the research and development team at Redx, “fronting” the clinical development of RXC004.
This is a potentially potent small molecule drug called a porcupine inhibitor that targets Wnt pathway.
Chairman Iain Ross said he was “very pleased” to announce Saunders’ appointment.
“He brings to the company a wealth of relevant experience and expertise in the clinical development of oncology drugs,” Ross explained.
“This will be invaluable as the company transforms into a clinical stage company with the anticipated commencement of the first phase I study on lead compound RXC004 in the coming weeks.
"We are very excited by the potential of RXC004 to make a major difference in cancer treatment.
“We intend to progress RXC004 in the clinic both as a monotherapy and in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor. Therefore, we envisage that Andrew's recent experience in immuno-oncology combination trials will be particularly pertinent to the design and execution of future clinical trials with RXC004."
Porcupine inhibitors such as RXC004 are a new and potentially breakthrough method of fighting the killer disease.
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They work by targeting cancer stems cells that can often lie dormant after traditional treatment and are associated with a recurrence of the illness. Kill the stem cells and you have a chance of eradicating the disease completely.
Clinical trials of the new Redx drug commence in the “coming weeks”.