Patrys Ltd (ASX:PAB) has appointed Dr Rebecca Tunstall to the position of vice president, Corporate Development.
Dr Tunstall will report to CEO James Campbell and will be a key member of the executive team focusing on preparations for Patrys’ deoxymab clinical trials as well as broader executive functions.
“I am excited to be joining Patrys at such a pivotal time," Dr Tunstall said.
"The team has made great advances with the deoxymab technology, which has the potential for broad use across a range of therapeutic indications ranging from brain cancer through to pancreatic cancer and triple-negative breast cancer.
"I look forward to driving both the clinical development program and a range of corporate activities as we establish Patrys as a leading Australian biotechnology company.”
PAB is focused on the development of its deoxymab platform of cell-penetrating antibodies as therapies for a range of different cancers
While most antibodies bind to cell surface markers, deoxymab 3E10 penetrates into the cell nuclei and binds directly to DNA where it inhibits DNA repair processes.
Cancer cells often have high levels of mutations and underlying deficiencies in the DNA repair mechanisms. For these reasons, the additional inhibition of the DNA repair processes by deoxymab 3E10 can kill cancer cells, but appears to have little impact on normal cells.
As a single agent, deoxymab 3E10 has been shown to significantly enhance the efficacy of both chemo- and radiotherapies. Further, deoxymab 3E10 can be conjugated to nanoparticles to target delivery of chemotherapeutics and imaging agents to tumours.
Extensive experience
Dr Tunstall will start with PAB on May 16 2022, bringing extensive experience in pharmaceutical clinical development and external engagement to the company.
She is passionate about the development of medicines to improve human health and spent 13 years with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Australia in various leadership positions, predominantly in the clinical research department, focusing on oncology research and development.
Dr Tunstall also served as head of Study Management for her final three years at GSK where she was responsible for the execution and delivery of all clinical trials in Australia and was the primary contact for GSK’s Oncology Clinical and Translational Consortium.
Most recently, she was senior director of Stakeholder Engagement at MTPConnect, developing and driving the engagement and implementation plan for stakeholders and strategic partnerships within Australia’s medical technologies and pharmaceutical sector.
Through these roles. Dr Tunstall brings strong relationships with industry, governments, regulators and research institutions across Australia and internationally.
“This is an important and exciting appointment for Patrys as we prepare for the first in human studies of PATDX1 in mid-2023, ideally followed by other deoxymab assets,” Patrys chief executive officer and managing director Dr James Campbell said.
“We are delighted to have been able to attract Rebecca to Patrys, and will benefit greatly from her experience and insights as we approach the clinic. Rebecca’s role will also encompass a range of corporate activities as Patrys builds a strong platform for growth in the coming year.
“Rebecca’s drive, experience, intellect and enthusiasm make her a perfect fit for the Patrys team and we are delighted to welcome her into the company.”