Kazia Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:KZA, NASDAQ:KZIA) has launched a new Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) consisting of four distinguished clinicians and scientists with expertise in the development of innovative therapies for brain cancer.
The new SAB will guide Kazia as it advances paxalisib toward the completion of the GBM AGILE trial in the second half of next year – a pivotal study in glioblastoma which began recruiting early last year – and potential commercialisation to follow.
The four initial members of the SAB boast extensive track records of research and publication in the brain cancer field:
Dr Priscilla Brastianos - director of the Central Nervous System Metastasis Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and leads a multi-R01-funded laboratory. Her research focuses on genomic mechanisms in brain tumours.
Dr John de Groot - division chief of the Neuro-Oncology Division within the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. A neurologist with experience in the fields of glioma, angiogenesis, molecularly targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
Dr Alan Olivero - consultant specialising in drug discovery and development. He is an expert on intracellular signalling pathways and was the team leader for Genentech’s PI3K franchise. He has a specialist interest in brain cancer and is a co-inventor of paxalisib.
Dr Patrick Wen - professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Center for Neuro-Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. His research interests include novel therapeutics for brain tumours, as well as innovative clinical trial designs, response assessment and endpoints in clinical trials.
“Highly respected brain cancer specialists”
“We are both excited and enormously honoured to have four highly respected brain cancer specialists join the newly constituted Kazia SAB,” Kazia Therapeutics CEO Dr James Garner said.
“With paxalisib rapidly progressing towards potential commercialisation, the advice and counsel of experts in the field will be essential to our success.
“We could wish for no more qualified group of advisors than the four individuals who have come on board.”
In thanking the outgoing board Dr Garner said: “We are grateful to the four previous members of Kazia’s SAB - Professor Sir Murray Brennan, Dr Karen Ferrante, Professor Peter Gunning and Dr Alex Matter.
“Their generous and thoughtful guidance has helped to make Kazia the company it is today.
“Given that paxalisib has now reached a late state in its development, it seems appropriate to now reform the SAB in the context of the drug’s anticipated commercial market.”