Leader in Breast Cancer First-in-Class Drug Development, Martin S. Olivo, MD, MSc, joins Phoenix Molecular Designs Advisory Board

SAN DIEGO and VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Phoenix Molecular Designs (PhoenixMD), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing precise cancer therapeutics, today announced the appointment of Martin S. Olivo, MD, MSc to its advisory board. Dr. Olivo is a world-renowned biotech executive and proven leader throughout the development lifecycle of multiple oncology therapeutics.

Dr. Olivo brings to PhoenixMD nearly two decades of experience in oncology clinical research and global drug development, leading coveted roles such as the current Chief Medical Officer at SystImmune and previously serving as Vice President, Breast Cancer Clinical Development Lead at Gilead Sciences, Inc. Prior to this he was the Vice President Clinical Development at Immunomedics, Inc. which developed Trodelvy, the most recent drug approved for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). His expertise will support PhoenixMD in the advancement of their first-in-class, purpose-built kinase inhibitor, PMD-026, which targets RSK2 in TNBC. 

Beyond TNBC, PMD-026 has activity in hormone-positive breast cancer, in particular those that develop resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors, and a range of solid tumors and hematological malignancies.

"I'm excited about the contribution that Dr. Olivo will make to our advisory board – he is a highly accomplished medical oncologist that has already achieved a remarkable amount in the progression of oncology therapeutics. I am motivated by our growing leadership team and determined to make a difference in the lives of patients who face this hard-hitting disease," said Dr. Sandi Dunn, Founder and CEO of Phoenix Molecular Designs. "This is a pivotal time to join PhoenixMD as we move forward with a Phase 2 clinical trial developing a precision therapeutic for the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, TNBC."

"PhoenixMD's targeted approach combined with the team's deep oncology knowledge and research is a solid foundation and the reason I am elated to be joining their advisory board," said Dr. Olivo. "I am encouraged by the results seen from PhoenixMD's Phase 1 trial and I am looking forward to supporting Sandi's vision to be the first to develop an RSK inhibitor to precisely treat cancer. I am confident that our streamlined approach of making a positive impact on patients' lives will yield great results."

With PMD-026, PhoenixMD is committed to making hope a reality and changing the odds in helping the thousands of women faced with metastatic breast cancer each year.

Dr. Olivo is the Chief Medical Officer at SystImmune, where he leads all oncology clinical efforts outside of China. Prior to joining SystImmune, he served as Chief Medical Officer for Protara Therapeutics, Inc. Before these roles, Dr. Olivo led clinical efforts in metastatic breast cancer therapeutics development as the Vice President of Clinical Development at Gilead Sciences, Inc., formerly Immunomedics, Inc. which was acquired in 2020 for $21B. Earlier, Dr. Olivo served as the Global Clinical Lead at Daiichi Sankyo Cancer Enterprise, where he established a comprehensive clinical development plan for an early-stage oncology product candidate with applications in lung and breast cancer. Prior to that, Dr. Olivo served in several roles with increasing responsibilities in the oncology group at Eisai Inc., where he was the International Program Team Leader for Halaven, a major drug now used to treat breast cancer.

Dr. Olivo received his M.D. from the University of Buenos Aires and his M.S. in Clinical and Pharmacological Research from Austral University in Buenos Aires. He completed advanced training as a Clinical Oncologist at the University of Salvador. Dr. Olivo then held various academic and clinical positions at the School of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires, Hospital "Dr. Enrique Tornú" and the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group.

PhoenixMD is a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company designing precise cancer therapeutics and companion diagnostics by targeting kinases, a class of highly druggable enzymes to treat a wide range of oncology indications. PhoenixMD is focused on developing first-in-class inhibitors against RSK, an important drug target for cancer, heart disease, and inflammation. The company's leadership team boasts previous expertise in developing FDA-approved and marketed drugs for breast cancer. Due to PhoenixMD's emerging leadership in kinase inhibition, the company has partnered with well-recognized government and academic research institutions, including the National Cancer Institute, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Kyushu University (Japan) and the University of Tuebingen (Germany). PhoenixMD has clinical headquarters in San Diego, CA, and preclinical operations in Vancouver, BC. For more information, visit phoenixmd.ca

SOURCE Phoenix Molecular Designs