Odyssey Therapeutics Expands Management Team with Key Appointments in Research Development and Strategy

Jeff Hermes, Ph.D., former Kallyope, Roche, and Merck R&D leader, joins as Executive Vice President of Enabling Sciences

Natalie Dales, Ph.D., promoted to Chief of Research Operations and Portfolio Strategy

BOSTON, Nov. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Odyssey Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering next generation precision immunomodulators and oncology medicines, today announced the appointment of Jeff Hermes, Ph.D., as Executive Vice President of Enabling Sciences and promotion of Natalie Dales, Ph.D., to the newly created position of Chief of Research Operations and Portfolio Strategy. In these roles, Dr. Hermes will oversee capability development and implementation for Odyssey's platform approaches and technologies, and Dr. Dales will drive scientific strategy and facilitate collaboration across the organization.

"I am pleased to welcome Jeff and Natalie into their new positions as I believe they will contribute greatly to the company during this period of rapid growth," said Gary D. Glick, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Odyssey Therapeutics. "Jeff's leadership in screening, pharmacology, and translational sciences, as well as his experience across the drug discovery process, will be invaluable as we continue to create the next generation of transformative medicines for patients suffering from severe immunology and oncology diseases. Additionally, Natalie has played a critical role in helping shape Odyssey's research programs and strategy during her time here, and she will continue to deliver upon our portfolio strategy and streamline efforts across the company."

Dr. Hermes will be responsible for advancing the company's proteomics, small molecule hit-finding platforms, and transcription factor capabilities to discover next generation medicines. Dr. Dales will drive scientific strategy and decision making to advance the pipeline through clinical entry, create connectivity and cohesion between programs and capabilities, and oversee resource utilization to drive efficiency and synergies across the organization.

Dr. Hermes is a seasoned professional with more than 30 years' experience in biochemistry, pharmacology, and in vitro sciences in the biopharmaceutical industry. Most recently, Dr. Hermes served as the Vice President of In Vitro Pharmacology at Kallyope, where he led in vitro pharmacology, screening, and enzymology efforts to create transformational small molecule therapeutics that act on the gut-brain axis. Previously, he was Head of Screening and Translational Enzymology at Roche where he was responsible for guiding early-stage efforts from discovery through development candidate nomination. Prior to Roche, Dr. Hermes spent over 25 years at Merck and ultimately served as Executive Director and Head of Screening and Protein Sciences, where he oversaw hit-finding, lead identification, and translational science efforts across diverse therapeutic areas. He received his Ph.D. degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed postdoctoral training at Harvard University. 

Dr. Dales brings over 20 years of experience leading small molecule drug discovery in pharmaceuticals and biotech. Dr. Dales most recently served as Odyssey's Executive Vice President of Enabling Sciences. Previously, she spent over 15 years at Novartis, where she held roles of increasing responsibility including Executive Director and Head of Portfolio and Strategy for Global Discovery Chemistry. Prior to this role, she led small molecule drug discovery efforts focused on liver, kidney, hematology, oncology and rare diseases. She was also a senior advisor for the Novartis Genesis Labs, an internal innovation incubator which fostered and funded disruptive concepts to accelerate drug discovery.

Odyssey Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing the next generation of immunomodulators and oncology medicines. Composed of an expert team of drug hunters, scientists and industry leaders in foundational biology, chemistry, and data sciences, Odyssey is transforming drug discovery to accelerate and drive the creation and efficient delivery of life-enhancing precision medicines to patients. For more information, please visit http://www.odysseytx.com/ and follow Odyssey Therapeutics on Twitter (@Odyssey_Tx) and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Odyssey Therapeutics