World-Renowned Cancer Researcher, Dr. Alan Ashworth, Joins Phoenix Molecular Designs Advisory Board

SAN DIEGO and VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Phoenix Molecular Designs (PhoenixMD), an industry leader in the development of precise cancer therapeutics focusing on first-in-class RSK kinase inhibitors, today announced the appointment of Dr. Alan Ashworth PhD, FRS to their Advisory Board as a Scientific Advisor.

A visionary leader in the field of cancer therapy development, Dr. Ashworth is President of the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at UCSF and Sr. Vice President for Cancer Services with UCSF Health. He also served previously as the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Cancer Research in London, United Kingdom, as well as, the Director of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Center.

"We are honored to have the opportunity to appoint such an authority in the field of genetics and oncology to our Advisory Board," said Sandra Dunn, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of PhoenixMD. "Dr. Ashworth truly brings in-depth experience in the field of complex cancer biology. As we move through Phase 1b of our clinical trial relating to the development of our lead asset, PMD-026 targeting RSK2, the first purpose-built investigational drug specifically designed for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), his guidance and insight will be invaluable. He joins our stellar team of advisors at a crucial time of growth as we move closer to therapies that have the potential to save thousands of lives."

Alan's ties to RSK2 as a novel drug target date back to 2011 when he defined it as an essential kinase for TNBC, receiving the spotlight as the cover article in Cancer Discovery.  His team identified RSK2 using unbiased functional screens in search of novel drug targets for specific breast cancer subtypes. Taking a similar approach, Dr. Dunn's laboratory serendipitously and independently also identified RSK2 as a drug target for TNBC. Drs. Ashworth and Dunn then worked together to publish the validation of RSK2 as a functional target for TNBC in 2012. This research launched Phoenix Molecular Designs in 2012, the only company to have developed a first-in-class small molecule against RSK.

Moreover, in the same article that highlighted RSK2 as a target for TNBC, Alan also identified PIK3CA as a target for luminal breast cancer. This subsequently led to Novartis developing Piqray, which in 2019 became the first FDA-approved PI3K inhibitor for breast cancer.  Among Alan's many other achievements, he was also a key member of the team that discovered the BRCA2 gene in 1995. BRCA2 is linked to an increased risk of breast, ovarian and other cancers and this discovery was followed by the identification of PARP inhibitors by Alan's laboratory in 2005. The FDA has now approved four different PARP inhibitors to treat ovarian, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer based on his groundbreaking work. Even today, Dr. Ashworth's pioneering role stands out as he continues to develop new treatments for cancer using genetic principles. Due to his outstanding contributions, he has received a number of awards, many of which recognize the innovative and translational nature of his work and its clinical impact.

"It is my great pleasure to join the Advisory Board of PhoenixMD. I admire their exemplary work into the role of RSK as a key signaling pathway in breast cancer and their commitment to developing PMD-026 to combat TNBC, a disease with a serious unmet medical need, " said Dr. Ashworth. "I look forward to working with Sandra Dunn and the other expert members of her board to help with this critical work moving us towards new and effective cancer therapies."

Dr. Ashworth is an elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, the American Association of Arts and Sciences, the American Association of Cancer Research and the Royal Society (equivalent to membership of the National Academy of Sciences). Prizes include the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Lifetime Achievement Award, the David T. Workman Memorial Award of the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, and the Meyenburg Foundation's Cancer Research Award, the Genetics Society Medal, the inaugural winner of the Basser Global Prize, and the Susan G Komen Brinker award.

About Phoenix Molecular Designs
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 entered into partnerships with well-recognized government, academic research institutions, and patient advocates, including the National Cancer Institute, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Kyushu University (Japan), University of Tuebingen (Germany), and the Susan G. Komen Foundation-San Diego. PhoenixMD has clinical headquarters in San Diego, CA, and pre-clinical operations in Vancouver, BC. For more information, visit phoenixmd.ca 

SOURCE Phoenix Molecular Designs