Nuvalent, Inc. (Nasdaq: NUVL), a biotechnology company creating precisely targeted therapies for clinically proven kinase targets in cancer, today announced the appointment of Emily Drabant Conley, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Federation Bio, to its Board of Directors.
“I’m impressed by Nuvalent’s focus on compelling science and only advancing opportunities with best-in-class potential, both of which I believe position the company to deliver on their goal of new therapies that may help physicians and their patients stay one step ahead of cancer,” said Dr. Conley. “Additionally, I look for authenticity as a hallmark of strong leadership and am inspired to have found this clearly in CEO Jim Porter and the cultural foundation at Nuvalent.”
Dr. Conley’s work has contributed to industry-shaping advances in genomics that empower patients and clinicians with actionable health data. Prior to joining Federation Bio, she spent over a decade at 23andMe where, as Vice President of Business Development, she was instrumental in powering the company’s growth from 30 employees into a household name.
“Dr. Conley’s depth of experience in diagnostics and genomics is a natural complement to our focus on therapeutic targets that are oncogenic drivers as we move into the next phase of our journey as a clinical-stage company,” said James Porter, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Nuvalent. “We are honored to grow our board with her unique perspective encompassing the development of both cutting-edge diagnostics and oncology therapeutics, and her passion for realizing a future where these tools represent the standard of care for all patients.”
Nuvalent is currently enrolling patients in the Phase 1 portion of its ARROS-1 study, a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating its lead candidate NVL-520, a ROS1-selective inhibitor, in patients with advanced ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumors. A clinical trial for its parallel lead candidate NVL-655, an ALK-selective inhibitor, is expected to be initiated in the first half of 2022. NVL-520 and NVL-655 are designed with the aim to address the clinical challenges of emergent treatment resistance, CNS adverse events, and brain metastases that may limit the use of currently available kinase inhibitors.
“Broad education about and access to cancer genomic testing are critical to identifying and matching patients with targeted treatment opportunities, including those now available through compelling clinical trials such as the ARROS-1 study,” said Dr. Conley. “I look forward to working with the Nuvalent team to help drive the integration of genomics into clinical care with the goal of allowing more patients to benefit from their precisely targeted therapies.”
As the CEO of Federation Bio, Dr. Conley is pioneering the development of engineered bacterial-cell therapies to treat a wide range of diseases, from metabolic disorders to cancer. She has received numerous awards and honors during her career, including selection to Endpoints News’ 20 Biopharma Leaders Under 40, Business Insider’s 30 Leaders Under 40, and Google Ventures’ 25 Women Shaping the Future of Technology. Prior to joining 23andMe, Dr. Conley was a research fellow at the National Institutes of Health and is co-author of more than 35 academic publications. She received her doctorate in neuroscience from Stanford University School of Medicine, after earning a B.A. in psychology and business from Vanderbilt University. In addition to her recent appointment at Nuvalent, Dr. Conley serves on the boards of Medrio and TMRW Biosciences.
About Nuvalent
Nuvalent, Inc. (Nasdaq: NUVL) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating precisely targeted therapies for patients with cancer, designed to overcome the limitations of existing therapies for clinically proven kinase targets. Leveraging deep expertise in chemistry and structure-based drug design, we develop innovative small molecules that have the potential to overcome resistance, minimize adverse events, address brain metastases, and drive more durable responses. Nuvalent is advancing a robust pipeline with parallel lead programs in ROS1-positive and ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), along with multiple discovery-stage research programs. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.nuvalent.com. Follow us on Twitter (@nuvalent) and LinkedIn.
