EW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ajax Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company applying computational chemistry and structure-based technologies to develop next generation JAK inhibitors for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), today announced the appointment of Alan Collis, PhD, as Senior Vice President and Head of Preclinical Development. Dr. Collis brings over 25 years of drug development experience to Ajax with previous preclinical development roles at Novartis, Forma Therapeutics and Nimbus Therapeutics. At Nimbus, he managed the preclinical development of the company’s drug discovery program targeting tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2), a member of the JAK kinase family.
“We are excited to have Alan join Ajax as we transition our lead Type II JAK2 inhibitor program into IND enabling studies,” said Martin Vogelbaum, CEO of Ajax Therapeutics. “His depth of experience in both oncology and immunology drug development will be invaluable as we move our lead program toward the clinic as a much-needed new targeted therapy for the majority of MPN patients who are resistant or refractory to currently available JAK2 therapies.”
“I am very pleased to be joining Ajax at this pivotal stage of drug development,” said Dr. Collis. “I look forward to working with the Ajax team in advancing the company’s next generation JAK inhibitors that have not only demonstrated greater efficacy and JAK family selectivity than current JAK2 therapies, but also the potential to be disease modifying therapies.”
Dr. Collis joins Ajax from Syngene International where he served as Vice President of Integrated Drug Discovery and led a portfolio of 20 drug discovery programs. Prior to Syngene, he served as Senior Vice President of Preclinical Development at Nimbus Therapeutics where led the preclinical and IND activities for the company’s TYK2 and HPK-1 inhibitor programs. Previously, Dr. Collis was Executive Director, DMPK and Safety for Forma Therapeutics where he supported the company’s IDH1 and BET inhibitor programs. He has also worked in various director level positions at Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Sanofi-Aventis and Rhone Poulenc Rorer. Dr. Collis received a PhD in chemistry from the University of Manchester, UK.
About Ajax Therapeutics
Ajax Therapeutics, Inc. is pursuing uniquely selective approaches to develop novel next generation JAK2 therapies for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), including Myelofibrosis. By combining the deep cancer and structural biology insights of our founding scientists with the industry’s most advanced computational drug discovery and protein structure platforms from our founding partner, Schrödinger, Inc., we aim to discover and develop more precisely designed therapies to address the significant unmet needs for patients with MPNs.
Please find more information at www.ajaxtherapeutics.com.
