SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Janux Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a broad pipeline of novel immunotherapies by applying its proprietary technology to its Tumor Activated T Cell Engager and Tumor Activated Immunomodulator platforms, today announced the appointment of Dr. Zachariah McIver as Vice President, Clinical Development. An accomplished physician-scientist with more than 15 years of experience in clinical research, Dr. McIver joins Janux after serving as Amgen’s Executive Medical Director, where he led cross-functional teams in the design, implementation, and execution of clinical and correlative study strategies.
“Zach has extensive clinical research experience including leading the clinical development to maximize the value of bispecific T-cell engager assets across multiple hematologic and solid tumor malignancies,” said David Campbell, Ph.D., President and CEO of Janux Therapeutics. “At Janux, Zach will play a key role in clinical development oversight as we advance our novel immunotherapy programs through clinical trials.”
“We’re excited to have Zach join the team as his experience with advanced T-cell engager programs will be especially important as we continue to advance our drug candidates in clinical trials,” said Wayne Godfrey, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Janux.
“With TRACTr and TRACIr, Janux has built two very powerful platforms designed to overcome the toxicity and efficacy limitations of earlier generations of bispecific immunotherapies,” said Dr. McIver. “I look forward to working with the team at Janux to advance the Company’s deep portfolio of next-generation bispecific immunotherapies to improve cancer treatment and help more patients.”
A board-certified hematologist and physician-scientist, Dr. McIver began his career specializing in hematological malignancies and immunotherapy working as a principal investigator at the Hematology Branch of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institute of Health (NIH). He played a key role in developing novel small molecules targeting alloreactive T-cells to prevent graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) and established a stem cell transplant program for racial minority populations at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Dr. McIver also served as an attending physician at Wake Forest in the hematology/oncology department. Prior to this, he was an attending physician and a research investigator in the department of hematology/oncology at Tulane University School of Medicine.
Dr. McIver earned a B.S. in Physics and General Sciences from the University of Oregon, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and a Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine and Translational Sciences at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency at the Cleveland Clinic, and his clinical fellowship in hematology and oncology at the NHLBI at the NIH. In addition, Dr. McIver is an active member of professional societies such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, and American College of Physicians.
Janux’s TRACTr and TRACIr Pipeline
JANX008 is a TRACTr that targets epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and is being studied in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of multiple solid cancers including colorectal cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, non-small cell lung cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. Janux’s first clinical candidate, JANX007, is a TRACTr that targets prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and is being investigated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in adult subjects with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Janux’s TRACIr drug candidate, JANX009, is designed for targeting both the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) receptor as well as the costimulatory CD28 receptor on T cells and is being investigated in preclinical studies for the treatment of solid tumors. Janux is also applying its proprietary technology to develop a TRACTr designed to target trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2), a clinically validated anti-tumor target that is overexpressed in various cancer types, such as breast, lung, urothelial, endometrial, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, gastric, colon, head and neck, and glioma. In addition to named programs, Janux is generating a number of unnamed TRACTr and TRACIr programs for potential future development.
About Janux Therapeutics
Janux is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation bispecific immunotherapies with the goal of fighting cancers by killing tumor cells while allowing healthy tissues to remain unharmed. Janux’s proprietary platforms develop unique Tumor Activated T Cell Engagers (TRACTr) and Tumor Activated Immunomodulators (TRACIr) and support the building of a broad pipeline of drugs designed to direct and guide the patient’s immune system to eradicate tumors while minimizing safety concerns. The company’s innovative technology currently focuses on the engineering of bispecific antibodies functional only in the tumor, designed to provide safety advantages compared to earlier generations of bispecific immunotherapies. Currently, Janux’s two lead TRACTr compounds for PSMA and EGFR are in the clinic. For more information, please visit www.januxrx.com and follow us on LinkedIn.