Arix Bioscience notes Artios CSO Appointment

RNS Number : 6932P

Arix Bioscience Plc

04 September 2017

 

Arix Bioscience plc notes the appointment of Dr Graeme Smith as CSO of Artios Pharma

LONDON, 4 September 2017: Arix Bioscience plc (LSE: ARIX) ("Arix Bioscience" or the "Company"), a global healthcare and life science company supporting medical innovation, is pleased to note the announcement by Artios Pharma Ltd, an Arix Bioscience Group Business, that it has appointed Dr Graeme Smith as Chief Scientific Officer. 

Dr Smith has an extensive track record in early stage cancer drug discovery and development and was co-inventor of Lynparza™ (olaparib), an approved treatment for advanced ovarian cancer and the first targeted DNA Damage Response (DDR) inhibitor to reach the market.  He joins Artios from AstraZeneca, where he held the position of Senior Director of Bioscience within the Oncology Innovative Medicines and Early Development division and where he was responsible for leading target validation and the discovery and development of novel anti-cancer agents.

Joe Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Arix Bioscience, commented: "Graeme brings to Artios Pharma a wealth of highly relevant experience in DDR drug discovery and development.  As a key figure in the successful development of the first DDR drug, for ovarian cancer, we are sure he will make a significant contribution within Artios's highly talented team, as they seek to transform cancer therapy with an exciting DDR platform.  We very much welcome this appointment."

For more information, please contact:

Arix Bioscience plc

Joe Anderson, CEO

[phone]

Matthew Cole, Communications Director

[phone]

Consilium Strategic Communications

Mary-Jane Elliott, Jessica Hodgson, Ivar Milligan

[phone]

[e-mail]

About Arix Bioscience plc

Arix Bioscience plc is a global healthcare and life science company supporting medical innovation. Headquartered in London and with an office in New York, Arix Bioscience sources, finances and builds world class healthcare and life science businesses addressing medical innovation at all stages of development. Operations are supported by privileged access to breakthrough academic science and strategic relationships with leading research accelerators and global pharmaceutical companies.

Arix Bioscience plc is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

For further information, please visit www.arixbioscience.com

About Artios Pharma Ltd.

Artios is a leading DNA Damage Response (DDR) company focused on developing first-in-class treatments for cancer. Established in May 2016, the Company is led by an experienced scientific and leadership team with proven expertise in DDR drug discovery. Artios is building a pipeline of next-generation DDR programmes, including through a unique partnership with Cancer Research UK (CRUK), and with leading DNA repair researchers worldwide. The Company's investors include SV Health Investors, Merck Ventures, Touchstone Innovations, Arix Bioscience plc, CRT Pioneer Fund (managed by Sixth Element Capital), and AbbVie Ventures. Artios is based at the Babraham Research Campus in Cambridge, UK.

About DNA Damage Response (DDR)

DNA Damage occurs in cells throughout the body every day. To counteract the harmful effects that DNA damage can cause, the human body possesses a network of DNA repair pathways, which act to correct the damage. This process is known as the DNA Damage Response (DDR). Defects in the body's DDR can lead to an increased risk of cancer. Human cells have multiple DNA repair pathways, but in cancer cells, some of these pathways are lost, which result in genetic instability. Changes to DNA repair pathways can also drive the growth of tumours. By inhibiting DDR in cancer cells that have impaired repair pathways, scientists can selectively kill cancerous cells. DDR inhibitors, therefore, have the potential to act as: single agents that selectively kill tumour cells through synthetic lethality; adjunctive therapy to overcome resistance to current cytotoxics, and potentiating agents to radiotherapy and novel therapies including immune-oncology treatments.

 

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