Neil joins us at a pivotal juncture in our growth as we strive to accelerate a growing pipeline of prospective best-in-class development prospects and progress IAM1363, our lead clinical oncology program. As we build a development organization to meet the potential and pace of our AI-enabled drug discovery efforts, Neil’s experience in successfully designing and leading oncology clinical studies, as well as his expertise in clinical research, operations, regulatory, and medical affairs, will all be essential, stated Tom Miller, PhD, CEO of Iambic Therapeutics.
Dr. Josephson, who has training in both oncology and hematology, most recently served as Zymeworks’ chief medical officer, overseeing the clinical development of the HER2 bispecific antibody zanidatamab. Under his direction, zanidatamab was designated by the FDA as a Breakthrough Therapy for HER2 gene-amplified biliary tract cancer that had previously received treatment. A registrational trial for the same indication yielded positive results later on. In addition, he oversaw the creation of a second registrational study utilizing zanidatamab as a first-line treatment for HER2-positive gastric cancer and facilitated the negotiation of a co-development deal with Jazz Pharmaceuticals. He worked with early and late-stage candidates for initiatives in multiple myeloma and Hodgkin lymphoma at Seagen before joining Zymeworks as vice president of clinical development.
Dr. Josephson joined the University of Washington in Seattle as an Associate Professor in the Division of Hematology before going into business. He is still a Clinical Associate Professor there. His work on hemophilia, gene and cell therapy, and the clinical development of antibodies and antibody drug conjugates has been extensively published in prestigious peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Josephson graduated from Dartmouth College with an undergraduate degree and Columbia University with a medical degree.
Dr. Josephson expressed his belief that Iambic is in a unique position to steer the direction of AI-driven medication development in the future and to make a short-term difference in diseases that are challenging to diagnose and cure. He was overjoyed to become a member of this executive group and contribute to the establishment of a company that can effectively develop and implement a new wave of oncology treatment prospects.
Jackie Walling, MBChB, PhD, who served as Iambic’s temporary CMO, will now take on a new role as chair of the company’s clinical advisory board.
He would like to acknowledge Jackie’s leadership and knowledge as well as her accomplishment in creating the foundation that allowed Iambic to grow into a clinical-stage business with a strong and promising pipeline. Miller continued, They are delighted that she will stay involved with Iambic as a partner in our efforts to advance new oncology treatments for patients and that she will continue to serve on our clinical advisory board.
Iambic pharmaceuticals, a 2019 startup with its main office in La Jolla, California, is upending the pharmaceuticals industry with their innovative AI-driven drug-discovery platform. Iambic has put together an elite team that combines cutting edge AI specialists with seasoned drug hunters who have a proven track record of producing treatments that have been clinically verified. It has been shown that the Iambic platform can bring superior, unique treatments to the clinical stage at a rate never seen before, covering a wide range of target classes and modes of action. To meet critical unmet patient needs, the Iambic team is developing an internal pipeline of clinical assets.
