Therapeutic Workshops
Making it Personal - Transforming Patient Outcomes and Narrowing Development Risk
October 29, 2009
11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Twin Peaks South
Insights into the molecular and genetic basis of disease are driving new product opportunities and categories in patient diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring and treatment. Promising improved treatment outcomes and treatment tailored to genetic etiology and disease pathology, the field of molecular diagnostics and genomics offers the opportunity to invest in new products with reduced development costs, faster product cycles and more quickly realized returns. Perhaps even more exciting, product innovation in personalized medicine may play a role in optimizing and expediting the development of targeted therapies for many cancers and other conditions among validated patient populations. Focusing on these new markets, industry executives and investors will guide a discussion of some of the most compelling new therapeutic products, technologies and applications in personalized medicine.
Moderator:
- Ronald W. Lennox, D.Phil, Partner, CHL Medical Partners
Panelists:
- Alessandra Cesano, MD, Ph.D, Chief Medical Officer, Nodality, Inc.
- Tod Klingler, Ph.D, Vice President of Information Sciences, XDx, Inc.
- Pamela Munster, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine - Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco
- Ellen E. Sheets, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Predictive Biosciences
Who's Who
Alessandra Cesano, MD, Ph.D
Alessandra Cesano joined Nodality in March 2008 as Chief Medical Officer. From 2006 until joining Nodality she was at Biogen Idec as Vice President and Medical Officer, Oncology Medical Research. Alessandra has over 15 years experience within the biotech / pharmaceutical industry concentrating in oncology pre-clinical research at The Wistar Institute (Philadelphia, PA), clinical development at both SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals (Collegeville, PA) and Amgen Inc. Along her career path, Alessandra has authored over 85 articles for research publications and is co-inventor in five patents. Additionally, Alessandra, a board certified medical oncologist, holds a PhD in tumor Immunology and a visiting professor and adjunct assistant professor status for the University of Turin (Turin Italy) and University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) respectively. Alessandra is fluent in Italian, French, and English.
Tod Klinger, Ph.D
Tod Klingler, Ph.D., is the Vice President of Information Sciences for XDx, managing data analysis, algorithm development and software development for the company’s proprietary technology. Dr. Klingler joined XDx with 10 years of experience in the genomics industry. Prior to joining XDx, Dr. Klingler was the Vice President of Information Sciences for Synergenics, LLC, a biotechnology incubator. In this role, he set up and directed an informatics resource, through which he provided computational services and strategic guidance and participated in building and integrating novel technologies for five early stage companies. As a founder of Prospect Genomics, he led the development of a large-scale computational effort to explore protein-chemical interactions, and then oversaw the integration of business and scientific strategies when the company was acquired by Structural Genomics. Prior to holding that position, he was one of the first computational biologists at Incyte, where he helped to launch the genomics product business and to build an innovative research group. Dr. Klingler has also worked as an independent consultant on business and scientific strategy, planning and execution for start-up genomic companies, and as a systems engineer at Hughes Aircraft Company. He has authored scientific papers and publications in peer-reviewed journals, including Genome Research, Biochemistry and Protein Science, been an inventor on more than 10 patents, and given numerous invited talks on genomic technologies. Dr. Klingler received his Ph.D. in medical information sciences with a concentration in bioinformatics/biochemistry, and a bachelor of science in mathematical and computational sciences and biological sciences from Stanford University.
Ronald W. Lennox, D.Phil
Ron invests in the biotechnology and molecular diagnostic sectors. He has served on the boards of eighteen companies including General Surgical Innovations, Inc. (acquired by Tyco International Corp.), GeneOhm Sciences, Inc. (acquired by Becton Dickinson), Protometrix, Inc. (acquired by Invitrogen Corp.), and Applied Molecular Evolution Inc. (acquired by Eli Lilly). He was founding CEO of Protometrix, Inc. as well as of CGI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Ron currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of OpGen, Inc. and on the boards of BIKAM Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and BioRelix, Inc.
Prior to the founding of CHL Medical Partners, Ron was a general partner at Hancock Venture Partners (now HarbourVest Partners) where he invested in sixteen healthcare companies, ten of which had successful IPOs.
Ron graduated from the University of Glasgow with a B.Sc. in Molecular Biology, Oxford University where he received a D.Phil. in Cell Biology and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Pamela Munster, MD
Pamela Munster, MD, is Associate Professor of Hematology/Ongology, Director of the Early Phase Clinical Trials Program, and Associate Director of Investigational Therapeutics at the University of California, San Francisco. Formerly, she was Associate Professor in the Division of Breast Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics Program at the Moffitt Cancer Center at the University of South Florida. Dr. Munster’s research interests include the development of therapies for breast cancer and treatment strategies. She is an expert in histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. Dr. Munster is involved with investigations on the benefit of HDAC inhibitors in combination with topo I and topo II inhibitors. She specializes in the preservation of ovarian function and fertility in women undergoing treatments for breast cancer. Dr. Munster has an additional interest in the study and treatment of pregnancy-related breast cancers. She is published extensively and is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
Ellen E. Sheets, MD
Dr. Ellen Sheets directs Predictive’s clinical affairs and brings a deep clinical and regulatory perspective to the company. She joins Predictive from Hologic, Inc. and predecessor company Cytyc Corp., where she most recently served as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President. Prior duties at the company included General Manager of the Breast Health Unit as well as Vice President of Clinical Affairs. Previously, Dr. Sheets served on the faculty at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School for over 10 years, most recently as Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Director of the Pap Smear Evaluation Center and Associate Director of Gynecologic Oncology.
Dr. Sheets received her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, serving a residency there and at the University of Illinois, Chicago. She completed her gynecologic oncology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. She also has an MBA from the Stern School at New York University.
Dr. Sheets is the author of more than 65 peer reviewed manuscripts and is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology and is boarded both in Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as Gynecologic Oncology. She is a reviewer for multiple journals and has served as a Board Examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.