Prescient Therapeutics (ASX:PTX) has announced the appointment of Dr Terrence Chew as its Chief Medical Officer.
Prescient, which changed its name from Virax late last year, is a clinical stage oncology company developing a number of compounds for the treatment of a range of cancers that have become resistant to front line chemotherapy.
Its lead drug candidate is PTX-200, which inhibits a tumour survival pathway known as AKT, that is thought to play a key role in the development of several cancers, including breast and ovarian cancer, as well as leukaemia.
Dr Chew will oversee the clinical development and regulatory strategy for PTX-200, as well as its other drug candidates now in mid-stage development.
Dr Chew is an experienced senior pharmaceutical executive and haematologist/oncologist who has more than two decades experience in the life sciences industry.
He has served as a consultant to numerous biotechnology companies providing advice on clinical trials, drug development and regulatory processes, including most recently as Head of Clinical and Regulatory for ImmuneWorks and as a consultant to Argos Therapeutics where he advised on the company's oncology and HIV programs.
Dr Chew previously held senior positions at Peregrine Pharmaceuticals.
Prescient Managing Director Dr Rob Crombie described the appointment as "pivotal" and "vital to aggressively steer the company's clinical programs."
"Dr Chew's experience will be critical to advance novel drug candidate PTX-200 through Phase 1b/2 trials in two lead cancer indications - breast and cancer - with a third trial of the drug in leukaemia to begin in coming months.
"In addition to these programs, we plan to commence trials in multiple myeloma and breast cancer for our second candidate PTX-100 later this year.
"We expect Dr Chew's experience will prove invaluable as we strive to exploit the full potential of these highly promising oncology candidates," he said.