1. Vice President – Translational Biology
The Company:
CytomX Therapeutics is a privately held biotechnology company developing Probodies, or proteolytically-activated antibodies. Probodies combine the well-established power and specificity of monoclonal antibodies with a second level of tissue selectivity, driven by the action of endogenous disease enzymes. Probodies, by their ability to site-direct the activity of antibodies, offer an improved therapeutic index for validated targets as well as enabling the drugging of entire new classes of antibody targets with broad tissue expression that until this new approach have been considered inaccessible. The company’s missionis to provide patients with more effective and less toxic therapies for severe illnesses such as cancer and inflammatory diseases. CytomX is backed by top-tier life sciences investors, including Third Rock Ventures and the Roche Venture Fund.
The Position:
Reporting to the Chief Scientific Officer, this newly created position has been formed as a result of the company’s recent forward progress in the further development of the Probody™ Platform. The successful candidate will lead internal efforts towards the integrated application of protease biology, cell biology and pharmacology capabilities to the in vivo evaluation of Probody candidates and their advancement towards the clinic. Thissenior position offers broad scope for leadership within CytomX and will require considerable interaction with the external scientific and clinical research communities, and with the CytomX Scientific Advisory Board. Key areas of leadership will be:
• Probody target selection
• Design of preclinical studies supporting clinical development
• PK/PD evaluation of candidate molecules
• Engagement with key opinion leaders
The Details:
We are searching for anexperienced leader who will join our management team and assume broad responsibility forfurther advancement of our Probody™ Platform into early clinical development.In this role, the successful candidate will have a successful and proven track record in managing interdisciplinary teamsand the scientific credentials to devise and execute pre-clinical and early clinical strategies that leverage disease-associated proteolytic activities and biomarker strategies for tissue-specific targeting.
The Requirements:
The ideal candidate for this key position will hold a PhD or MD degree, with at least 10 years of postdoctoral experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, and will have a record of success in leading projects in biologics target selection and biomarker identification, in addition to the definition of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships in multiple disease areas, preferably including both oncology and immunology.A strong background in in vivo experimental design and interpretation, candidate molecule selection and establishment of key success criteria is essential. The ability to bring critical thinking to bear on complex biological problems is also essential.
The Professional Profile:
We require an individual who has a high level of organizational and management skills, as well asa proven track record of experience in leading the transition of research projects through late pre-clinical development.Exceptional communication skills are essential given the extensive nature of interactions that will be required with our internal and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated and goal driven self starter who has a demonstrated ability to deliver in a fast paced environment. Ideally, a background in both a large corporate and a small entrepreneurial firm is a great advantage.
Who to Contact:
Henry Lowman at: henry@cytomx.com
