Jan 10, 2012

By Angela Sormani OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage company developing therapeutics that target cancer stem cells, has promoted Jakob Dupont, formerly vice president, clinical research to senior vice president and chief medical officer. Privately-held, OncoMed’s investors include US Venture Partners, Latterell Venture Partners, The Vertical Group, Morgenthaler Ventures, Phase4 Ventures, Delphi Ventures, Adams Street Partners, De Novo Ventures, Bay Partners and GlaxoSmithKline. PRESS RELEASE OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held, clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells, today announced the promotion of Jakob Dupont, M.D., formerly Vice President, Clinical Research, to Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Dupont joined OncoMed in October from Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, where he had been Global Medical Director for Avastin® (bevacizumab). Dr. Dupont now heads OncoMed’s global development team and is responsible for advancing multiple novel anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics through all phases of clinical development. Prior to joining OncoMed, Dr. Dupont oversaw Genentech’s global medical strategy, and late-stage medical program for Avastin, and served as an Avastin spokesperson to the global investment community. Dr. Dupont received his medical degree at Cornell University Medical College in New York and continued his training in internal medicine at the University of Michigan and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He completed his medical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Dr. Dupont has an extensive laboratory research background in immunology, molecular biology, gene therapy and translational medicine. He was a member of the faculty at MSKCC for five years, prior to joining Genentech/Roche, overseeing a Phase 1 Solid Tumor and GYN Oncology Clinic. He was also head of a translational and immunology laboratory at MSKCC. Dr. Dupont has received numerous grants and awards, authored over 40 peer-reviewed scientific articles and holds several patents. He continues to care for gynecologic oncology patients and teach as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University Medical Center. About Cancer Stem Cells Cancer stem cells, a small, resilient subset of cells found in tumors, have the capacity to self-renew and differentiate, leading to tumor initiation and driving tumor growth, recurrence and metastasis. Also referred to as “tumor-initiating cells,” these cells were first discovered by OncoMed’s scientific founders in breast cancer and have subsequently been identified in many other types of solid tumor cancers, including cancer of head and neck, lung, prostate, pancreas and glioblastoma. Cancer stem cells appear to be preferentially resistant to both standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy. OncoMed’s strategy is to improve cancer treatment by specifically targeting the key biologic pathways that are thought to be critical to the activity and survival of cancer stem cells. OncoMed’s antibody therapeutics target cancer stem cell proteins and have the potential to be developed against a range of tumor types. About OncoMed Pharmaceuticals OncoMed Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage company that discovers and develops novel therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells, the cells believed to be capable of driving tumor growth, recurrence and metastasis. A leader in cancer stem cell research, the company has established a library of antibodies to cancer stem cell proteins for the treatment of solid tumors such as pancreatic, breast, colorectal and lung cancers. OncoMed has advanced three anti-cancer stem cell monoclonal antibodies into the clinic, OMP-21M18, OMP-59R5 and OMP-18R5, which target key cancer stem cell signaling pathways including Notch and Wnt. In addition, OncoMed’s pipeline includes several novel preclinical product candidates targeting multiple validated cancer stem cell pathways. OncoMed has formed strategic alliances with Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline. Privately-held, OncoMed’s investors include: US Venture Partners, Latterell Venture Partners, The Vertical Group, Morgenthaler Ventures, Phase4 Ventures, Delphi Ventures, Adams Street Partners, De Novo Ventures, Bay Partners and GlaxoSmithKline. © 2015 Buyouts Insider / Argosy Group LLC