Tucson, Arizona-based HTG Molecular Diagnostics has announced the establishment of a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of renowned immuno-oncology professionals. The Tucson-based provider of instruments and re-agents for molecular profiling will use its new SAB in the development of immuno-oncology applications and biomarker panels for the evaluation of the host immune response in the presence of tumors.
According to a press release, the three founding members are:
Ignacio I. Wistuba, M.D., director of the Thoracic Molecular Pathology Laboratory, co-leader of Institutional Tissue bank and Pathology Resources, and director of the ECOG-ACRIN Central Biorepository and Pathology Facility. He is professor and chair of the Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, with joint appointments in Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Wistuba is a surgical and molecular pathology specialist with significant scientific achievements, with more than 400 peer-reviewed papers published in the field of lung cancer. His research was always focused on molecular pathogenesis and progression of lung cancer and the identification of novel molecular targets and biomarkers.
Fred Hirsch, CEO of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and a professor of medicine and pathology at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Hirsch has focused his career on the of study translational research, particularly on the development and validation of biomarkers for early detection of lung cancer and for prediction of response to new targeted therapies, also in lung cancer. He is associate editor for the IASLC Journal of Thoracic Oncology and editor of 10 internationally-published books on lung cancer, including the “Textbook in Prevention and Early Detection of Lung Cancer.” Hirsch has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles on lung cancer and has previously integrated a series of committees and advisory boards, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Lancet Oncology and Clinical Cancer Research.
James Gulley, a world-renowned cancer immunotherapy expert, is chief of the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, director of the Medical Oncology Service and head of the Immunotherapy Section at the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) of the National Cancer Institute. Gulley has played a pivotal role in the clinical development of an experimental prostate cancer vaccine, Prostvac, developed within the CCR, and is in the development of an anti-PDL1 antibody, Avelumab, which has been given breakthrough designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with several Phase 3 ongoing or planned studies. He has served as an investigator in over 60 trials, written more than 200 scientific papers or chapters, and presented at numerous national and international meetings.
“We are extremely pleased to form this advisory board to help us navigate the field of immuno-oncology therapeutics, where we believe the assessment of immune system biomarkers will play a critical role in patient stratification,” said HTG Molecular Diagnostics President and CEO T.J. Johnson. “The members of the SAB bring the broad experience, knowledge and strategic insights we believe are needed to quickly respond to this rapidly developing market.”
