RIO RANCHO, N.M.– Nature’s Toolbox (NTx), a life sciences company developing next-generation platforms for RNA and protein manufacturing, today announced the founding of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) with luminaries in oncology, cellular therapy, and immunology joining as inaugural members.
The SAB will provide technical insight and guidance on scientific matters as NTx continues to advance its next-generation platforms for RNA and protein manufacturing. Each of the founding members brings substantial scientific insight and expertise across adult and pediatric oncology, hematology, RNA therapeutics, and more.
“Our scientific advisory board is comprised of a truly impressive group of leaders and institutions within oncology,” said Dr. Jamie Coffin, President and CEO of NTx. “Each of these scientists and physicians have dedicated their careers to developing new therapies for cancer, and we are thrilled that they see the potential of our technology to transform the way those next generation therapies are developed. Their expertise and guidance will be invaluable as we look to expand our commercialization efforts.”
Inaugural members include:
William K. Oh, MD: Dr. Oh will serve as the Chairman of the SAB. He is the Director of Precision Medicine for Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital, as well as Service Line Medical Director of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Greenwich Hospital. Dr. Oh is a genitourinary oncologist with decades of experience caring for patients with prostate cancer. Before his appointment at Yale, Dr. Oh served as the Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, where he focused on barriers to the delivery of care for prostate cancer nationally.
John P. Cooke, MD, Ph.D.: Dr. Cooke is Professor and Director of the Center for RNA Therapeutics, and Medical Director of the RNACore at the Houston Methodist Academic Institute in the Texas Medical Center. He trained in cardiovascular medicine at the Mayo Clinic, and before his current position, was a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Cooke’s research program is focused on RNA Therapeutics for vascular regeneration, and his RNACore generates RNA therapeutics and vaccines for broad applications.
Yi Lin, MD, Ph.D.: Dr. Lin is a professor of medicine, she holds joint appointments in the divisions of Hematology and Experimental Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and is the enterprise leader of cancer regenerative medicine, biotherapeutics, and biomanufacturing at Mayo Clinic. She has been the principal investigator or co-investigator of several clinical trials of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, bispecific antibodies, and other novel agents for hematologic malignancies, especially multiple myeloma and lymphoma.
Thomas Marron, MD, Ph.D.: Dr. Marron is the Director of the Early Phase Trials Unit (EPTU) at The Tisch Cancer Institute, Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology), and Professor of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is a Medical Oncologist, and holds a PhD in Immunology; his research focuses on development of cancer immunotherapies.
Giselle L. Saulnier Sholler, MD: Dr. Sholler is a board-certified pediatric hematologist/oncologist who serves as chief of Penn State Health Children’s Hospital’s Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. In addition, she is the director of pediatric oncology research and a professor of pediatrics and pharmacology at Penn State College of Medicine. Dr. Sholler is the founder and chair of the Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium and leads a group of more than 55 hospitals that offer a worldwide network of childhood cancer clinical trials.
Elias Sayour, MD, Ph.D.: Dr. Sayour is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, and Pediatrics, as well as Principal Investigator of the RNA Engineering Laboratory within the Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy and UF Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, and Co-Leader of the UFHCC Cancer Therapeutics & Host Response. He is working to develop lipid-nanoparticles to train the immune system to fight cancer, and has received many awards for his work including the U.S. Department of Defense Cancer Research Award, the American Brain Tumor Association Discovery Award, and Hannah’s Hereos St. Baldrick’s Scholar Award.
Padmanee Sharma, MD, Ph.D.: Dr. Sharma is the Director of Scientific Programs for the James P. Allison Institute at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is the inaugural Scientific Director of the Immunotherapy Platform, Professor in the Departments of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology, the T.C. and Jeanette Hsu Endowed Chair in Cell Biology, and Co-Director of Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. In 2006, Dr. Sharma designed and conducted the first neoadjuvant (pre-surgical) clinical trial with immune checkpoint therapy. She designed and conducted multiple clinical trials, which eventually led to FDA-approval of immune checkpoint therapy for cancer patients.
Catherine J. Wu, MD: Dr. Wu is a Professor of Medicine and Chief of Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Wu received her MD from Stanford University School of Medicine and completed postgraduate training in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, followed by a fellowship in medical oncology and hematology at Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare. Her research interests include the identification of targets of the immune response associated with therapies and dissecting the basis of effective human antitumor responses.
“Research and investments within mRNA-based therapies continue to produce exciting results; however, there is a lack of innovation within biomanufacturing that has created a gap in the industry and hindered the advancement of new therapies,” said Dr. William K. Oh, Chairman of the SAB. “NTx is addressing that unmet need with its groundbreaking technology that is making mRNA production faster and more accessible. I am excited to help guide this distinguished group of experts and help NTx to reach its full potential and transform the future of medicine.”
