XENNIALS THERAPEUTICS Inc.
is committed to investigate and develop transformative therapies and platforms that improve outcomes for cancer patients in global markets.
PATIENTS
Developing novel assets and leveraging latest drug delivery technologies to decrease adverse events, improve Patient Reported Outcomes and enhance Quality of Life in order to assure better patient compliance.
PHYSICIANS
Novel targeted therapies potentially providing improved compliance while reducing toxicity and enhancing efficacy.
PAYERS
Leveraging novel assets and latest drug delivery technologies to facilitate treatment paradigm shift from volume to value-based medicine.
INVESTORS
Combining novel assets with the latest drug delivery technologies to increase probability of success and potentially to achieve shorter time to robust Return on Investments (ROIs).
MEET
THE TEAM
Dr. Majid Tabesh
Founder, President and CEO
Dr. Majid Tabesh is the Founder, President and CEO of Xennials Therapeutics Inc. and former President and Founder of Strategic Global Medical Affairs. He is former Oncology Global Medical Affairs Therapeutic Area Head at Astellas Pharma Inc. (2012-2014), Vice President and head of Medical Affairs at Dendreon Corp (2010-2012), Global Medical Director, Oncology at Pfizer (2008-2010) and Oncology Medical Director at Sanofi (2003-2008).
In his prior roles he was a key stakeholder and contributor in developing Life Cycle management plans which included but was not limited to development and execution of the Clinical and medical strategies as well the launch of many key products in Rheumatology and Autoimmune Disease, Urology, Oncology, Immune Oncology and Rare Disease. He was a member and later a leader of Oncology Global Medical Affairs Due Diligent teams in Sanofi, Pfizer, Dendreon and Astellas.
Dr. Tabesh completed his undergraduate at the University of Iowa with honors in Chemistry and his Medical and Graduate trainings in Pathology, Internal Medicine and Rheumatology/Immunology in Massachusetts, Ohio and Chicago, IL.
He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), American Urological Association (AUA), American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and American Society of Investigative Pathology (ASIP).
Dr. Rafael E. Curiel
Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Curiel has over 20 years of biopharma industry experience in both US and Global Medical Affairs (GMA) leadership roles.
Prior to joining Xennials Therapeutics Inc., Dr. Curiel held key GMA roles at Eli Lilly, Wyeth, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Aveo Pharmaceuticals, Astellas and Celldex Therapeutics with direct responsibility of building and leading teams for the successful development and execution of medical strategies for the following products and assets: GEMZAR® (gemcitabine), ALIMTA® (pemetrexed), TORISEL® (temsirolimus), BOSULIF® (bosutinib), NERLYNX® (neratinib), BESPONSA® (inotuzumab ozogamicin), OPDIVO® (nivolumab), SPRYCEL® (dasatinib), IXEMPRA® (ixabepilone), EVRI (BMS-690514), XTANDI® (enzalutamide), ELIGARD® (leuprolide acetate), FOTIVDA® (Tivozanib), Gilteritinib (ASP2215), Rindopepimut (CDX-110) and Glembatumumab vedotin (CDX-011).
Dr. Curiel holds a PhD in Immunology from the Biomedical Science Program at Wright State University (WSU), MS in Immunology/Microbiology from WSU and a BS in Microbiology from Louisiana State University. He also held Post-Doctoral Fellowship positions at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, MD & Stanley Scott Cancer Center in New Orleans, LA.
Dr. Joyce L. Steinberg MD, FACP
Chief Medical Officer
Dr Steinberg is a Board-Certified Medical Oncologist who has over 22 years of biopharma industry experience in drug development.
Prior to joining Xennials Therapeutics Inc., Dr. Steinberg held key Global Medical Development roles at Searle, Fujisawa, NeoPharm, Abbott, and Astellas specializing in the development of targeted therapies including small molecules and biologics. She has experience in designing, overseeing, and conducting global clinical trials and representing development positions at global regulatory agencies. Dr. Steinberg holds an MD from the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University. Her medical oncology fellowship was done at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Lisa Cooper
Senior Vice President, Global Head of Regulatory and Quality
Lisa Cooper, Ph.D., has 20 years of diverse Regulatory Affairs experience in early and late-stage development and post-approval activities, of which approximately 10 years have been focused on oncology drugs and biologics. As a regulatory leader, her experience includes developing global strategic regulatory development plans, various regulatory filings, labeling, and advertising and promotion review. Her most recent notable achievement was as regulatory lead during the review, approval, and launch of LONSURF while at Taiho Oncology. Dr. Cooper has a Master of Science degree in Biology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Corporate Leadership from Alvernia Universit
Dr. Chadi Nabhan, MD, MBA, FACP
Chief Medical Advisor
Dr. Chadi Nabhan is currently a Chairman of Precision Oncology Alliance at Caris Life Sciences. He is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Aptitude Health and former Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions, a division of the biopharmaceutical segment of Cardinal Health, Inc (NYSE: CAH). At CAH, Dr. Nabhan worked across all Business Units of specialty solutions providing resources to pharmaceutical companies, providers, payers, patients, and policy makers. These business units included: Healthcare Analytics and Marketing Communications, Regulatory Sciences, Group Purchasing Organization and Distribution, Hub services, Specialty Pharmacy Distribution and 3rd Party Logistics. Dr. Nabhan was heavily engaged in data analytics, strategic initiatives, regulatory, and logistical initiatives in a value-based environment and a rapidly changing landscape of healthcare delivery.
Dr. Nabhan is interested in developing strategies to improve cancer care delivery in an era where reimbursement models are changing. He has a focus on the business and economic aspect of oncology as they impact all stakeholders.
Dr. Nabhan is a hematologist and medical oncologist with special interests in malignant hematology (Leukemias and Lymphomas) and GU malignancies. Dr. Nabhan did 2 years of basic science research at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School before completing his residency at Loyola University in Chicago and fellowship at Northwestern University and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. He has been the primary investigator on many clinical trials, and most of his research work has been presented at national and international meetings. He also served on the Double Hit Lymphoma Foundation Board. Dr. Nabhan has more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts or book chapters and serves on editorial boards of multiple scientific journals including JAMA-Oncology. He is a reviewer to major journals such as Blood, JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, British Journal of Hematology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Leukemia Research, and others.
Prior to joining Cardinal Health, Chadi was the Medical Director of the Clinical Cancer Center at the University of Chicago Medicine overseeing the clinical operations of cancer clinics supervising medical, surgical, and radiation oncology. He was instrumental in obtaining the QOPI (Quality Oncology Practice Initiative).
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Wayne Klohs
Chairman
Over thirty-five years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry with increasing levels of responsibility held in positions across the drug development and discovery spectrum. Retired from Astellas Pharma Inc. as a Senior Vice President and Global Therapeutic Head for Oncology at Astellas Pharma Inc. In five years at Astellas, helped build Oncology into a global business with several marketed products including Tarceva® and Xtandi® and help build a robust oncology pipeline through in-licensing, the acquisition of OSI, and through internal discovery. Successful filings of NDAs and MAAs for Xtandi (enzalutamide) and Tarceva (sNDA). Previous experience as acting head of Oncology Clinical Sciences at Takeda Global R&D and Executive Director of Oncology Drug Development at Pfizer, Inc. At Takeda, led both early and late-stage Development Teams in Oncology. At Pfizer, led Development Teams from mid-Discovery through POC with additional experience in NDA filing of pentostatin/Nipent®. Led development teams at Pfizer and Parke-Davis to more than 14 successful IND filings and Phase 1 starts. Also led late stage programs in biologics including monoclonal antibodies and an oncolytic adenovirus. Prior to experience in drug development for oncology, led discovery efforts at Warner-Lambert/Parke Davis Pharmaceutical Research in oncology for 16 years in a number of areas including antiangiogenic agents, multiple drug resistance, histone deacetylase inhibitors, and antifolates.
Dr. Majid Tabesh
Founder, President and CEO
Dr. Majid Tabesh is the Founder, President and CEO of Xennials Therapeutics Inc. and former President and Founder of Strategic Global Medical Affairs. He is former Oncology Global Medical Affairs Therapeutic Area Head at Astellas Pharma Inc. (2012-2014), Vice President and head of Medical Affairs at Dendreon Corp (2010-2012), Global Medical Director, Oncology at Pfizer (2008-2010) and Oncology Medical Director at Sanofi (2003-2008).
In his prior roles he was a key stakeholder and contributor in developing Life Cycle management plans which included but was not limited to development and execution of the Clinical and medical strategies as well the launch of many key products in Rheumatology and Autoimmune Disease, Urology, Oncology, Immune Oncology and Rare Disease. He was a member and later a leader of Oncology Global Medical Affairs Due Diligent teams in Sanofi, Pfizer, Dendreon and Astellas.
Dr. Tabesh completed his undergraduate at the University of Iowa with honors in Chemistry and his Medical and Graduate trainings in Pathology, Internal Medicine and Rheumatology/Immunology in Massachusetts, Ohio and Chicago, IL.
He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), American Urological Association (AUA), American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and American Society of Investigative Pathology (ASIP).
Jeff Trotter
Director
Jeff Trotter is currently Senior Vice President – Worldwide Evidence for Worldwide Clinical Trials, one of the leading mid-sized contract research organizations, after Worldwide acquired the Late Stage research business unit from Continuum Clinical, a company Jeff co-founded in 2014. Formerly president of Continuum, a professional services company including capabilities in Late Stage Research, Patient Recruitment and Medical Communications, Jeff has enjoyed a diverse career in the healthcare industry spanning the past 30 years.
As an entrepreneur, researcher, consultant, and innovator, Jeff has been a pioneer in the evolving health economics and outcomes research community, and is an industry leader in the design and implementation of patient registries and observational studies. Jeff founded Ovation Research Group, an internationally known research and consulting firm (acquired by ICON Clinical Research), and has been in executive management with other research organizations (ICON, PharmaNet and inVentiv Health). He has spoken widely in front of varied industry audiences, and has published over 50 original articles and research papers – including a book for the American Hospital Association, The Quest for Cost-Effectiveness in Healthcare: Achieving Clinical Excellence While Controlling Cost. Jeff is a founding member of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR), and holds a Master of Management (MBA) degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois.
Jennifer Connolly
Director
Jennifer Connolly has over 15 years experience across the pharmaceutical industry in a wide variety of areas covering Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Quality and Compliance, Medical Affairs and Pharmacovigilance.
She has performed key senior leadership and management positions including roles establishing the Regulatory departments and Medical Science functions for Australian affiliates of leading multinational companies.
Prior to her roles in the pharmaceutical industry, Jennifer worked as a clinical pharmacist in a variety of hospital and community pharmacy settings with a special interest in oncology, palliative care and pediatric pharmacy practice.
She has pharmacist registrations maintained in both Australia and the UK. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Sydney University, a law degree (LLB) from Macquarie University in Sydney and a Master of Laws (LLM) at the Australian National University in Canberra. She has completed postgraduate studies for admission as a lawyer to the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
Varun Nanda
Director
Dynamic leader with a proven track record of launching products and growing brands in healthcare. Consistently achieved stretch goals by leading change, managing complexity, and exceptional execution of a well thought through strategic plan.
Over 30 years of global commercial experience with P&L responsibility including management of pipeline and in-line products, launch of 5 products including the launch and lifecycle management of Avastin. Experience in several therapeutic areas and in both OTC and prescription products.
Varun is the co-Founder and President of Vapore, Inc., he held a variety of management positions, such as Sr. VP, Global Commercial Operations at Dendreon; and Sr VP, Global Head of Oncology, Genentech.