Engitix Announces Appointment of Matthew Edwards Ph.D., as SVP Discovery and Emma Huang Ph.D., as VP Data Sciences
21 Mayo 2024 - 3:25AM
Engitix Ltd (‘Engitix’), a biotechnology company with a portfolio
of drug discovery programmes in fibrosis and solid tumours using
its proprietary human extracellular matrix (ECM) platform, today
announces the appointment of Matthew Edwards, Ph.D., as Senior Vice
President of Discovery Sciences, and Emma Huang, Ph.D., as Vice
President of Data Sciences.
Dr. Edwards is a seasoned drug discovery leader
with extensive industry experience. He has developed six
clinically-enabled novel therapeutics and has deep immunology and
oncology domain expertise. He joins Engitix from Johnson &
Johnson, where he was the Global Head of Discovery and
Translational Sciences for Interventional Oncology. In this role,
he developed a portfolio of immuno-oncology assets primarily
designed to be delivered intra-tumourally, which included low
molecular weight drugs, therapeutic antibodies and RNA
therapeutics. Prior to this, further industrial drug discovery
experience included leadership positions at Novartis, and GSK in
the respiratory and immunology therapeutics areas.
At Engitix, he will be responsible for leading
the company’s internal drug discovery scientific strategy.
Dr. Huang brings to Engitix a strong track
record of identifying and executing on transformative opportunities
harnessing data science to accelerate the development of novel
therapies and solutions for patients. She joins Engitix from
Johnson & Johnson, where she served as Head of Data Sciences
for Interventional Oncology. In this role, she shaped and built key
data science capabilities including the data, analytics, platforms,
and partnerships necessary to support discovery and translational
biomarker efforts.
With over 40 peer reviewed papers, and a career
spanning academia, government, and industry, Emma has consistently
demonstrated her commitment to scientific advancement and
collaboration through roles such as Deputy Chair of the MRC
Population & Systems Medicine Board. She holds a Ph.D. in
Biostatistics from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill,
and a B.S. in Mathematics from Caltech.
At Engitix, she will be responsible for leading
the company’s data and analytics strategy supporting platform
development, internal drug discovery pipeline, and external
partnerships.
Dr. Christopher Stevenson, CSO at
Engitix, said, “I am delighted to welcome Matt and Emma to
Engitix. We have created the roles of SVP Discovery and VP Data
Sciences to expand our leadership team and capabilities. The
expertise Matt and Emma bring will galvanise the team’s focus on
translating the insights gained from Engitix’ proprietary platform
technologies into transformational therapies for patients.”
Dr. Matthew Edwards, SVP Discovery
Sciences of Engitix, said, “Engitix is undoubtedly a
company with world leading disease ECM analysis capability
providing a unique opportunity for novel target identification. I’m
excited to take on this critical role and help build and prosecute
our internal drug discovery pipeline and expedite bringing novel
therapeutics to patients with high unmet medical need.”
Dr. Emma Huang, VP Data Sciences of
Engitix, said, “What attracted me to Engitix, was its
innovative ECM platform generating high-quality, disease-relevant
datasets to drive drug discovery. It’s an incredibly exciting
opportunity to combine these novel data with cutting-edge analytics
to help develop therapeutics addressing a broad range of medical
needs.”
Notes to Editors:
About Engitix Ltd
Engitix is progressing a portfolio of internal
and partnered drug discovery programmes in fibrosis and solid
tumours using its pioneering human extracellular matrix (ECM)
platform. Engitix patient-centric ECM platform is underpinned by an
extensive bioarchive, one of the world’s largest ECM databases, and
best-in-class, human in vitro 3-D cell culture bioassays.
Together, these unique capabilities transform its ability to
identify new targets and biomarkers, investigate novel mechanisms
of action, and more accurately predict the efficacy of therapeutic
candidates. It has a strategic drug discovery partnership with
Dompé farmaceutici where Engitix’s internal drug development
programmes are being accelerated by leveraging Dompé’s AI-enabled
high performance computing platform, Exscalate, and drug discovery
and development collaborations with Takeda in advanced fibrotic
liver diseases, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and
in fibrostenotic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Established to commercialise cutting-edge
research from the Institute for Liver and Digestive Health,
Division of Medicine, University College London (UCL), Engitix is
headquartered in Westworks, White City Place, London, UK. It has
raised more than $60m in equity from investors including Netherton
Investments (a fund investing on behalf of Mike Platt) and Dompé
farmaceutici S.P.A.
For more information, please visit
www.engitix.com
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For more information:
At the Company
Giuseppe Mazza,
CEOE: giuseppe.mazza@engitix.com
Media enquiries (for
Engitix)
Sue Charles, Charles ConsultantsT: +44 7986
726585 E: sue@charles-consultants.com