Epic Leaps Forward
Odyssey is pioneering revolutionary precision immunomodulators and oncology medicines for patients living with serious diseases. We are dedicated to improving patient quality of life and creating transformative medicines with unprecedented efficiency.
Visionary Leadership
The Odyssey team is composed of experienced scientists, innovators, and clinicians that have driven meaningful advances in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer across dozens of approved therapies. Our collective expertise allows us to work with urgency, efficiency, and rigor.
Our highly integrated drug hunting engine – fusing next-generation machine learning, target biology, and medicinal and structural chemistry – is designed to accelerate drug discovery by unlocking targets with the greatest potential while minimizing attrition. Our goal is to generate and develop medicines that can produce extraordinary leaps in outcomes for patients in need.
BOSTON, October 2, 2024 — Odyssey Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering next-generation precision immunomodulators for inflammatory diseases, today announced the appointment of two Directors to its Board: Timothy P. Walbert, former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Horizon Therapeutics and Ian F. Smith, senior advisor at Bain Capital Life Sciences and former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Together, these individuals have decades of senior leadership experience in building global biopharmaceutical companies.
“Tim’s legacy in the industry is hallmarked by the acquisition, development and commercialization of numerous life-changing therapies at Horizon that led to one of the largest biopharma acquisitions in recent years. Similarly, Ian was instrumental in evolving Vertex from its early stages into a global market leader – a testament to his financial acumen and ability to drive strategic growth,” said Jeff Leiden, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of the Odyssey Board.
Timothy P. Walbert has more than 30 years of senior-level leadership and advisory expertise for global biopharmaceutical companies. For 15 years, he served as Chairman, President and CEO of Horizon Therapeutics, where he oversaw the acquisition, development and commercial launch of a dozen products for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, leading to approximately $4 billion in net sales in 2023, and ultimately, Horizon’s $28.3 billion acquisition by Amgen the same year. He serves as a senior advisor to Amgen’s executive leadership and is a member of the Board of Directors for several companies, including COUR Pharmaceuticals, Sagimet Biosciences, Mirum Pharmaceuticals and Century Therapeutics.
Previously, Mr. Walbert was President, CEO and Director of IDM Pharma and Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations at NeoPharm. Before that, as the Divisional Vice President and General Manager of Immunology at Abbott (AbbVie), Mr. Walbert led the development and launch of HUMIRA®, a blockbuster product, and was also the Divisional Vice President of Global Cardiovascular Strategy. Earlier in his career, Mr. Walbert held roles of increasing responsibility at G.D. Searle & Company, where he led the CELEBREX® North America marketing team, as well as at Merck, Wyeth and H.J. Heinz. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and marketing from Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania.
Ian F. Smith is a 30-year industry veteran with deep expertise in corporate strategy, finance and business development for biotech companies. Between 2001 and 2019, he served in various roles at Vertex, including as Executive Vice President and COO, and Chief Financial Officer, where during his tenure, he was responsible for the financial strategy and operations of Vertex and played a core role in the company’s transition from a research-focused biotech to a multi-billion-dollar, global organization with market-leading products approved for chronic, life-shortening genetic diseases, including cystic fibrosis.
Mr. Smith serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rivus Pharmaceuticals and iVexSol, Executive Chairman of the Board of Solid Biosciences and a member of the Board of Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, Foghorn Therapeutics and Stoke Therapeutics. He received a Bachelor of Arts with honors in accounting and finance from Manchester Metropolitan University in England.
“Tim and Ian have each played pivotal roles in creating companies that deliver novel medicines that have profoundly impacted the lives of patients worldwide. As we advance our lead programs into and through the clinic and grow into a multi-product, development-stage company, we look forward to leveraging the insights of Ian, Tim and the rest of our accomplished Board,” said Gary D. Glick, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Odyssey Therapeutics.
About Odyssey Therapeutics
Odyssey Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing the next generation of inflammatory precision medicines. Since its founding in 2021, Odyssey has rapidly advanced a pipeline of clinical- and research-stage programs, leveraging the scientific expertise of its team of drug hunters and a comprehensive suite of tools to tackle drug targets with the greatest potential to benefit patients. Odyssey’s mission is to create extraordinary leaps in patient outcomes and change the standard of care for those living with serious inflammatory diseases. For more information, please visit odysseytx.com and follow Odyssey Therapeutics on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Josh George
713-828-1913
BOSTON, September 27, 2024 — Odyssey Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering next-generation precision immunomodulators for inflammatory diseases, today announced the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), which includes renowned experts in the fields of immunology and therapeutic development. The SAB will be chaired by Stephen Blacklow, M.D., Ph.D., who holds positions at Harvard Medical School and the Dana- Farber Cancer Institute and is a recognized drug discovery innovator.
“The lens by which we evaluate therapeutic opportunities is supported by the profound knowledge of immune biology among our team and trusted advisors,” said Gary Glick, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Odyssey Therapeutics. “We are fortunate to work with a group of preeminent scientific minds and recognized drug hunters with extensive track records in developing molecules that have successfully translated from scientific hypothesis to clinical validation and regulatory success. We look forward to benefiting from their collective experience as we move our lead programs into the clinic and advance our earlier-stage pipeline.”
Dr. Blacklow commented, “I am excited to work alongside Gary, my esteemed SAB members and the Odyssey team. Odyssey’s differentiated approach and dedication to advancing medicines for inflammatory disease is inspiring, and I look forward to contributing my expertise to help drive these groundbreaking programs forward.”
Odyssey’s SAB is comprised of the following members:
- Dr. Blacklow, M.D., Ph.D., Gustavus Adolphus Pfeiffer Professor and Department Chair of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School, member of the Department of Cancer Biology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Dr. Blacklow is a globally recognized expert in signal transduction at the structural and molecular level. His research on the Notch pathway, a complex signaling pathway integral to immune cell function, has led to the development of multiple investigational therapies for hematologic malignancies, such as T cell acute lymphocytic leukemia. Of his many awards and affiliations, Dr. Blacklow received the National Cancer Institute’s prestigious Outstanding Investigator Award in 2017, and was elected to the Association of American Physicians in 2018 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2024. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University.
- Robert Abraham, Ph.D., former Executive Vice President of Cancer Biology at Odyssey: Dr. Abraham previously served as Chief Scientific Officer at Vividion Therapeutics, which was acquired in August 2021 by Bayer for $2 billion. He has extensive experience in both the pharmaceutical industry and academia, including 10 years at Pfizer where he served as Senior Vice President and group head in Oncology Research and Development, with oversight of cancer drug discovery and early clinical development. He previously held roles at Duke University Medical Center, including an Endowed Chair in the Department of Cancer Biology. Throughout his career, he has made significant contributions to multiple research areas, including cell signaling, T lymphocyte biology, rapamycin pharmacology and mTOR functions, cancer metabolism and DNA damage responses. He received a B.S. in biology from Bucknell University and a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Pittsburgh.
- Richard Flavell, Ph.D., F.R.S., Sterling Professor of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Dr. Flavell is a co-discoverer of introns in cellular genes, and his research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern immune responses, from the characterization of signal transduction pathways to the regulation of immune cell differentiation and activation. His work has been instrumental in identifying key components of the innate immune system, such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and Nod-like receptors (NLRs), and activation of the innate immune system and inflammatory disease. He received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Hull, England.
- Alexander (Sasha) Rudensky, Ph.D., Director, Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Tri-Institutional Professor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University and Cornell University, and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Dr. Rudensky’s research has defined regulatory T cells and the roles they play in autoimmunity, tolerance, allergic disease, infections and cancer. His current work addresses the molecular mechanisms underlying regulatory T cell activity, and the role these cells play in autoimmunity, tumor immunity and immunity to infections. He received his candidate of sciences degree from the Gabrichevsky Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, and completed his postdoctoral work at the Yale School of Medicine.
- Ruslan Medzhitov, Ph.D., Sterling Professor, Yale University School of Medicine and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Dr. Medzhitov’s work has identified innate immune sensing pathways and established the principle of innate control of adaptive immunity. His current research is focused on inflammation biology, allergic diseases and evolutionary medicine. Dr. Medzhitov has been a recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2019 Dickson Prize in Medicine. He earned his Ph.D. from Moscow State University.
- Sun Hur, Ph.D., Professor at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Dr. Hur’s work on the molecular mechanisms of how the immune system distinguishes between self and non-self-entities led to the discovery of MDA5 and its role in innate immunity, autoimmunity and autoinflammatory diseases. She is a past recipient of the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for her research on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and experimental enzymology. She earned her B.Sc. from Ewha Womans University and her Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
- Seth Masters, Ph.D., Centre Head, Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research: Dr. Masters’ research on understanding the innate immune pathways that drive diseases led to the identification of the mechanisms by which NLRP1 mediates autoinflammatory disease. His current research explores how innate immune pathways contribute to inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, metabolic diseases and neurodegeneration. Dr. Masters obtained his B.Sc. in biochemistry from The University of Melbourne, Australia, and his Ph.D. in medical biology from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.
- Michael B. Yaffe, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Engineering, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Dr. Yaffe’s research focuses on uncovering signaling pathways in cells that respond to stress, DNA damage and inflammatory cytokines and how the outputs of these pathways are integrated at the molecular and systems level to control the cell outcomes. Dr. Yaffe received his B.S. in materials science and engineering from Cornell University, M.D., Ph.D. degrees from Case Western Reserve University and advanced postdoctoral training with Prof. Lew Cantley at Harvard Medical School.
About Odyssey Therapeutics
Odyssey Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing the next generation of inflammatory precision medicines. Since its founding in 2021, Odyssey has rapidly advanced a pipeline of clinical- and research-stage programs, leveraging the scientific expertise of its team of drug hunters and a comprehensive suite of tools to tackle drug targets with the greatest potential to benefit patients. Odyssey’s mission is to create extraordinary leaps in patient outcomes and change the standard of care for those living with serious inflammatory diseases. For more information, please visit odysseytx.com and follow Odyssey Therapeutics on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
Contact:
Josh George
713-828-1913
BOSTON, August 1, 2024 — Odyssey Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering next generation precision immunomodulators for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, today announced the appointment of William Roush, Ph.D., as executive vice president and head of small molecule research. In this role, Dr. Roush will be responsible for overseeing the prosecution of Odyssey’s small molecule, preclinical portfolio from target selection into early development.
“As a renowned scientist, Dr. Roush developed innovative solutions to complex problems in organic and medicinal chemistry, and under his leadership, has led multiple drug discovery programs from ideation into clinical development,” said Gary D. Glick, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Odyssey Therapeutics. “With the addition of Dr. Roush to our team of drug hunters, I am confident Odyssey will continue to develop the best therapeutic candidates to potentially change the standard of care for patients living with serious immune diseases.”
Dr. Roush completed his Ph.D. degree in chemistry at Harvard University under the direction of Nobel Laureate R. B. Woodward. He held academic positions at MIT, Indiana University, the University of Michigan and most recently, the Scripps Research Institute where he is Emeritus Professor of Chemistry. Dr. Roush is the author of 380 peer-reviewed publications spanning organic and medicinal chemistry. Prior to joining Odyssey, he was the executive vice president of chemistry at IFM Therapeutics and oversaw the discovery of several product candidates for cancer and inflammation that are now in clinical development.
“The need for transformative medicines to improve patient outcomes is critical,” said Dr. Roush. “By collaborating with others at Odyssey, I hope to accelerate the discovery and development of small molecule medicines to enhance the quality of life for patients.”
Odyssey Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing the next generation of autoimmune and inflammatory medicines. Since its founding in 2021, Odyssey has rapidly advanced its autoimmune and inflammatory programs from discovery into clinical development. With a comprehensive suite of tools for discovery and development, and a team of expert drug hunters, Odyssey can tackle drug targets with the highest clinical potential in a modality-agnostic manner. For more information, please visit odysseytx.com and follow Odyssey Therapeutics on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
Collaboration combines expertise in computational chemistry, artificial intelligence and machine learning, to help advance discovery and development of medicines for difficult-to-drug targets
BOSTON, April 4, 2024 — Odyssey Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering next-generation precision medicines, announced today it has entered into a strategic research collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, a Johnson & Johnson company, to jointly discover and optimize small molecule medicines against select therapeutic targets. The companies will combine their expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), computational chemistry and drug discovery to unlock difficult-to-drug targets. The agreement was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation.
Since its founding in 2021, Odyssey has assembled a team of expert drug hunters with deep experience in immunology, oncology, medicinal chemistry and structural biophysics, and armed them with next-generation computational tools to solve difficult therapeutic challenges. This integration of in silico methods, cutting-edge experimental capabilities, and wet lab infrastructure enables the scientists at Odyssey to rapidly discover and develop potentially transformative medicines for patients.
“We are excited about this collaboration to push the boundaries of the drug discovery and development process, using the latest advancements in AI and ML to find solutions for serious diseases,” said Gary D. Glick, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Odyssey Therapeutics. “This collaboration between our chemists, biologists, and data scientists will help accelerate our joint drug discovery efforts through optimization of our tools, data sharing, and model development to discover and develop transformational medicines for patients in need.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Odyssey will work with discovery and therapeutic area experts and data scientists at Johnson & Johnson to deploy AI and ML to discover and optimize small molecule therapeutics against multiple targets. Odyssey will receive an upfront payment and is eligible for milestone payments and royalties.
About Odyssey Therapeutics
Odyssey Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing the next-generation of immunomodulators and oncology medicines. Composed of an expert team of drug hunters, scientists and industry leaders in foundational biology, chemistry and data sciences, Odyssey is transforming drug discovery to accelerate and drive the creation and efficient delivery of life-enhancing precision medicines to patients. For more information, please visit odysseytx.com and follow Odyssey Therapeutics on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Michael Sullivan
503-799-7520
BOSTON, April 2, 2024 — Odyssey Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering next-generation precision immunomodulators and oncology medicines, today announced the appointment of Julie Clauss, MBA, as chief operating officer and Christopher Butler, Ph.D., as senior vice president (SVP), head of Chemistry. Together, these individuals bring more than 40 years of leadership experience and scientific expertise within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries to Odyssey.
“As we take extraordinary leaps to improve patient outcomes, we continue to recruit the best and brightest to join our team,” said Gary D. Glick, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Odyssey Therapeutics. “Ms. Clauss and Dr. Butler have proven track records of successfully leading teams to achieve strategic business and research goals. With their backgrounds, we will continue to push new frontiers in drug discovery and development for patients living with serious diseases.”
Ms. Clauss will oversee Odyssey’s business, administrative and clinical operations, providing cross-functional leadership to each of these critical functions. She will work closely with the executive team to drive operational excellence and support the realization of Odyssey’s vision of delivering transformative medicines to advance the standard of care for patients living with immune diseases and cancer. Previously, Ms. Clauss served as the vice president and lead for the Gene Therapy Platform at Ultragenyx, aligning functions across programs and driving operational efficiency, as well as the vice president and head of Research and Development (R&D) Operations at Ipsen Bioscience, establishing the strategic portfolio management group and developing data-driven global R&D strategies. Her career also includes leadership positions at Sanofi Pasteur and Sanofi. Ms. Clauss received a Master of Business Administration through the Sloan Fellows program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She holds a Master of Engineering degree from Ecole Centrale Mediterranee and a Master of Science degree in Chemistry and Physical Sciences from Joseph Fourier University.
“At Odyssey, I aim to leverage my leadership experience to help drive innovation, align functions and enhance operational efficiency to achieve meaningful, patient-centric solutions,” said Ms. Clauss. “Odyssey is advancing a pipeline of medicines with exceptional potential, and I look forward to collaborating with passionate colleagues to help realize the company’s mission.”
As SVP and head of Chemistry, Dr. Butler will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of the company’s research efforts, driving innovation and fostering a culture of excellence within the chemistry department. Prior to joining Odyssey, he held various leadership positions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer. Dr. Butler earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and has published numerous papers and received several awards for his research efforts related to synthetic and medicinal chemistry.
“I was drawn to Odyssey because of the breadth and depth of its talented scientists and leadership, as well as its relentless investment in data sciences, chemistry and research,” said Dr. Butler. “As expert drug hunters, they are at the forefront of scientific discovery, working to stay ahead of inflammatory diseases and cancer, and solve problems to get medicines to patients faster.”
About Odyssey Therapeutics
Odyssey Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing the next generation of immunomodulators and oncology medicines. Composed of an expert team of drug hunters, scientists and industry leaders in foundational biology, chemistry and data sciences, Odyssey is transforming drug discovery to accelerate and drive the creation and efficient delivery of life-enhancing precision medicines to patients. For more information, please visit odysseytx.com and follow Odyssey Therapeutics on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Michael Sullivan
503-799-7520
Financing led by Ascenta Capital with participation from new and existing investors; Dr. Lorence Kim joins board of directors
BOSTON, Dec. 5, 2023 — Odyssey Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering next-generation precision immunomodulators and oncology medicines, today announced the closing of a $101 million Series C financing round led by Ascenta Capital with participation from new and existing investors, including OrbiMed, SR One, General Catalyst, Foresite Capital, Woodline Partners LP, HBM Healthcare Investments, Colt Ventures, BlackMars Capital GmbH, Creacion Ventures, funds and accounts advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., Catalio Capital Management, Walleye Capital, Alexandria Venture Investments, Racing Beach Ventures LLC, The Healthcare Innovation Investment Fund LLC, an investment fund associated with Leerink Partners, Ab Magnitude Ventures, KB Investment, The Global BioAccess Fund, and multiple leading global investors. This Series C financing brings the total capital raised since founding in late 2021 to $487 million. Proceeds will support the advancement of multiple programs into clinical studies and the continuation of investment in discovery to build a sustainable model for therapeutic innovation.
“Odyssey has rapidly advanced a portfolio of immunology and oncology therapeutics with the goal of providing transformative medicines for large numbers of patients in need and several of these molecules have the potential to enter the clinic in the next 12 months,” said Gary D. Glick, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Odyssey. “For us, success is defined as bringing safe and effective medicines to patients with serious diseases, with support from Ascenta and our other investors driving our pipeline into the future. We welcome Dr. Lorence Kim, co-founder and managing partner of Ascenta Capital, to our board to join us in achieving this mission.”
Dr. Kim brings a wealth of strategic, financial and operational acumen from the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors to Odyssey’s board. Notably, during his tenure from 2014 to 2020 as Moderna’s chief financial officer, he raised $4.4 billion to build the company’s technology platform, advance multiple clinical programs and invest in mRNA infrastructure. Prior to Moderna, Dr. Kim advised established pharmaceutical and emerging biotech companies as co-head of biotechnology investment banking at Goldman Sachs.
“Odyssey’s accomplished team of scientists and executives with numerous prior successes in discovery, development and commercialization has made tremendous progress in only two years,” said Lorence Kim, M.D. “Dr. Glick has successfully created a sustainable and capital-efficient model that primes Odyssey to be a hub for immunology and oncology therapeutic innovation, and I look forward to working with him, the board and leaders on the management team in the years ahead.”
From its headquarters in Boston, Odyssey has built a comprehensive drug discovery and development platform merging both computational and experimental technologies. This unique set of tools enables Odyssey to identify drug targets with the highest clinical potential in a modality-agnostic fashion. In just two years, the company has moved multiple programs forward from ideation to a portfolio of high-value product candidates.
“Odyssey continues to accelerate multiple pre-clinical programs in immunology and oncology,” said Jeff Leiden, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of the Odyssey board. “By raising additional capital from world-class investors and adding a board member with expertise in drug development and company building, we are positioning Odyssey for success over the next several years as our pipeline enters clinical development.”
About Odyssey Therapeutics
Odyssey Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing the next generation of immunomodulators and oncology medicines. Composed of an expert team of drug hunters, scientists and industry leaders in foundational biology, chemistry and data sciences, Odyssey is transforming drug discovery to accelerate and drive the creation and efficient delivery of life-enhancing precision medicines to patients. For more information, please visit odysseytx.com and follow Odyssey Therapeutics on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
About Ascenta Capital
Ascenta Capital is a biotech-focused late-stage venture fund, co-founded in 2023 by Dr. Evan Rachlin and Dr. Lorence Kim. The fund is focused on concentrated investments in companies developing portfolios of therapeutics based on innovative platform technologies. For more information about Ascenta Capital, visit ascentacap.com.
Media Contact
Michael Sullivan
503-799-7520
