Sunex KC, Author at Odyssey Therapeutics

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

[email protected]

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

Contact:

Josh George

[email protected]

713-828-1913