Lytix Biopharma AS announces the addition of Nobel Laureate Dr James (Jim) Allison (PhD) and Oncologist Dr Padmanee (Pam) Sharma (MD) from the MD Anderson Cancer Center to its Scientific Advisory Board and as Company Strategic Advisors.

Dr Allison is Regental Professor and Chair of Immunology and Executive Director of Immunotherapy at the MD Anderson Cancer Clinic, University of Texas. He is also a director of the Cancer Research Institute scientific advisory council. His research elucidated the mechanism behind T cell activation and pioneered the first immune checkpoint blocker drug for the treatment of cancer. His work has radically transformed the landscape for cancer treatment, shifting it away from targeting a tumour to instead using the immune system to destroy cancer cells. Dr Allison was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this work in 2018. His current research is focused on improving the utility of checkpoint blockade and identifying new targets to unleash the immune system to eradicate cancer.

Dr Sharma is a prominent leader in oncology specialising in kidney, bladder and prostate cancer. She is a professor of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology in the Division of Cancer Medicine, the T.C. and Jeanette Hsu Endowed Chair in Cell Biology, the Scientific Director of the Immunotherapy Platform and the Co-Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr Sharma’s primary focus is to understand resistant mechanisms within the immune system that impact response. Her research has recently implicated the checkpoint VISTA in inhibiting immune responses in prostate cancer. Since 2005 she has been a principal investigator for many clinical trials launched to improve immunotherapies in oncology. 

‘Lytix is thrilled to welcome Pam and Jim become to Lytix as Strategic Advisors as well as members of our Scientific Advisory Board. Jim has a distinguished career studying T cell responses in cancer and is one of the founding fathers of modern immunotherapy trailblazing the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the fight against cancer. Pam is internationally renowned both as a physician and scientist striving to resolve the issue of immune therapy resistance. She is leading and a principal investigator on numerous translational programs to elucidate the mechanism of resistance and how to overcome it.

The Lytix Scientific Advisory Board constitutes world class leaders in the field of immune-oncology, and we are honoured that they have offered their support to further the development of our oncolytic peptides with the aim to tackle tumour heterogeneity – an unresolved challenge in cancer treatment. Lytix is currently raising funds for its pivotal programs supported by our advisors in trying to realize this next big breakthrough in cancer immune therapy,’ said Edwin Klumper, CEO Lytix Biopharma AS.