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Artios Pharma name experienced oncologist as company’s new CMO

pharmafile | April 1, 2019 | Appointment | Business Services, Manufacturing and Production, Medical Communications, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing Artios Pharma, CMO, Cancer, DDR, oncology 

British biotech Artios Pharma have appointed experienced oncologist Dr Ian Smith, as the company’s new Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

Dr Smith will join the Cambridge-based firm – which is focused on DNA Damage Response (DDR) as a treatment for cancer – as he takes responsibility for Artios’s overall preclinical and clinical development strategy, as well as the firm’s regulatory and medical activities.

Having graduated with a degree in medicine in 1992, Dr Smith brings more than 16 years of pharmaceutical industry experience to Artios.

Significantly, Dr Smith brings to the role a wealth of experience in the area of oncology, having joined the firm from his pervious role as Senior Medical Director, Global Clinical Development at Eli Lilly, a role in which he was focused on the development and approval of a key breakthrough oncology medicine for a number of indications.

Prior to his four and half year stint at Lilly, Dr Smith spent more than eight years at AstraZeneca, in Manchester, UK. During this period Dr Smith was focused on the firm’s oncology pipeline as he progressed into the role of Medical Science Director Global Oncology Medicine Development.

Before moving to AstraZeneca and before taking on his second stint at Eli Lilly, Dr Smith began his pharmaceutical industry career with a four year stretch at Eli Lilly in Basingstoke and then Indianapolis, where he focused on breast and GI cancers.

Dr Smith’s move into pharma came after he graduated with a degree in medicine from the University of Aberdeen. Dr Smith later worked in the Scottish city as a resident Doctor for NHS Grampian, before becoming a research fellow, then a lecturer at the same institution from which he had graduated in 1992.    

Dr Smith, commented on his own appointment: “The Artios pipeline offers one of the most exciting approaches to cancer treatment.  I look forward to working with the rest of the management team and world-leading Clinical Advisory Board, to progress our pipeline of DDR therapies, particularly Polθ which has multiple opportunities to treat some difficult cancers, providing new treatment options for patients.”

Artios CEO, Niall Martin said: “I would like to welcome Ian to the Artios management team. Ian brings a wealth of experience in advancing oncology compounds from early to late stage clinical development and through to market. With his expertise, and the guidance we will receive from our newly formed Clinical Advisory Board, Artios is in a strong position to accelerate the development of its pipeline of highly promising first-in-class DDR therapies.” 

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