LONDON, May 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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, CEO
E: giuseppe.mazza@engitix.com
Media enquiries (for Engitix)
Sue Charles, Charles Consultants
T: +44 7986 726585
E: sue@charles-consultants.com
