UK -- Cancer Research Technology Ltd. (CRT) today (Monday) named Dr Keith Blundy as its new chief executive officer.
Dr Blundy will lead ambitious new plans to double the number of scientists employed within CRT’s development laboratories, consolidating the company’s leading global position in translational drug discovery and biotherapeutic development.
Dr Blundy, 46, joined CRT - Cancer Research UK’s development and commercialisation company - in 1998 and has been the company’s chief operating officer since November 2003. He takes up the new position with immediate effect.
He will oversee an expansion of CRT’s drug discovery and biotherapeutic development teams, which are staffed by scientists drawn from academia and industry. The expanded facilities will enable increased activities not only with Cancer Research UK scientists, but also with leading cancer research institutes worldwide.
Prominent in these collaborations will be CRT Inc. - the company’s US subsidiary - and the new Cooperative Research Centre for Cancer Therapeutics (CRC-CT) in Australia.
Dr Melanie Lee, chairman of CRT, said: “Keith has been integral to many significant developments at CRT - he is chairman of our US subsidiary and led the establishment of our new presence in Australia. He has the skills required to lead our ambitious plans for the future and I’m delighted to welcome him to his new position.”
Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s new chief executive and former CEO of CRT, said: “Cancer Research UK is proud to have created and developed such a world-leading technology transfer company. Bringing potential new treatments out of the laboratory to patients is a major priority for the charity, so we see CRT’s expansion as a major step forward towards our vision to beat cancer.”
Before joining CRT, Dr Blundy worked in agricultural biotechnology for ten years. He holds a BSc in Genetics from Leeds University and a PhD from the John Innes Institute. He undertook postdoctoral research in the US as a Fulbright Scholar and has an MBA from London Business School.
At CRT Dr Blundy has been involved in a number of high profile transactions, including the licensing of a programme targeting Hsp90 to Vernalis (now partnered with Novartis and due to enter clinical trials). Dr Blundy has been a director of KuDOS Pharmaceuticals and drove the formation of Chroma Therapeutics.
Dr Blundy said: “This is an extremely exciting period of growth for CRT. Our plans will redefine traditional models of technology transfer.”
“The expansion will make us better equipped to meet the diverse demands of our academic collaborators around the world. It will also create many new licensing opportunities with which we can target the pipeline gaps of leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.”
“Patient benefit is at the heart of all these developments and I am proud to have the opportunity to lead them.”
The expansion from around 45 to 90 scientists will be phased, and will first focus on the current facilities at the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research at University College London. The expansion incorporates plans to bring CRT’s expertise to Cancer Research UK institutes in Cambridge, Manchester and Glasgow, integrating CRT drug discovery activity with the charity’s basic research.
For media enquiries please contact Michael Regnier on 020 7061 8309 or, out of hours, on 07050 264 059.
About Cancer Research Technology Ltd. Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRT) is an oncology-focused development and commercialisation company that realises cancer patient benefit from publicly- funded research worldwide. CRT works closely with leading international cancer scientists, their institutes and funding bodies to protect, develop and commercialise oncology-related discoveries. CRT is wholly owned by Cancer Research UK, the largest independent funder of cancer research in the world. Further information about CRT can be found at www.CancerTechnology.com
About Cancer Research Technology Inc. Cancer Research Technology Inc. (“CRT Inc.”) is an oncology-focused development and commercialisation company that realises cancer patient benefit from US not-for-profit research. CRT Inc. works closely with leading US cancer scientists and their institutes to protect, develop and commercialise oncology-related discoveries. CRT Inc. is wholly owned by Cancer Research Technology Ltd. Further information about CRT Inc. can be found at www.CancerTechnology.com
About Cancer Research UK *Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK’s vision is to beat cancer. *Cancer Research UK carries out world-class research to improve understanding of the disease and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer. *Cancer Research UK ensures that its findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients. *Cancer Research UK helps people to understand cancer, the progress that is being made and the choices each person can make. *Cancer Research UK works in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer. For further information about Cancer Research UK’s work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 020 7009 8820 or visit our homepage
Michael Regnier Senior Press Officer (Science) Cancer Research UK
Direct: 020 7061 8309 Mobile: 07918 608 599 Fax: 020 7061 8349 Out of hours: 07050 264 059
michael.regnier@cancer.org.uk
