Who: Dr. Sunil Chada, VP Research and Development, Introgen Therapeutics Inc., Houston, TX

What: BCM/Rice Consulting and Entrepreneurship Corps Seminar

When/Where: Friday, July 18th at 4:00 at Baylor College of Medicine in room 187A

More Info:
Introgen Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of targeted molecular therapies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. The company is developing product candidates to treat a range of cancers using tumor suppressors, cytokines, and other targeted molecular therapies. Its lead product candidate include ADVEXIN therapy, which combines the p53 tumor suppressor with a non-replicating, non-integrating, and adenoviral delivery system. ADVEXIN therapy is in Phase III clinical trials in patients with advanced recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The company's product candidates also include INGN 241, a Phase I/early Phase II clinical trials completed product to treat patients with solid tumors; and INGN 225, which has completed a Phase I/II clinical trials for patients with small cell lung cancer, and is also in Phase I/II trials in patients with breast cancer. In addition, its product candidates comprise INGN 234, which is in Phase-I clinical trial, for the prevention of oral cancers and the treatment of oral leukoplakia; INGN 401, a Phase I/early Phase II clinical trial product for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer; INGN 402 that contains the p53 tumor suppressor; INGN 403 that contains the mda-7 tumor suppressor; and INGN 007, a replication-competent viral therapy. Introgen Therapeutics has collaborative agreements with VirRx, Inc. to investigate replication-competent viral therapies; and Colgate-Palmolive Company to develop and market oral healthcare products. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Austin, Texas.
Dr. Chada joined Introgen in 1997 as Associate Director of Discovery Research, and is currently Associate Vice President of Clinical Research and Development. Dr. Chada has been working in the biotechnology industry since 1988 and has focused on discovery and development of genetic therapies for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. He received his B.Sc. from Kings College, University of London, his M.S. from University of California at Los Angeles and his Ph.D. from University of Massachusetts Medical School in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. He spent seven years at Viagene, Inc., one of the first companies focused on gene transfer technology and then spent two years at Chiron Corporation as Staff Scientist and Program Manager prior to joining Introgen. Dr. Chada has authored more than 80 scientific articles and is an inventor on more than 25 issued patents and patent applications. He has served on multiple review committees for the National Cancer Institute and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation Biotechnology training programs at Rice University. He has been an adjunct faculty member at University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and has been awarded nine grants from the National Institutes of Health and the California STAR (Strategic Targets for Alliances in Research) Biotechnology programs.