Cambridge, UK, January 13th, 2025 – CellCentric, a clinical stage biotechnology company, today announces the appointment of Naseer Qayum as Chief Strategy Officer. Naseer is a physician-scientist with deep multiple myeloma experience, having been involved in late-stage product development and registration for over two decades.
Naseer joins CellCentric from Roche, where he was Senior Medical Director, Global Scientific Strategy and Insights, focusing on hematology and oncology. During his time with Roche, and previously AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson, Naseer worked on numerous novel therapies in the haem-oncology space including Darzalex, Polivy, Venclexta, Lunsumio and Columvi. His work has included taking leading roles in defining strategy and evaluating new opportunities across hematology.
Will West, CEO of CellCentric, commented: “Naseer brings invaluable experience to CellCentric. His extensive knowledge of late-stage development and product launches will be crucial for the advancement of inobrodib. We are excited to have him on board as we pursue our goal of making a real difference to the lives of people with cancer”.
Naseer Qayum said: “Combating multiple myeloma has been a mission of mine for two decades. I am thrilled to join CellCentric and continue progressing novel therapies to benefit those suffering from multiple myeloma. The clinical data from the second phase of inobrodib highlights the promising role the drug can take in meeting the needs of the multiple myeloma community.”
Last summer, CellCentric secured investment from RA Capital Management alongside Pfizer Ventures and the American Cancer Society’s BirghtEdge fund. In December, CellCentric published new clinical data at ASH demonstrating inobrodib’s promising efficacy and safety profile in multiple myeloma.
About inobrodib
Inobrodib is a new type of treatment for people with cancer. Delivered as an oral capsule, it is easy for patients to take and can be used at home without the need for intensive monitoring. As it has a good safety profile for a drug in this setting, it may be used by those who are unable to access or tolerate other types of treatment. It has the potential to present a lower overall burden on the healthcare system as compared to more complex agents.
About CellCentric
CellCentric is an innovative UK-based biotechnology company with offices in Cambridge and Manchester. The company was spun out from the University of Cambridge, by pioneering developmental biologist Professor Azim Surani FRS, CBE, who wanted to further explore the potential of targeting cell fate control mechanisms. From its origins, CellCentric built a network of research and evaluation relationships with over 25 leading academic research groups worldwide. CellCentric’s research evolved to focus on twin transcription co-activation factors, p300 and CBP, that drive the expression of genes important in cancer progression. The company actively pursued multiple cell fate control-related drug discovery programs before focusing on p300/CBP inhibition and inobrodib.