CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tokai Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for prostate cancer and other hormonally-driven diseases, today announced the appointment of Daniel T. Dransfield, Ph.D. as vice president and head of translational medicine. Dr. Dransfield, formerly vice president of discovery research and translational medicine at ArQule, Inc., brings more than 20 years of drug development and research experience to Tokai.
"We are very pleased to welcome Dan to the Tokai team," said Jodie Morrison, president and chief executive officer, Tokai Pharmaceuticals. "Dan's experience and expertise in the preclinical development of anti-cancer agents and the development of companion diagnostics adds additional strength to our management team. We expect Dan will play key roles in the company's program to develop a diagnostic for patient selection in our planned pivotal trial as well as the identification and evaluation of drug candidates within our Androgen Receptor Degrading Agents (ARDA) platform."
At ArQule, Dr. Dransfield held vice president positions in discovery research, translational medicine and kinase biology since 2012, where he supervised multiple teams of scientists that evaluated therapeutic candidates, shaping the company's clinical programs and development strategy. Prior to his positions at ArQule, Dr. Dransfield spent 11 years at Dyax Corporation in roles of increasing responsibility, culminating as vice president of cell biology and translational research. Prior to Dyax, he worked for nearly a decade in various instructor and scientist roles at the Institute of Molecular Medicine & Genetics, Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Dransfield has authored a number of peer-reviewed papers, is an active participant in professional oncology associations and is the holder of several patents. He has a B.S. in biology from The Catholic University of America and a Ph.D. from Tufts University.
About Galeterone
Galeterone is a highly selective, multi-targeted, oral small molecule drug candidate being developed for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer that acts by actively disrupting androgen receptor (AR) signaling, the key driver of prostate cancer growth, via multiple mechanisms of action. Galeterone combines the mechanisms of action of CYP17 inhibition and androgen receptor antagonism with an additional mechanism of androgen receptor degradation. Current available therapies disrupt the pathway at a single point. To Tokai's knowledge, galeterone is the only drug candidate in clinical trials that disrupts the pathway at multiple points.
About Tokai Pharmaceuticals
Tokai Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for prostate cancer and other hormonally-driven diseases. The company's lead drug candidate, galeterone, is a highly selective, multi-targeted, oral small molecule drug candidate being developed for the treatment of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. The Company's ARDA drug discovery platform is focused on the identification and evaluation of compounds with potent androgen receptor degradation activity targeted to patients with androgen receptor signaling diseases, including prostate cancer. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Tokai is backed by Apple Tree Partners, Novartis Venture Funds, Satter Investment Management, as well as other investors. For more information on the company and galeterone, please visit www.tokaipharma.com.
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