6 November 2020 - - US-based oncolytic immunotherapy company OncoMyx Therapeutics has appointed Charles (Chuck) M. Baum, M.D., Ph.D., as chairperson of the company's board of directors, the company said.

Dr. Baum is currently president and chief executive officer of Mirati Therapeutics, which develops novel therapeutics that target the genetic and immunologic drivers of cancer.

He has more than 25 years of experience leading the clinical development of precision oncology drugs, including axitinib (Inlyta), crizotinib (Xalkori), sunitinib (Sutent), and temozolomide (Temodar).

At Mirati, Dr. Baum built a world-class precision oncology leadership team, took the company public on NASDAQ, and focused the company on targeted development of receptor tyrosine kinase and histone deacetylase inhibitors in various cancers.

Prior to joining Mirati in 2012, he was at Pfizer since 2003, serving in roles of increasing responsibility including as senior vice president for Biotherapeutic Clinical Research within Pfizer's Worldwide Research and Development division; vice president and Head of Oncology Development; and Chief Medical officer for Pfizer's Biotherapeutics and Bioinnovation Center.

Dr. Baum serves on the board of directors the BCTG acquisition Corp and is a member of the scientific advisory board for ALX Oncology.

Dr. Baum served on the board of directors of Array BioPharma and Immunomedics until each company was acquired for USD 11bn by Pfizer, Inc. and USD 21bn by Gilead Sciences, Inc., respectively.

He received his M.D. and Ph.D. in immunology from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and completed his post-graduate training at Stanford University. Dr. Baum has published more than 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts and holds a number of patents and patent applications.

OncoMyx Therapeutics develops oncolytic immunotherapies based on the myxoma virus platform to orchestrate an immune response to better treat cancer.

Successful immuno-oncology cancer treatment generally requires combination therapy, and oncolytic viruses have the potential to be a safe and effective complement to other immunotherapy approaches.

The company's MYXV platform, exclusively licensed from Arizona State University, is poised to be a best-in-class OV approach, and the top OV team has assembled around MYXV to create important new therapeutic options for cancer patients.