Dr. Gerard Blobe, MD, PhD Joins Vivacitas Oncology’s Solid Tumor Medical Advisory Board

Walnut Creek, CA, USA, March 7th, 2022 – Vivacitas Oncology, Inc., a privately-held oncology company focused on tough–to–treat cancers, proudly announces that Dr. Gerard Blobe, MD, PhD has joined its Medical Advisory Board.

Tina Runk, EVP of Clinical Operations and Director of the company, commented on Dr. Blobe’s addition to Vivacitas’ team: “We very much appreciate Dr. Blobe’s expertise in gastrointestinal diseases with a special emphasis in colorectal and pancreatic cancers and his holistic approach to patient care. He focuses on giving his patients access to cutting-edge therapies and we know that his guidance in these areas will be immensely valuable to Vivacitas’ growth.”

“I am delighted to work with a strong team at Vivacitas Oncology and other members of Vivacitas’ Medical Advisory Board to improve treatment options for patients with difficult to treat solid tumors,” stated Dr. Blobe.

Dr. Gerard Blobe. MD, PhD

Dr. Blobe is a Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University School of Medicine. He is also the Associate Director of Training and Education for the Duke Cancer Institute.

Dr. Blobe’s laboratory investigates the role of TGF-β superfamily signaling in cancer biology, focusing on mechanisms for their dichotomous tumor promoting and suppressing function. His research has established novel paradigms for TGF-β co-receptor function in regulating the trafficking and signaling of associated receptors, as well as the role of these TGF-β co-receptors in cancer biology.

Clinically he specializes in colorectal and pancreatic cancer, and in Phase I therapeutics. Dr. Blobe’s lab has received peer-reviewed funding from the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association.

Dr. Blobe has served as an Associate Editor for The Journal of Clinical Investigation Association, on the editorial board for The Journal of Biological Chemistry, and as a standing member of the NIH Molecular Oncology Study Section.

Dr. Blobe has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, including articles in The New England Journal of Medicine, Science, The Journal of Clinical Oncology, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Blood, The FASEB Journal and The Journal of Biological Chemistry, and has given over 100 invited lectures and grand round presentations including presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research and FASEB Conferences.

For his research efforts, Dr. Blobe was awarded a V Foundation Scholar Award, a Research Scholar Award from the American Cancer Society, the Gertrude B. Elion Award for Cancer Research from the American Association for Cancer Research and was inducted into the American Society of Clinical Investigation.

ABOUT VIVACITAS ONCOLOGY, INC.

Vivacitas Oncology is a private clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on tough-to- treat cancers. It originated with the vision of Dr. Joseph Rubinfeld (co-founder of Amgen) and Infusion 51a, LP to transform select chemotherapies beyond their initial potency, toxicity, stability, and/or pharmacokinetics challenges and unlock maximum treatment and tolerability potential. Through an enduring spirit, Vivacitas and its Executive Team continue to apply clarity, tenacity, and vision in their fight against aggressive cancers and the pursuit of new treatment options for patients and families worldwide.

For further information please visit www.vivaoncology.com or email elise@vivaoncology.com.

AR-67 has the potential to deliver the efficacy of Camptothecins with significantly less gastrointestinal and hematological toxicity than Irinotecan. That could be a game changer for patients with gastrointestinal cancers.
Dr. Gerard Blobe, MD, PhD.Duke University School of Medicine.
AR–67 is a next generation camptothecin optimized for fewer side effects and blood-brain-barrier penetration. In glioblastoma patients treated with AR-67 on a clinical trial at our center, we saw encouraging outcomes and tumor shrinkage. AR-67 was extremely well tolerated. I believe AR-67 represents a novel approach in treating this devastating disease.
Dr. Jai Grewal, MD.NSPC Brain and Spine Surgery, NY

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6. Metabolic Pathways of the Camptothecin Analog AR-67, Horn et al. Drug Metabolism and Disposition, Vol. 39, No. 4, 37390/3672838, 2011. https://dmd.aspetjournals.org