Cheif Scientific Officer, Nalam Therapeutics, Boston, MA, USA
Dr. Karuppiah Kannan has over 25 years of experience in oncology drug discovery and clinical development, having led research and development teams at startup biotech companies, mid-stage ventures, and large pharmaceutical organizations. Throughout his career, Dr. Kannan has contributed to over 25-30 drug discovery programs, successfully submitted multiple INDs, and advanced more than 10 molecules into clinical development, spanning various modalities such as small molecules, antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and oncolytic viruses. Notably, he has played critical roles in the development of four FDA-approved drugs, which are now making a significant impact on cancer patient care:
- Ninlaro (Multiple Myeloma)
- Adcetris (Hodgkin Lymphoma)
- Fotivda (Renal Cell Carcinoma)
- Ojemda (Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma)
Most recently, Dr. Kannan served as Chief Development Officer for a pre-Series A startup focused on IND-to-POC (Proof of Concept) clinical development, leading the strategic advancement of clinical-stage assets. Prior to this, he spent 13 years at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he oversaw early-stage clinical programs, guiding them through multiple phases of clinical and commercial development.
During his tenure at AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Kannan led the development of the Human Response Prediction Platform, an innovative approach designed to identify patient populations predicted to be sensitive or resistant to specific therapies. As an early member of the company, he played vital roles in target discovery using genetic screens, model characterization, in vivo pharmacology, business development, and translational research, significantly contributing to the company’s foundational scientific initiatives.
Before transitioning to the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Kannan trained at Harvard Medical School and the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he focused on molecular biology, developing mouse models for human diseases, and studying the genetic underpinnings of cancer.
Dr. Kannan is deeply committed to translating his two decades of oncology drug development experience into pioneering cancer treatments. He is particularly enthusiastic about advancing the mission of Nalam Tx, working alongside leading academic scientists like Dr. Thayumanavan to bring novel ANC platforms to clinical reality and address critical unmet medical needs.