On November 7, 2007 Cancer Research Technology Ltd (CRT), the specialist oncology development and commercialisation company, reported it has recruited Dr Hamish Ryder as its first director of discovery (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, NOV 7, 2007, View Source [SID1234523383]).
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Dr Ryder has more than 20 years experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, most recently as director of drug discovery at Almirall. He will lead operations at CRT’s Development Laboratories and oversee the continuing expansion of the staff and facilities. He will report to Dr Keith Blundy, Chief Executive of CRT.
The Development Laboratories are a key feature of CRT’s business, enabling the company to add value to projects in-licensed from its parent organisation, Cancer Research UK, as well as other academic and industry partners. The current expansion plans will see the number of scientific staff double from around 45 to 90 by mid-2009.
Increasing the capacity of the labs will help meet growing demand and, in particular, enable projects to be completed more quickly, ensuring potential therapeutics are developed as soon as possible. It will consolidate CRT’s leading position in translational cancer drug discovery and biotherapeutic development.
Commenting on the appointment, Dr Blundy said: "This is an extremely exciting period of growth for CRT. I’m delighted that Hamish Ryder will be joining us as director of discovery. He has a great depth of experience of drug discovery in several therapeutic areas, including oncology at Xenova, and has successfully reorganised and expanded Almirall’s discovery capability."
In addition to the appointment of Dr Ryder, CRT has created a position of Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) which also reports to Dr Blundy. Dr Clive Stanway, whose previous role included establishing and running the DL, will assume this new role which will involve the strategic development of the entire CRT project portfolio and the assessment of future technologies and project opportunities. He will also liaise with CRT Inc (CRT’s US subsidiary) and Cancer Therapeutics (CRT’s collaborating organisation in Australia) regarding project selection and development.
Dr Stanway said: "I’m sure Hamish will relish the challenge of overseeing the continuing growth of our scientific activities. We expect to generate many new partnering opportunities, providing leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies with exciting and novel opportunities to supplement their pipelines."
Commenting on his new role, Dr Ryder said: "I’m delighted to be joining CRT at this critical and exciting stage of expansion. CRT provides a unique environment for drug discovery, drawing on world-class basic research funded by Cancer Research UK and having patient need as the sole driver. I’m looking forward to playing my part in building on the excellent team already in place and to contributing to the discovery of new treatments for cancer patients."