NuCana, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company based in Edinburgh, Scotland, which is using proprietary ProTide technology to develop a portfolio of novel anti-cancer drugs, has appointed Professor Chris McGuigan as Chief Scientific Officer.
McGuigan was the original inventor of the ProTide technology. He is currently Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Wales. He is also Chair of the Life Sciences Hub Wales, having been appointed by the Welsh Government's Economy Minister in 2014.
McGuigan has more than 30 years' experience in phosphoramidate (ProTide) chemistry and has generated more than 4,500 new chemical entities. In 2001 he was the co-recipient of the Descartes Prize for outstanding scientific achievement in the field of ProTide chemistry. He has an internationally renowned reputation for his academic work and has published more than 225 scientific papers. In addition, he has worked closely with the life sciences industry to apply his skills to develop a series of new medicines.
NuCana's first ProTide, Acelarin, is entering Phase III studies. The recently completed Phase I/II study showed the potential of ProTides to define 'a new era in cancer treatment', according to McGuigan.
