Beyond Inhibition – Unlocking the Power of KRAS Degradation
PAQ Approach
Found in about 25% of tumors, KRAS mutations are among the most prevalent gene mutations associated with cancer and are considered to be key drivers in lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. PAQ Therapeutics is developing best- and first-in-class KRAS degraders for these deadly cancers – which lack good treatment options – using targeted protein degradation (TPD). This groundbreaking therapeutic modality leverages the body’s natural processes to degrade KRAS rather than inhibiting it, potentially offering more effective, durable treatments with fewer side effects.
Our Technology
PAQ’s proprietary understanding of KRAS biology not only provides convincing evidence for the advantages of KRAS degradation over inhibition, it also guides medicinal chemistry to identify KRAS degraders to address the key limitations of clinical KRAS inhibitors. Our approach could pave the way to more effective and safer treatment options for patients where few exist.
Our Team
Our team represents a collective of global scientists, entrepreneurs, and world-class scientific advisors united by a shared passion to tackle KRAS-driven cancers. We bring a profound understanding of KRAS biology and degrader chemistry that serves as a strong foundation upon which we are shaping a brighter future for cancer patients.
Nan Ji, PhD
Cofounder, President and Chief Executive Officer
Nan Ji, PhD
Cofounder, President and Chief Executive Officer
Dr Nan Ji is President and CEO of PAQ Therapeutics. He is a prolific inventor and discoverer, with more than 30 patent applications filed. With three years spent at Kymera Therapeutics from the time the company was in its seed stage, he is also an expert at building an organization from the ground up. At Kymera, Dr Ji served as Vice President of Chemistry and played significant roles in driving the company scientific strategies, platform-building activities, and business development, as well as external collaborations crucial to the company’s success in targeted protein degradation technology. Before Kymera, Dr Ji spent 2 years at Mitobridge (now part of Astellas), where he was responsible for its NAD+-boosting portfolio with multiple approaches to modulate mitochondrial functions. Prior to that, he spent 7+ years at Novartis, where he contributed to and delivered multiple clinical and preclinical development candidates. Dr Ji earned his PhD in organic chemistry from Harvard University.
Andrew Krivoshik, MD, PhD, PE
Chief Medical Officer
Andrew Krivoshik, MD, PhD, PE
Chief Medical Officer
Dr Andrew Krivoshik is the Chief Medical Officer of PAQ Therapeutics. He brings extensive development experience across a range of therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, antibodies, protein degraders, gene therapies, and oncolytic viruses. Dr Krivoshik has had a distinguished career marked by the successful leadership of global multidisciplinary teams, which played a significant role in the approval of multiple precision oncology and medical specialty products, including XTANDI®, XOSPATA®, PADCEV®, EVRENZO™, VEOZAH®, and VYLOY®. Prior to joining PAQ Therapeutics, Dr Krivoshik served as the Chief Medical Officer at Frontier Medicines. He also held several senior leadership positions at Astellas Pharma Global Development, where as President and Head of Development, he was responsible for managing global clinical development activities and functions, as well as the design and implementation of clinical studies. Dr Krivoshik earned his MD and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a BSE from Princeton University.
Huaixiang Hao, PhD
Cofounder and Head of Research
Huaixiang Hao, PhD
Cofounder and Head of Research
Dr Huaixiang Hao is cofounder and Head of Research at PAQ Therapeutics. He brings over a decade of research and clinical trial experience from his time as a postdoctoral fellow, investigator, and principal scientist of oncology at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. Dr Hao’s expertise lies in his extensive knowledge of targeted therapies and biomarker and combination strategies, which has led him to author 26 publications and file eight patents in his field. His research in cellular pharmacology has accelerated the drug discovery and development of SHP2 inhibitors and led to the identification of several predictive biomarkers for mTOR inhibitors and Wnt signaling inhibitors. Dr Hao earned his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Utah.
Joseph Donahue
Head of Clinical Operations
Joseph Donahue
Head of Clinical Operations
Joseph Donahue is the Head of Clinical Operations at PAQ Therapeutics. He brings over 15 years of clinical operations experience encompassing all phases of drug development, including 10 years specifically within oncology across multiple indications from pre-IND through Phase 3 studies. Prior to joining PAQ, he was the first clinical operations hire at Onxeo (now Valerio), where he played a pivotal role in establishing the department and advancing their oncology portfolio into clinical trials. Previously, Donahue oversaw three successful IND submissions as the Senior Director of Clinical Operations at Homology Medicines, Inc. His career demonstrates a proven track record of success across numerous clinical trials and various therapeutic areas, including AAV gene therapy, gene editing, oncology, cardiology, and central nervous system disorders. He earned a BS in marine biology from Roger Williams University.
Lokesh Gakhar, PhD
Head of Program Management and Protein Sciences
Lokesh Gakhar, PhD
Head of Program Management and Protein Sciences
Dr Lokesh Gakhar is the Head of Program Management and Protein Sciences at PAQ Therapeutics. With over 21 years of experience as an accomplished scientist, with a focus on structural biology, protein science, and biophysics, his career includes a successful track record in drug discovery partnerships and extensive collaborations. Most recently, Dr Gakhar served as a visiting structural biologist at MIT.nano Cryo-EM Center and Department of Biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr Gakhar also held several positions at the University of Iowa, including Director of the Protein & Crystallography Core Facility (Structural Biology Group) at the Carver College of Medicine. During his 12-year tenure as Director, he established a multifaceted core facility enabling diverse structural biology studies in basic sciences and drug discovery, led or advised on the structural components of $7 million annually in NIH/NSF projects, coauthored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, and implemented key automations to significantly improve workflows, throughput, and operational costs. He earned his PhD in chemical and biochemical engineering from the University of Iowa and his Bachelor of Technology (Honors) in biochemical engineering and biotechnology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India.
Eric Rubin, MD
Chair of Clinical Advisory Board
Eric Rubin, MD
Chair of Clinical Advisory Board
Dr Eric Rubin has focused on cancer drug development for over 30 years, initially as a faculty member at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, then as a senior leader of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, where he served as the Director of the Investigational Therapeutics Division. In 2008, he was recruited to Merck to lead the clinical oncology development team, where he spearheaded the initial development of the anti-PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab, the first anti-PD-1 therapy approved in the US. In 2014, Dr Rubin was asked to lead the Oncology Early Development team at Merck, where he oversaw development of the early oncology pipeline, as well as translational oncology research activities. He has authored over 140 original, peer-reviewed publications and book chapters related to oncology translational research, clinical trials, and drug development. He served frequently as a member of National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society study sections, as well as program committees for the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
James B. Summers, PhD
Scientific Advisory Board Member
James B. Summers, PhD
Scientific Advisory Board Member
Dr James Summers serves as a scientific advisor to PAQ Therapeutics. He has over 30 years of drug discovery and pharmaceutical research management experience. Previously, Dr Summers was Vice President of Neuroscience Research at AbbVie, where he led efforts focused on the discovery of new drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, pain, and psychiatric disorders. Under his leadership, teams have advanced more than 20 compounds into clinical development. He also established new research sites in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Shanghai, China, was an architect of strategies that defined the future direction of global research organizations, and championed multiple successful out-licensing deals, biotech collaborations, and venture investments. Dr Summers earned a PhD in organic chemistry from Harvard University.
Piro Lito, MD, PhD
Scientific Advisory Board Member
Piro Lito, MD, PhD
Scientific Advisory Board Member
Dr Piro Lito serves as a scientific advisor to PAQ Therapeutics. He is a Professor and Member and holds the Enid A. Haupt Chair for Therapeutic Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr Lito has made seminal contributions in understanding how RAS mutations drive tumor growth and the development of several RAS-directed therapies. His work has been recognized with the Trailblazer Prize for Clinician Scientists by the Foundation of the National Institutes of Health and the Seldin-Smith Award for Pioneering Research by the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Dr Lito also serves as the Director of Basic and Translational Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He received his MD/PhD from Michigan State University in 2008.
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Based in Burlington, Massachusetts, our team is visionary, enthusiastic, and united in our commitment to help patients overcome devastating disease. Join us as we collaborate to transform the landscape of cancer treatment with our pioneering therapeutic approach.
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