About Us
Our work has the potential to improve and save the lives of millions of people worldwide.
All of us know people who have suffered and perhaps even died due to cancer. SynDevRx is dedicated to developing treatments for the rising number of patients whose cancer is associated with metabolic dysfunction.
Where It All Began
SynDevRx co-founders Brad Carver and Jim Shanahan recognized that countless research hours and dollars go into promising drug candidates that make it into the clinic, only to face toxicity issues that prevent further development and approval.
One compelling example is fumagillin-class small molecules, which have shown clinical activity in both cancer and obese patients but have also caused toxicities. That gave us a starting point for our drug development program.
It’s nothing new for a pharma to pick up a discarded asset and then develop it for a different patient population or indication. SynDevRx, however, has taken a different tack. Through our proprietary polymer-drug conjugation approach, we’ve worked to enhance the efficacy of fumagillin-class drugs in cancer patients while reducing the toxic effects.
In 2015 our co-founders saw that no one in the pharmaceutical industry was focusing on the unique needs of cancer patients who are also overweight or obese. So they directed our lead compound, SDX-7320 — which had shown activity in both metabolic and cancer animal models — toward this “metabo-oncologic” patient population.
A Passion for Our Work
From day one, Carver and Shanahan have run SynDevRx with an eye toward efficiency.
We’ve moved our lead compound from discovery and early chemistry through patenting and into late-stage Phase 1 trials at costs well below the industry norm.
The SynDevRx team includes an impressive roster of well-known clinical oncologists, leaders in academic research, professors from premier institutions and experienced drug development professionals. Many came here with direct, hands-on research and clinical experience with fumagillin-based small molecules. In fact, Don Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., a member of our Scientific Advisory Board, actually discovered fumagillin-class compounds in 1985.
Every day, we put our heart and soul into our business, never forgetting that clinical success would mean transforming cancer treatment as we know it. That’s a powerful motivation, and we won’t stop until we get there.