NEW YORK and SAN DIEGO, Oct. 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNTL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing clinically differentiated small molecule therapeutics targeting fundamental biological pathways of cancers, today announced the appointment of Mark Lackner, PhD, as Chief Translational Officer, Head of Biomarker Strategy. Dr. Lackner, an esteemed cancer biologist, joins Zentalis with over two decades of oncology-focused drug development expertise, including significant experience in biomarker discovery and clinical biomarker strategies.
“This year, we have prioritized strengthening our executive team and scientific capabilities to ensure we successfully execute our clinical strategy and advance our promising assets through the clinic. We would like to extend a warm welcome to Mark, whose background in clinical and translational oncology research makes him an instrumental addition to our team,” said Dr. Kimberly Blackwell, Chief Executive Officer of Zentalis. “The oncology field is rapidly evolving and Mark’s specialized expertise in biomarker development will add to our scientific capabilities, strengthening our biomarker approach for enriched patient populations. With our potentially registrational ZN-c3 biomarker trial underway, we look forward to his immediate contributions and expect to disclose additional updates regarding our biomarker plans before year-end.”
Prior to Zentalis, Dr. Lackner served as Senior Vice President, Head of Biology and Translational Sciences at IDEAYA Biosciences, where he successfully led biology efforts contributing to three small molecule development candidates and established a strong translational team that led to the discovery of a novel combination biomarker strategy. Previously, Dr. Lackner worked at Genentech for over a decade, holding multiple roles of increasing responsibility that culminated in serving as the Head of Genentech Oncology Early Stage Biomarker Group. During this tenure, he led multiple research teams in developing and incorporating predictive biomarker strategies across all phases of clinical trials and managed a diverse biomarker portfolio spanning targeted therapies, immuno-oncology agents and antibody drug conjugates. He received his B.S. and M.S. from the University of Illinois, before earning his Ph.D. in molecular biology from Stanford University.
“Zentalis’ commitment to identifying and developing novel small molecule cancer therapeutics has led to an impressive portfolio of potentially best-in-class assets. I am thrilled to be joining Zentalis at this pivotal time to help advance and refine the Company’s innovative biomarker approach, optimizing patient benefit across the pipeline,” said Dr. Lackner. “I look forward to collaborating with this talented team to bring potentially life-changing cancer therapies to patients in need.”
About Zentalis Pharmaceuticals
Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule therapeutics targeting fundamental biological pathways of cancers. The Company is developing a broad pipeline of potentially best-in-class oncology candidates, all internally discovered, which include ZN-c3, a Wee1 inhibitor for advanced solid tumors, ZN-d5, a BCL-2 inhibitor for hematologic malignancies and related disorders and a heterobifunctional degrader of BCL-xL for solid and hematological malignancies. The Company has licensed ZN-c3, ZN-d5 and ZN-c5 to its joint venture, Zentera Therapeutics, Ltd., to develop and commercialize these candidates in China. Zentalis has operations in both New York and San Diego.
For more information, please visit www.zentalis.com. Follow Zentalis on Twitter at @ZentalisP and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/zentalis-pharmaceuticals.
