Philip Jones, PhD, caught the “drug-hunting bug” during a summer internship three decades ago — and he’s been chasing the creation of new medicines ever since.
With significant experience developing transformative therapeutics, moving treatments into clinical development, and forming new biotech companies, Dr. Jones has joined UPMC Enterprises as Vice President of Science and Discovery.
His mission? Find and support the best science and scientists from around the country whose work could lead to the next breakthrough therapeutics.
His efforts build upon a seven-year-old collaboration between UPMC Enterprises and University of Pittsburgh to fund early-stage research with commercial potential, which has supported more than 50 projects and led to the formation of four biotech startups in Pittsburgh.
Regardless of geography, therapeutic indication, or disease, Dr. Jones and the Translational Sciences team at UPMC Enterprises want to establish partnerships with institutions and researchers in Pittsburgh and across the United States as they work to advance best-in-class science that addresses diseases with high unmet need.
Dr. Jones has four goals. He wants to continue to integrate into the Pittsburgh research community and meet more investigators. Extending those efforts, he also is building relationships with networks of scientists across neighboring geographies and prominent research universities outside Pittsburgh. With these relationships, he and the team will identify a sizeable pool of opportunities that have the potential to be transformative medicines and invest capital and other resources to set them on a path to success. The overall objective is to change the lives of patients in Pittsburgh and across the country.
“We’re seeking to invest in the latest cutting-edge scientific insights, whether from Pittsburgh or elsewhere,” Dr. Jones said. “Our goal is to work with those researchers to craft their discoveries into therapeutics with all the right attributes to modulate disease biology in humans and propel them toward becoming life-changing medicine for many.”
A Wealth of Experience in Industry and Academia
Ever since that impactful internship during his undergraduate studies in the UK, Dr. Jones has dedicated his career to making transformative medicines, first at Merck, one of the world’s largest biopharma companies, and then at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
During that time, he developed the PARP inhibitor niraparib for cancer, contributed to the development of raltegravir, an HIV integrase inhibitor, and moved many other therapeutics into clinical development. In addition to his scientific experience, his commercial experience includes forming companies, partnering with venture capital to launch startups, licensing technology out to industry, and collaborating with disease foundations to advance science.
In his 13 years at MD Anderson, Dr. Jones led the creation of the Therapeutics Discovery Division, which established a collaborative network of academic researchers and developed a large portfolio of novel cancer drugs, including small molecules, proteins, and cells, with many advancing into clinical trials. Those treatments have been licensed to biopharma companies, spun-out in new companies, or taken into clinical trials sponsored by MD Anderson.
At Merck for 12 years prior to MD Anderson, Dr. Jones was steeped in the business of drug discovery at three global locations — London, Rome and Boston. He gained experience in a wide range of indications, including cancer, neuroscience, antivirals, and immunology, among others, and contributed to the creation of cutting-edge medicines.
“We were very excited when Phil agreed to join the team and bring his stellar track record in drug discovery to Pittsburgh. The group he leads at Enterprises is building the critical relationships and partnerships with leading researchers as they seek out the most-promising science. This work is vital to UPMC’s goal of advancing Life Changing Medicine, which for us means bringing novel, groundbreaking therapies to our patients in the region and around the world,” said Matthias Kleinz, PhD, DMV, Executive Vice President at UPMC Enterprises who leads the Translational Sciences team.
Working Alongside Academics in Pittsburgh and Beyond
Dr. Jones’ experience was a perfect fit for the Translational Sciences team at UPMC Enterprises, which is applying its expertise in early-stage science and clinical development to invest in best-in-class life sciences opportunities. With a commitment to invest $1 billion in companies of all stages that are targeting diseases of high unmet medical need, the team has built a portfolio of more than 15 companies, including the four that were spun-out based on University of Pittsburgh science — Avista Therapeutics, BlueSphere Bio, Generian, and Novasenta.
UPMC Enterprises does more than provide capital, it also works alongside academics to accelerate the translation of science from bench to bedside. Drawing on the scale of the UPMC system, which has more than 40 hospitals and a more than 4-million-member health plan, the team has a deep understanding of the clinical issues patients face and the perspective of the financial complexity of paying for and delivering novel treatments.
UPMC Enterprises’ successful partnership with University of Pittsburgh to fund early-stage research has covered a range of diverse opportunities and diseases. Among the projects underway are the following that highlight the science of interest to the team.
- Edward A. Burton, MD, DPhil, FRCP, professor in the Department of Neurology, is working on treatments for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a debilitating and fatal neurodegenerative disease with no effective treatments.
- Udai Kammula, MD, associate professor of surgery and director of the Solid Tumor Cell Therapy Program at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, is using tumor-infiltrating-lymphocytes (TIL) to bring hope back to some patients with rare and difficult to treat cancers.
- Jeffrey Brodsky, PhD, who holds the Avinoff Chair in Biological Sciences, is pursuing medicine to treat autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), one of the most common, life-threatening inherited human disorders and the most common hereditary kidney disease.
- Iain Scott, PhD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology, aims to better understand the role played by mitochondrial dysfunction in the development of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, ischemia, and heart failure.
- Tullia Bruno, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Immunology, is studying immunity within cancer patients and the potential for treatments involving the targeting of B cells.
And while Pittsburgh may still be viewed by some outsiders as a home to steel production and other heavy industries, UPMC, University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University have been front and center in an economic revitalization focused on advanced technology and life sciences innovation. With seeding from these institutions, there is a growing biotech cluster in the Pittsburgh region that is increasingly attracting talent from around the country.
These were strong reasons for Dr. Jones to apply his extensive experience working with academics, advancing science with commercial potential, and forming companies to the work at UPMC Enterprises. Eager to build bridges with the scientific community in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Columbus, St. Louis, and other cities, he will be the catalyst for translating basic science into patient-centric therapeutics.
“There is so much potential for transformative medicines to be developed from the excellent work of researchers and at institutions that don’t always receive the attention from investors in Boston, New York, and San Francisco,” Dr. Jones said. “We are committed to providing the tools, resources, and experience needed to advance the most promising treatments that will improve the lives of patients.”
He continued, “Our doors are open to scientists and scientific dialogue. No idea is too early to initiate a conversation.”
Next Steps
- Read about Internal Portfolio Development at UPMC Enterprises and complete the contact form to reach out to the team.
