VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on novel Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, respiratory and inflammatory diseases, has appointed James Kyle Bryan, M.D., as chief medical officer. 

A hematologist and medical oncologist, Bryan brings more than 20 years of oncology drug discovery and development experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry to VentiRx. This includes extensive operational and strategic leadership work in his previous roles as vice president of global product development at PPD, a global CRO, and as vice president of medical affairs at Seattle Genetics.

"Kyle will be integral in directing our clinical development efforts, which will  include our ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled phase II trial of VTX-2337 in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in patients with recurrent or persistent ovarian cancer and our upcoming phase II trial of VTX-2337 in head and neck cancer patients," said Robert Hershberg, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of VentiRx. "His extensive experience in oncology drug development combined with his strong connections to oncology thought leaders will be invaluable to VentiRx going forward.  We are delighted to have him join the VentiRx team."

Board-certified in medical oncology, hematology and internal medicine, Bryan currently serves on the clinical faculty of medicine for hematology and oncology at the University of Washington Medical Center.