Life science company ValiRx has appointed Dr Cathy Tralau-Stewart as its interim Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) to help bolster its drug discovery and therapeutic expertise.
Dr Tralau-Stewart has over 20 years’ senior academic and industry leadership experience and joins ValiRx from drug discovery company C4X Discovery. At C4X Discovery Dr Tralau-Stewart was CSO and managed the company’s project portfolio and research and development (R&D) strategy.
Prior to this, she was Senior Director of Alliances for Takeda Pharmaceuticals where she was responsible for the strategic development and management of academic alliances for the US, Australia, Japan, and Europe.
At ValiRx, Dr Tralau-Stewart will review new scientific developments, accelerate the progress of existing drug discovery projects, and influence the overall strategic scientific direction of the company by supporting the development of a robust portfolio of therapeutic projects from academia.
ValiRx is focused on early-stage cancer therapeutics and women’s health.
Cathy started her career at GlaxoSmithKline in R&D roles, before moving into academia where she built drug discovery portfolios through to Phase III clinical studies at several organisations including Imperial College London and the University of California. She has a Biological Sciences BSc (Hons) and a PhD in Clinical Sciences from University College London.
Official comments
ValiRx CEO Dr Suzy Dilly, said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with Cathy, whose wealth of experience in many therapeutic areas including oncology, respiratory, inflammation and neurosciences make her the ideal fit for this role. Cathy’s in-depth knowledge of drug discovery and the translation of early research innovation into drug discovery programmes will be invaluable as we work together to share ideas and develop and deliver on ValiRx’s strategic ambitions.”
Dr Tralau-Stewart added: “The team at ValiRx and I share the belief that there are many innovative projects in academia which – with the right industry expertise and funding – can be translated into important medicines for unmet need. The challenge lies in identifying the best projects and moving them forward effectively to reach value-creation milestones that will enable their progression towards patients. It is fantastic to be part of a company that is developing a strong portfolio of innovative, high-value, new medicines to the often-neglected area of women’s health. My new role as CSO represents an exciting opportunity to use my knowledge to make a significant impact.”
