Life As a Medicinal Chemist

The Rotorua Branch of the Royal Society Te Apārangi is hosting Distinguished Professor Dame Margaret Brimble DNZM, FRS (School of Chemical Sciences and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland and the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery).

Free entry for members ––$5 for all others.

This lecture will showcase how pursuing an academic career focused on the intricate science of “making molecules” can result in innovation leading to commercialization of molecules that not only reap economic rewards but also transform lives. Margaret will describe her life as an academic together with some examples of her commercial work.

Professor Brimble discovered the peptide drug candidate trofinetide (NNZ2566) that was successful in phase II clinical trials to treat the neurogenetic disorders Rett Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome. Trofinetide has been granted orphan drug status and fast track designation by the US FDA and will enter final phase III clinical trial for Rett Syndrome in late 2019.

Professor Brimble recently co founded the spin out company SapVax with US$5 million investment from BioMotiv in Cleveland, Ohio to develop a suite of “first in class cancer vaccines” based on a novel self-adjuvanting peptide chemistry platform for immuno oncology applications (see: https://sapvaxllc.com). She also established a Medsafe NZ approved laboratory that has manufactured clinical grade peptide antigens for use as vaccines in human clinical trials to treat melanoma.