Anas Younes: It is time to take a rest to recharge
Anas Younes posted on X/Twitter:
“As we get closer to the end of the year, I would like to thank our Hematology R&D team for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to improving treatment outcome for patients with different types of blood cancers. December was particularly busy and exciting.
At ASH23 we presented over 50 abstracts from our scientists and collaborators, and was a proud moment for our teams who showcased advances in bispecific antibodies, T-cell engagers, antibody drug conjugates and epigenetics. We continue to follow the science to build a diverse hematology pipeline with diverse targets and mechanisms of actions across a range of blood cancers, including lymphomas, multiple myeloma and leukaemias. Importantly, we are focused on building a pipeline that should enable the creation of novel combination treatment strategies, an approach that is pivotal for targeting the complexities of blood cancers.
Equally energising was our first ever Hematology R&D Leaders Meeting, where we brought together 85 leaders from across the business who are working on hematology. During this meeting we shared our vision and strategy, and took the opportunity to discuss how we can continue to translate the latest scientific advancements into potential new treatments for patients who are living with blood cancers.
Our leaders meeting, and growing presence at ASH truly felt like pivotal moments. In less than four years we have created a Haematology R&D team to be proud of and we are starting to see our strategy come to fruition. As we continue to grow our leadership team, this year we welcomed Kathryn Humphrey, Anthony Mato, Ken Wood, and Amanda Copeland, bringing invaluable new expertise and knowledge.
We’ve also continued to see the value of augmenting our internal capabilities through collaborations and business development, with a new license agreement that accelerated our strategy in haematological malignances.
Meanwhile our continued work alongside external investigators and advocates is providing deeper insights into the challenges faced by people living with hematological malignancies, to inform our research and development as we work towards delivering novel treatment strategies that aim to transform what it means to be diagnosed with cancer.
We have a bold ambition to redefine the standard of care in blood cancer. By progressing the treatment landscape into novel modalities and combinations, we hope to unlock new ways to target cancer.
It is time to take a rest to recharge and enjoy the holidays with family and friends. Wishing all of you a very a happy and healty Holiday season and a New Year!”
Source: Anas Younes/X
Anas Younes is the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Hematology (Early and Late Stage) Oncology R&D at AstraZeneca. Prior to working for AstraZeneca, he was the Chief of the Lymphoma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
