About Ajax
and our focus on hematologic cancers
Advances in molecular genetics and biology have led to the development of new classes of targeted therapies for the treatment of hematologic cancers. However, many of these therapies, while selective for a particular drug target, often interact with other related proteins which can limit their efficacy and lead to unwanted side effects. At Ajax, we are targeting myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) with greater precision by applying state-of-the-art computational chemistry and structural biology throughout the drug discovery and development process to create best-in-class therapies for significant unmet medical needs.
OUR R&D APPROACH
developing next generation JAK2 inhibitors
JAK/STAT signaling drives myeloproliferative neoplasms
Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), including myelofibrosis, are neoplastic myeloid diseases driven by aberrant JAK/STAT signaling due to mutations in JAK2, MPL and CALR genes. This has led to the development and approval of JAK2 inhibitors for the treatment of MPNs. All approved JAK2 inhibitors, including ruxolitinib, bind the Type I conformation of the JAK2 kinase and, while providing symptomatic relief, continue to allow JAK/STAT signaling which leads to disease persistence.
Advancing a new generation of Type II JAK2 inhibitors
JAK2 inhibitors that bind the Type II conformation of the JAK2 kinase offer a next-generation approach to JAK inhibitor therapy for MPNs. Type II JAK2 inhibitors have been shown to improve therapeutic efficacy, overcome disease persistence to Type I JAK2 inhibitors, including ruxolitinib, and, most importantly, reduce mutant JAK2 allele burden that drives MPNs. At Ajax, we are applying our unique drug discovery capabilities, including state-of-the-art computational methods, to develop a new generation of selective and potent Type II JAK2 inhibitors.
Learn more about data on Ajax’s Type II JAK2 inhibitors in our ASH press release and poster presentation, showing superior selectivity and efficacy, as well as significant reductions in mutant allele fraction in bone marrow and spleen not observed with Type I JAK2 inhibitors.
IN CLINICAL TRIAL
AJ1-11095 is a new kind of JAK2 inhibitor for myelofibrosis
Ajax has an active Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating AJ1-11095 for the treatment of myelofibrosis. AJ1-11095 is the first JAK2 inhibitor to enter the clinic that binds the Type II conformation of the JAK2 kinase, a unique mechanism of action from all currently approved JAK2 inhibitors that bind the Type I conformation.
NOW ENROLLING
The Ajax study is enrolling patients who have been failed by a currently available Type I JAK2 inhibitor, and have the following types of myelofibrosis:
- Primary Myelofibrosis (PMF)
- Post-Polycythemia Vera Myelofibrosis (PPV-MF)
- Post-Essential Thrombocythemia Myelofibrosis (PET-MF)
LEARN MORE
For more about the Phase 1 clinical trial for AJ1-11095 in myelofibrosis go to clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06343805).
Significant unmet treatment needs remain for patients with myelofibrosis
- Myelofibrosis (MF) is a rare blood cancer that affects approximately ~20,000 patients in the United States and ~26,000 patients in Europe.
- The most widely used treatment for MF patients are Type I JAK2 inhibitors which can reduce spleen size and provide symptomatic improvement, but have little effect on the underlying cause of disease.
- Over time, most MF patients stop Type I JAK2 inhibitor therapy, with the most common reasons for discontinuation including a lack of benefit or loss of response, adverse events, and disease progression.
THE AJAX TEAM
Management
Martin Vogelbaum is a co-founder of Ajax and also serves on the company’s board of directors. He has more than 27 years of investment experience in the life sciences having been involved with companies at all stages of development, including co-founding several biotech start-ups. He is Managing Partner of Inning One Ventures, an early-stage life sciences venture capital firm, and a founding investor of Ajax. Previously, Mr. Vogelbaum served as Corporate Vice President, Business Development at Celgene Corporation. Prior to joining Celgene, Mr. Vogelbaum served as a partner of Rho Ventures where he focused on investments in biopharmaceuticals and medical devices. He serves or has served on the Board of Directors of multiple private and public life sciences companies including Cara Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CARA), Gloucester Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Celgene), Mersana (NASDAQ: MRSN), SARcode (acquired by Shire) and AqueSys (acquired by Allergan). Prior to his venture capital career, he was a research associate in the bone marrow transplantation unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He currently serves on the Healthcare Advisory Board for the Partnership Fund for New York City as well as the External Advisory Board for the Office of Therapeutic Alliances at NYU Langone Health. Mr. Vogelbaum received his A.B. in biology and history from Columbia University.
Dr. David Steensma has a more than 25-year distinguished career as a clinician, investigator and researcher in hematology-oncology. He was formerly the Global Head of Hematology at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, where he led early clinical development in malignant and non-malignant hematology conditions. Previously, Dr. Steensma was a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and Institute Physician in the Adult Leukemia Program in the Division of Hematological Malignancies at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he cared for patients with hematological malignancies and bone marrow failure and served as the Edward P. Evans Chair in Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS). Earlier in his career, Dr. Steensma was a fellow and then faculty member in the Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, at the Mayo Clinic. Since 2000, he has been on numerous committees and held several editorial roles for the American Society of Hematology and served as consultant editor for the Journal of Clinical Oncology. He was also a voting member of the Oncology Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC) for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and member of the Board of Directors of the MDS Foundation. Dr. Steensma has published over 200 original research papers as well as numerous reviews, editorials and book chapters. Dr. Steensma received his medical degree from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine.
Craig E. Masse, PhD, has over 18 years of discovery and development experience in the biotechnology industry with a strong track record of delivering high value drug development candidates. Prior to joining Ajax Therapeutics, Dr. Masse was Executive Director and Head of Medicinal Chemistry at Nimbus where he led multiple immunology and immuno-oncology programs, all of which were prosecuted within a capitally efficient, virtually integrated, globally distributed operating model that involved a first-of-its-kind partnership with Schrödinger, Inc. (NASDAQ: SDGR). At Nimbus, he led the advancement of the company’s allosteric Tyk2 inhibitor program to a Development Candidate and helped secure an alliance with Celgene Corporation. Prior to joining Nimbus, Dr. Masse served as Head of Medicinal Chemistry at Concert Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CNCE) where he oversaw the creation of three Development Candidates all of which entered the clinic within 18 months. While at Concert, he led multidisciplinary drug-discovery projects teams, supported strategic assessment of programs for portfolio management; and provided scientific support for Business Development that resulted in a $1 billion multi-product transaction with GlaxoSmithKline. Prior to Concert, Dr. Masse started his career as a Research Scientist at Amgen-Cambridge where he worked in the oncology, inflammation, and neuroscience therapeutic areas. He is an inventor on over 60 patents and has co-authored more than 65 scientific publications including several book chapters. He earned his Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from Boston University and conducted post-doctoral research at Harvard University with Professor David A. Evans.
David L. Waller, PhD, has more than 13 years of CMC experience overseeing small molecule programs from preclinical to commercial stage. Prior to joining Ajax, Dr. Waller was Vice President, Nonclinical and CMC development for MOMA Therapeutics where he was responsible for all nonclinical and CMC activities for the company’s small molecule portfolio including two development candidates that advanced to the clinic. Dr. Waller has also served as Senior Director and Head of Small Molecule CMC at EQRx, Inc., where he led all preclinical to commercial CMC activities, as well Director, Late Phase Drug Substance Process Development at Sage Therapeutics where he led process development and validation of Zurzuvae, across two supply chains. Previously, Dr. Waller served roles in chemical process development at Enanta Pharmaceuticals and Cubist Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Waller received his BS from the University of Georgia and a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Shyamala Navada is a clinical expert in hematology/oncology. Most recently, she served as Executive Medical Director of Clinical Development at Geron Corp. where she led the overall development of imetelstat, a telomerase inhibitor, including design and implementation of the clinical trial programs in myelofibrosis, support of publications and abstracts, preparation of FDA and EMA submissions, and cross-functional work with marketing, commercial and market access teams. Previously, she was Senior Medical Director of Hematology for Janssen Research and Development where she oversaw two late-stage clinical studies for daratumumab for the treatment of multiple myeloma in the US and EU, including investigator engagement, patient enrollment, protocol amendments, site monitoring plans, and regulatory issues review. Dr. Navada current serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the division of hematology/oncology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, as well as Attending Physician (per diem) in the division of medical oncology at Montefiore Medical Center in New York.
Dr. Navada received her MD at the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MS in Clinical Research (MSCR) at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She received her BS in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University. Dr. Navada has published over 35 research publications and book chapters as well as numerous peer-reviewed abstracts.
Maria Kleppe, PhD has more than 15 years of research experience in hematology oncology and helped elucidate several new therapeutic approaches in the treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) including the use of novel therapies to improve efficacy in MPN patients who do not achieve sufficient benefit from type I JAK inhibitors such as ruxolitinib. Prior to joining Ajax, Dr. Kleppe was Senior Director, Discovery Biology at Imago Biosciences until its acquisition by Merck & Co. in January 2023. At Imago, she coordinated all internal and external research activities for the company’s lead LSD-1 inhibitor, Bomedemstat, for the treatment of MPNs including myelofibrosis and essential thrombocythemia. Dr. Kleppe began her career as a postdoctoral fellow and then as a research associate in the laboratory of Dr. Ross Levine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). While at MSKCC, she was not only involved in validating the role of type II JAK2 inhibition in reversing MPN cell persistence to type I JAK inhibitors but also helped identify LSD-1 and BET inhibition as novel therapeutics approaches for the treatment of MPNs. Dr. Kleppe is the author or co-author of over two dozen research publications in hematology oncology. She received her PhD in human genetics from KU in Leuven, Belgium.
Karen Andreas, MS, MBA, has more than 20 years of program management and clinical operations experience in small and midsized biopharma companies focused on small molecules, biologics, and cell therapy. Prior to joining Ajax, Karen was Vice President, Clinical Operations for Context Therapeutics where she helped execute clinical development plans for bispecific T cell engager programs. She has also served as Vice President, Clinical Operations at Avenge Bio and Senior Director, Clinical Operations and Program Management at Boston Pharmaceuticals where she managed multiple small molecule programs in oncology and immunology from IND to proof-of-concept. Previously, Karen served roles in QA, GCP and clinical trial management at Merrimack Pharmaceuticals. She received her BA from Colby College, an MS from Tufts University School of Medicine, and an MBA from Boston University.
