Incendia Therapeutics
Susannah Calhoun, PhD, is a highly experienced scientist specializing in translational biology, currently serving as Principal Scientist at Incendia Therapeutics since April 2022. Previously, Susannah held the position of Senior Scientist and Postdoctoral Fellow at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, where significant contributions included studying the biology of inhibitory immune cell receptors in tumor microenvironments using advanced spatial genomics techniques. Susannah's academic background includes a PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Parasitology from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, where research focused on genome stability and DNA repair mechanisms in Plasmodium falciparum. Prior roles include research positions at Weill Cornell Medicine, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Merck, and an internship with NASA Langley Research Center.
Incendia Therapeutics
Incendia Therapeutics is discovering and developing novel anti-cancer medicines that are designed to reprogram the tumor microenvironment. Many cancers create immune exclusion barriers that prevent the immune system from attacking tumors. The Parthenon approach to overcoming these barriers is to modulate the interplay among cancer cells, stromal cells, and immune cells. Our lead program, PRTH-101, is a first-in-class humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction of Discoidin Domain Receptor 1 (DDR1) with collagen, thereby “punching holes” in the extracellular matrix barrier created by the tumor. With the extracellular matrix barrier breached, immune cells are able to infiltrate and attack the tumor. PRTH-101 is poised to enter Phase 1 clinical trials. PRTH-101 is followed by a pipeline of preclinical projects targeting orthogonal components of the tumor microenvironment that promote immune exclusion. Incendia combines its drug discovery and development efforts with a precision oncology approach to get the right medicines to the right patients. We use proprietary AI technology to digitally deconstruct the TME and develop unique insights to enable biomarker-driven patient selection strategies designed to guide clinical applications.