Jennifer Mitcham Ph D

Icosavax leverages novel self-assembling VLP vaccine development platform technology from UW's Institute of Protein Design to develop vaccines displaying complex, multivalent infectious disease antigens to address important unmet medical needs.

Responsible for SMARTag licensing and alliance management within Catalent's growing Biologics division. SMARTag is an enabling biologics based bioconjugate technology widely applicable to protein conjugation and Antibody Drug Conjugates. SMARTag: Specific Modifiable Aldehyde Recombinant Tag

As Project Leader for Theraclone’s Lead Clinical Program, TCN-032 (a universal anti-influenza antibody), I've served as team lead to prepare and file the company’s first IND; sourced, contracted and directed IND-enabling study vendors, consultants & the Phase 1 clinical CRO; initiated and led the team to completion of a successful Phase 1 study on time and within budget. Phase 2: Successfully negotiated international (UK) vendor contracts and study documents, study preparation and operations oversight, including GMP pharmacy and regulatory consultants.

Key operations role driving pre-clinical R&D programs, managing strategic alliances and US government relations. Program manager for International Aids Vaccine Initiative collaboration, resulting in ground breaking discovery research published in Science, 2009 and Nature, 2011. Led company’s first pharma partnered program (influenza with Zenyaku Kogyo, Tokyo) resulting in successful conversion of six month option to an ongoing multi-year strategic alliance partnership worth over $18M. Alliance management of sponsored research programs with Pfizer in cancer & infectious disease. Contacted and engaged with DOD thought leaders and scientific experts to craft R&D proposal and multi-year $25.5M funding request that was reviewed and selected for DOD funding. Managed influenza project from discovery to successful IND within the resource constraints of early stage biotech (results published, PNAS 2010). Contracted and managed 15+ vendor, collaborator and consultant relationships to complete all FDA required IND-enabling activities. Partnered with CMC colleagues to manage cGMP manufacture, testing & release of clinical drug supply.

Early discovery phase biotechnology assessment and investment evaluation.

Provided expertise to pharma and biotech as Project Manager - Managed and tracked commercial evaluation and joint development projects; Business Development - Assessed technology opportunities, conducted licensing and contract negotiations, reviewed and finalized agreements, managed academic collaborations and corporate partnerships; Technology Assessment – Assessed recombinant oncology antibodies, directed toxins, conjugates; Intellectual Property Evaluation – Appointed and managed IP counsel and conducted prior art research.

Biotechnology firm focused on immune system mediated treatment of cancer and infectious disease, including antibodies and vaccines. Approved product, Bexxar, is a radiolabeled mAb for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.; Therapeutic Oncology (2002 – 2003) Actively managed Cancer Antibody Therapeutics portfolio (10+ targets), introduced soup to nuts aspects of product and program management to Corixa, and formed Product Teams, created product profiles, and developed detailed product development plans and budgets. Recruited internally by Corixa’s Chief Business Officer to establish company’s first product management group. Established program prioritization with senior staff, facilitating more focused, efficient development efforts. Presented monoclonal antibody therapeutic licensing opportunities to potential partners. Assessed potential product in-licensing opportunities, performed due diligence, negotiated terms, tracked existing out-license deals and succeeded in obtaining overdue milestone payments in excess of $250K. Initiated, negotiated, and managed CRO/CMO relationships necessary for mAb development. Formed and led multi-disciplinary product teams, set objectives, and tracked progress resulting in accelerated development timelines; successfully managed five major partner and collaborator relationships simultaneously, maximizing synergy and efficiency.

Pioneered Bioinformatics at Corixa, successfully identified and met organizational cancer discovery and genomic bioinformatic research needs; recognized for outstanding and consistent accomplishment supporting Corixa’s scientific and business goals resulting in promotion to Group Leader and Senior Scientist. Directed research group and bioinformatic project synergistically, resulting in successful cloning and bioinformatic characterization of many novel tumor antigen genes. Served as Scientific Liaison to major corporate partner Glaxo SmithKline (GSK) and multiple key consultants. Secured valuable and timely protection of Corixa IP and issued patents by designing and implementing a custom tool for rapid on-line capture and accurate filing and tracking of intellectual property (IP). Led multi-disciplinary teams to create and implement custom genomic analysis tools and proprietary sequence databases, these tools increased efficiency throughout by reducing redundant work and allowing for rapid cloning, characterization and IP protection of tumor antigens. Supervised in-house high throughput sequencing department supporting company-wide gene sequencing and bioinformatic characterization efforts.

Member of original R&D group creating and implementing novel methods for tumor antigen discovery in oncology. Accomplishments include being invited by Chief Scientific Officer to manage progress reports with major European R&D partner, GlaxoSmithKline (formerly SmithKline Beecham): • Scoped alternate, custom database solution, sourced and worked with programmer to implement, train users, curate and manage custom database, and produce monthly “live” progress reports to partners. • Created a custom database solution that allowed partner expanded access to research data/analysis resulting in increased interest in new technology and contributing to rapid expansion of the partnership resulting in $49M in research funding and capital investment in Corixa.

Worked in the lab of Dr. John Sims investigating IL-1 receptor interactions using the yeast two-hybrid system.

Part of the inaugural efforts at the Institute, a joint venture between Boehringer and Genentech. Worked as a research assistant in the Institute Director's group with Matthew Cotten on U7 snRNA studying formation of mature 3' ends in mammalian histone mRNAs.