MPM Capital Adds to Senior Team with the Appointment of Oncology Leader Pankaj Bhargava, MD as Executive Partner

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MPM Capital (MPM), a biotechnology investment firm investing in early-stage therapeutics companies, today announced that Pankaj Bhargava, MD has joined its team of Executive Partners.

“We are delighted to welcome Pankaj to the MPM team,” said Ansbert Gadicke, co-founder and managing director, MPM Capital. “Pankaj’s leadership and experience in oncology as well as drug development spanning various disease areas and therapeutic modalities will be invaluable to the team as we continue to expand our investment activity and collaborations to positively impact the treatment of patients.”

Dr. Bhargava will be active in supporting MPM’s investment collaboration with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Dana-Farber), after having previously served as an Attending Physician at Dana-Farber for over a decade, and he will support MPM’s relationships with its key strategic pharmaceutical partners. In addition, he is currently the acting Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Aktis Oncology, an MPM portfolio company.

“I’m very excited to join the MPM team and to contribute to the firm’s patient-driven mission,” said Dr. Bhargava. “Having worked with MPM on business development initiatives while at Gilead and interfacing directly with the firm’s senior team, I saw first-hand the scientific rigor, expertise, and creativity that has made MPM so successful. I look forward to working with the talented team at MPM as well as former colleagues at Dana-Farber to develop innovative therapies for patients with cancer and other serious diseases.”

Pankaj Bhargava, M.D.

Prior to joining MPM, Pankaj served as Vice President and Head of the Oncology Therapeutic Area at Gilead Sciences where he was responsible for driving oncology strategy and execution across programs spanning preclinical development to post-marketing commitments. In this role, Pankaj was instrumental in building the Gilead oncology portfolio with key partnerships and transactions including the acquisition of Forty Seven, Inc. and immuno-oncology partnerships with Arcus Biosciences, Agenus, Tizona and Pionyr Therapeutics.

Pankaj has been involved in drug development for over two decades, during which he oversaw several functions including clinical research, clinical operations, pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs and medical affairs. He served as Chief Medical Officer at Dicerna Pharmaceuticals where he focused on RNA therapeutics in oncology, rare diseases and liver diseases, and held roles with increasing responsibilities at Tioma Therapeutics (now ARCH Oncology), Sanofi Oncology and AVEO Pharmaceuticals. Pankaj has filed multiple INDs and led global registration programs and regulatory filings leading to drug approvals in the US, EU and other regions.

Pankaj earned his M.D. from the University of Delhi and completed his training in medical oncology and developmental therapeutics at Georgetown University and Lombardi Cancer Center. He also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical pharmacology at Georgetown University and NIH, during which he was a visiting fellow at FDA. Pankaj previously served as an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (2004-2017), and currently serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at University of California, San Francisco.

About MPM Capital

MPM Capital is a biotechnology investment firm with over two decades of experience founding and investing in life-sciences companies that seek to translate scientific innovations into cures for major diseases. With its experienced and dedicated team of investment professionals, entrepreneurs, and advisors, MPM strives to power novel medical breakthroughs that transform patients' lives. For more information visit www.mpmcapital.com.

Matt Burke
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