Meet AstraZeneca PLC's New Head of Oncology

January 12, 2017
By Mark Terry, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff

AstraZeneca announced that Jamie Freedman will be the new head of oncology. He is replacing Mondher Mahjoubi.

Prior to this move, Freedman was senior vice president of global clinical development for the company’s MedImmune subsidiary. As such, he oversaw the clinical development activities for its Biologics portfolio. Prior to joining MedImmune, Freedman was vice president, Oncology R&D for GlaxoSmithKline . Before GSK, he headed research and development at OPKO Health .

Freedman received an undergraduate degree in biochemistry at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec (Canada), and an MD and PhD at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and completed a Fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Harvard University.

In a December statement, an AstraZeneca spokeswoman told FiercePharma, “Jamie takes up his new role at an exciting time for AstraZeneca’s Oncology franchise and brings tremendous expertise and leadership qualities that will help to take the portfolio to the next stage.”

It was announced in late December that Mahjoubi was leaving the company to take on the role as chief executive officer at Innate Pharma , headquartered in Marseille, France. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Mahjoubi was the senior vice president of global product strategy in oncology at Genentech . Over his career, Mahjoubi has worked in various marketing and medical affairs positions for Mayne Pharma , Sanofi-Aventis (SNY), and Rhone Poulenc Rorer. He holds a doctorate in Medicine and a certification in Medical Oncology and Clinical Research. He is trained as a medical oncologist. He received his MD from the University of Tunis, his Medical Oncology certification from the University of Paris Sud, and performed clinical research and Methodology training at the University of Lariboisiere-Saint Louis.

Reportedly, part of the reason Mahjoubi left was to be closer to family in France. In a statement sent to The Pharma Letter, AstraZeneca said, “His successor is equally brilliant—Jamie Freedman will become AstraZeneca’s oncology global general manager in January, 2017. He will have oversight of all our worldwide oncology activities, with a primary responsibility for delivering our industry-leading oncology portfolio.”

AstraZeneca and Innate Pharma have a strong relationship. In April 2015, the two companies signed a co-development and commercialization deal that focused on anti-NKG2A antibody, IPH2201, also in combination with MEDI4736, an anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor created by MedImmune. Under the terms of that deal, AstraZeneca made cash payments up to $1.275 billion to Innate, as well as double-digit royalties on potential sales. The down payment was $250 million, and provided AstraZeneca with exclusive global rights to co-develop and commercialize IPH2201 with MEDI4736.

MEDI4736 was granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2016. In addition to being evaluated in patients with PD-L1 positive inoperable or metastatic urothelial bladder cancer whose tumor has progressed during or after one standard platinum-based regimen, it is beling evaluated as a first-line bladder cancer monotherapy, as well as in combination with tremelimumab.

While at MedImmune, Freedman played a “leading role in advancing MedImmune’s robust portfolio including brodalumab, benralizumab, tralokinumab, mavrilimumab, anifrolumab, tezepelumab, moxetumomab, and in particular the broad portfolio of Immuno-Oncology assets including durvalumab and tremelimumab. Most of these assets are currently in pivotal trials and some are at various stages of registration for market approval.”