TOPIC: Novel Therapies for MYC/BCL2 addicted Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma
SPEAKER: Daruka Mahadevan, MD, PhD
Daruka Mahadevan, MD, PhD is a Medical Oncologist, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Early Phase Therapeutic Program and Co-Director of Therapeutic Development Program at the University of Arizona Cancer Center. He received his medical degree from the University of London, England, UK. Dr. Mahadevan completed a post-doctoral Fogarty International fellowship at the NCI/NIH and was a senior research scientist in antibody humanization at Celltech Therapeutics, London, England. He completed an internal medicine residency at University of Connecticut and fellowship training in Hematology/Oncology at UACC. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, subspecialty of Medical Oncology.
Dr. Mahadevan’s major area of clinical research interest is in early phase drug development for both Hematology and Oncology. He has a demonstrated track record of delivering first-in-human investigational agents for all oncology therapeutics. His translational research expertise is in the treatment and management of patients with Pancreatic cancer, Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST), Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) including Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Dr. Mahadevan's laboratory expertise is in silico structure-based drug discovery, cellular and molecular mechanisms of drug resistance and monoclonal antibody therapeutics. To this end he has been successful in delivering a small molecular inhibitor to c-Kit/PDGFR from the bench to the clinic. Amuvatinib, a c-Kit/PDGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor has completed a Phase II clinical trial. Currently he is working on small molecule inhibitors targeting the non-homologous end joining DNA repair pathway (Ku70/80) and developing a monoclonal antibody targeting pancreatic cancer (CEACAM6).
In addition, he has successfully directed a structure-based translational drug discovery laboratory program with the award of 6 US patents for new drugs targeting novel driver oncogenes. As PI or Co-PI on several NIH and Foundation grants, he established proof-of-concept and delivered on drug discovery - R01 (AKT PH domain inhibitors) and on drug development - NSF (Prostate cancer translational drug development), SPORE in Lymphoma (Aurora kinase inhibitor therapy for aggressive lymphoma) and SWOG Hope Foundation (targeted therapeutics for aggressive B- and T-cell non-Hodgkin Lymphomas). Through the NCI CCSG leadership opportunity he has created tangible and measurable improvements to enhance patient service, research value, build a sustainable Early Phase Therapeutic program to optimally deliver patient care and a translational drug discovery program to dismantle drug resistance to current therapies.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
All Faculty, CME Planning Committee Members, and CME Office Reviewers have disclosed that they have no financial relationships with commercial interests that would constitute a conflict of interest concerning this CME activity.
Learning Objectives:
- Diagnose a variety of internal medicine illnesses
- Understand more clearly advances in therapy
- Become truly professional physicians
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