Boundless Bio Takes on Oncogene Amplified Cancers: Zach Hornby on The Long Run

Zach Hornby is today’s guest on The Long Run.

Zach is the CEO of San Diego-based Boundless Bio. The company is seeking to target cancer cells in an unusual way. It is developing small molecule drugs that take aim at DNA that resides outside the usual home on a chromosome.

Zach Hornby, CEO, Boundless Bio

These oncogene amplifications occur in loops outside the chromosome. This extra-chromosomal DNA – in rather sneaky fashion, you might say – can help cancer cells resist the pressure put on them by some of today’s targeted drugs. These oncogene amplifications are one reason why so many cancer drugs appear to help patients for a while, but only for a while until the cancer bounces back.

Boundless Bio wants to shut down this form of cancer drug resistance.  

Before becoming CEO of Boundless Bio, Zach worked as chief operating officer at San Diego-based Ignyta, the company that developed entrectinib (marketed as Rozlytrek by Roche/Genentech). The company was acquired in late 2017 for $1.7 billion.

Boundless has a couple of ongoing Phase I/II clinical trials.

The stock market is currently pretty skeptical toward development-stage biotech companies that haven’t yet shown proof of concept data from clinical trials. This effort will take some time and perseverance.

I hope you enjoy listening to Zach discuss his journey in biotech, and that of Boundless.

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