Singapore: Aslan Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company focused on the development of immunotherapies and targeted agents for Asia prevalent tumour types, has appointed four global cancer experts to its new scientific advisory board.

The newly-formed Board will be chaired by eminent scientist Professor Sir David Lane, who is renowned for his contributions to cancer research, including the discovery of the p53 tumour suppressor protein. He was most recently awarded the 2012 Cancer Research UK Lifetime Achievement Award. Professor Sir David Lane is concurrently Chief Scientist of Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Scientific Director of Ludwig Cancer Research and Chairman of Chugai Pharmabody Research.

Other members of the Board are world-leading experts in understanding the etiology, disease mechanism and the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers:
- Professor Patrick Tan, Professor at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Associate Director of Genomic Medicine at the Genome Institute of Singapore. He is a recipient of President's Science Award 2015
- Dr Yong Wei Peng, Associate Director (Research) and Senior Consultant of National University Cancer Institute Singapore (NCIS). He also leads the therapeutic arm of the Singapore Gastric Cancer Consortium
- Dr Matthew Ng, a medical oncologist specialising in GI cancers and new cancer drug development at National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). He is currently deputy director of the Investigational Medicine Unit and principal investigator of various Phase 1 trials and Phase 2, 3 gastrointestinal cancer trials

Dr Bertil Lindmark, chief scientific officer, ASLAN Pharmaceuticals, said, "We are delighted and honoured to collaborate with a group of prominent leaders in Asia cancer research as part of ASLAN's Scientific Advisory Board. Each of our Scientific Advisory Board members brings a wealth of experience that supports our strategy and decision-making process.

"We are especially fortunate to have Professor Sir David Lane, who is one of the best minds in the field, as chairperson of our advisory board. Under his leadership and guidance, we are confident in achieving our goal of transforming treatments for cancers that are especially prevalent in Asia where there is a high unmet need for effective therapies."