Associate Director, Translational Medicine
4D Molecular Therapeutics
At 4D Molecular Therapeutics, Inc. (“4DMT”), we boldly innovate to unlock the full potential of genetic medicines for countless patients. We are committed to breaking boundaries and daring to cure as we develop new and foundational products and product components through our growing technology platforms.
4DMT is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company harnessing the power of directed evolution for targeted genetic medicines. We seek to unlock the full potential of gene therapy using our platform, Therapeutic Vector Evolution (TVE), which combines the power of directed evolution with our approximately one billion synthetic AAV capsid-derived sequences to invent evolved vectors for use in our products. We believe key features of our targeted and evolved vectors will help us create targeted product candidates with improved therapeutic profiles. These profiles will allow us to treat a broad range of large market diseases, unlike most current genetic medicines that generally focus on rare or small market diseases.
We have built a deep portfolio of AVV-based gene therapy product candidates, with five product candidates in clinical trials: 4D-150 for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME), 4D-710 for the treatment of cystic fibrosis lung disease, 4D-310 for the treatment of Fabry disease cardiomyopathy, 4D-125 for the treatment of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP), and 4D-110 for the treatment of choroideremia. In addition, we have two product candidates in preclinical studies: 4D-175 for geographic atrophy (GA) and 4D-725 for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
To-date, we have demonstrated clinical proof-of-concept for three evolved vectors in three therapeutic areas and routes of administration with five products and patient populations. We believe this validates the power of our directed evolution platform for discovering superior vectors compared to wildtype viral vectors. We have built a robust and efficient product engine with 6 open Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs) in the U.S., 1 IND in Taiwan, and 1 Clinical Trial Approval (CTA) in Australia. We believe we are positioned to create, develop, manufacture and, if approved, effectively commercialize targeted genetic medicines that could transform the lives of patients suffering from debilitating diseases.
In addition to TVE, our technology includes a robust AAV manufacturing platform and onsite manufacturing facility that allows us to rapidly produce and test research grade material and scale up to GMP clinical material. This internal capability and close collaboration between our R&D and Manufacturing teams has greatly accelerated the pace of discovery at 4DMT.
Company Differentiators:
• Fully integrated clinical-phase company with internal manufacturing
• Demonstrated ability to move rapidly from idea to IND
• Five candidate products in the clinic and two declared pre-clinical programs
• Robust technology and IP foundation, including our TVE and manufacturing platforms
• Initial product safety and efficacy data substantiates the value of our platforms
• Opportunities to expand to other indications and modalities within genetic medicine
GENERAL SUMMARY:
Reporting to the Sr. Director of Translational Medicine, the Associate Director will play an important role in early-stage drug product development programs from pre-clinical studies to clinical proof-of-concept.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Contribute to the assessment and prioritization of the 4DMT product pipeline.
- Work closely with the Head of Early-Stage Product Development, Therapeutic Area Heads and the Chief Development Officer to translate drug candidates into early phase clinical trials.
- Oversee the design and implementation of preclinical in vivo and in vitro studies, including IND-enabling studies.
- Work closely with the program management team to execute all product pipeline activities including IND-enabling studies.
- Contribute to the preparation of content for regulatory interactions and submissions (e.g. pre-IND and/or INTERACT meetings, IND filing, Orphan Drug Designation requests, EMA submission) as necessary.
- Present to and interact with senior management and Executive Team members to assess progress toward meeting strategic objectives and company goals, identify program risks, and develop risk mitigation plans.
- Present data and program updates internally and externally to scientific and non-scientific audiences.
- Other duties as assigned.
Education and Experience Requirements
- PhD in biological sciences required.
- 5+ yrs industry experience
- 3+ years in project leadership or management role (lab science experience will also be considered) with at least 1-2 years of biotech or pharma industry experience.
- Strong scientific experience and ability to be part of a scientific team.
- Previous experience in cross-functional teams and work in a scientific or clinical setting supporting drug development.
Required Skills/Abilities
- Organized with attention to detail.
- Excellent analytical, logical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to motivate groups of people to complete a project in a timely manner.
- Ability to work in a small company and fast-paced environment.
Base salary compensation range:
| Minimum: | Maximum: |
Bay Area Range | $189,000 | $215,000 |
Please note that the base salary compensation range and actual salary offered to the final candidate depends on various factors: candidate’s geographical location, relevant work experience, skills, and years of experience.