Strand Therapeutics, a leader in programmable mRNA medicines, has appointed Jason J. Luke, MD, FACP, as Chief Medical Officer, bringing decades of clinical research and translational science expertise to advance the company's next-generation mRNA therapeutics for patients with high unmet medical needs.
Renowned Oncology Expert Joins Leadership Team
Dr. Luke joins Strand from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, where he served as Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Director for Clinical Research and Director of the Immunotherapy and Drug Development Center. As an internationally recognized physician-scientist in cancer immunotherapy, he has pioneered early-phase clinical trials and led transformative research in immuno-oncology, including checkpoint inhibitors, novel cytokines, bispecific antibodies, and cancer vaccines.
The appointment represents a significant strengthening of Strand's clinical capabilities. Dr. Luke has served as principal investigator for more than 100 clinical studies, including as global principal investigator for the FDA/EMA registration trial KEYNOTE-716 that established adjuvant therapy for stage II melanoma. His National Institutes of Health funded laboratory efforts have focused on bio- and medical informatics, novel therapeutic target discovery and translational analysis of human biospecimens from clinical trials.
Strategic Focus on STX-001 Development
As CMO, Dr. Luke will oversee Strand's clinical development strategy, pipeline advancement, and medical affairs, with an immediate focus on the company's ongoing first-in-human clinical trial of its lead programmable mRNA therapy STX-001. Notably, Dr. Luke was previously an advisor to Strand for the clinical trial design and served as a site principal investigator on the study.
"Jason is one of the most respected clinician-researchers in cancer immunotherapy, with a rare combination of deep scientific insight and a patient-first mindset," said Jake Becraft, PhD, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Strand Therapeutics. "His leadership will be invaluable as we expand our clinical programs and unlock the full potential of programmable mRNA medicines."
Promising Early Clinical Results
Strand's lead pipeline program, STX-001, is already demonstrating encouraging results in the clinic, showing unprecedented response rates in late-stage "salvage" cancer patients, with multiple patients showing RECIST responses. This early clinical success underscores the potential of Strand's programmable mRNA platform.
"I am thrilled to join Strand at such a pivotal moment in the field," said Dr. Luke. "Programmable mRNA is an unprecedented platform to engineer sophisticated biological functions in vivo. Strand's approach has the potential to transform cancer treatment and impact other high unmet need areas in biomedicine. I look forward to working with the team to bring these innovations to patients as quickly and safely as possible."
Distinguished Academic and Clinical Background
Dr. Luke earned his MD from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/Chicago Medical School and completed his internal medicine residency at Boston University Medical Center. He then trained in medical oncology at Weill Cornell Medical College and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He was previously faculty at Harvard Medical School/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the University of Chicago. His work has earned him multiple awards, including recognition from the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Cancer Institute, and he is widely published in top-tier journals such as Nature, The Lancet, and Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Next-Generation mRNA Platform Technology
Strand Therapeutics is developing programmable mRNA therapies that combine synthetic biology with programmable biology to unlock the full potential of gene regulation and delivery inside the body. Unlike traditional mRNA technologies, Strand's platform programs RNA to think, enabling logic-controlled expression, precision delivery, and unprecedented control over therapeutic outcomes.
The company's computationally-driven design engine, self-amplifying/circular RNA modalities, and mRNA-only genetic circuits represent a new therapeutic modality positioned to disrupt immuno-oncology, cell therapy, autoimmune diseases, and beyond. Strand's modular platform opens broad opportunities for partnerships and licensing arrangements as the company continues to advance its programmable medicine approach.
