First Ascent Biomedical Appoints Raymond Rodriguez-Torres as President to Scale Functional Precision Oncology Platform
Key Insights
Raymond Rodriguez-Torres, a biotech leader with over two decades of experience at Genentech, Roche, and Sanofi-Aventis, has been unanimously appointed President of First Ascent Biomedical (search).
His leadership will focus on scaling the company's xDRIVE platform, which integrates ex vivo drug sensitivity testing, genomic analysis, and AI to guide personalized cancer treatment decisions.
The platform has been prospectively validated across 52 cancer types and published in Nature Medicine, representing the first clinical application of Functional Precision Oncology to achieve this milestone.
MIAMI, June 22, 2026 — First Ascent Biomedical (search) announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Raymond Rodriguez-Torres as President, marking a significant milestone in the company's mission to advance Functional Precision Oncology (FPO) and transform cancer treatment through biology-driven, patient-specific decision support.
Rodriguez-Torres brings more than two decades of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals leadership experience to First Ascent, having held leadership roles at major global life sciences organizations including Genentech, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, and others. His track record spans oncology, cardiology, infectious disease, immunology, transplant medicine, and women's health, where he led commercialization strategy, market development, managed care initiatives, and the launch of breakthrough therapeutics across the United States.
"Raymond Rodriguez-Torres brings a rare combination of commercial expertise, operational discipline, strategic vision, and personal conviction to First Ascent Biomedical (search)," said Jim Foote, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of First Ascent Biomedical. "He understands what is at stake for patients and families because this mission is personal to him. His leadership will be instrumental as we scale our platform, expand strategic partnerships, and accelerate access to Functional Precision Oncology for the patients and physicians who need better answers."
A Mission Shaped by Personal Loss
At the center of Rodriguez-Torres's mission is a deeply personal commitment to advancing cancer care. He serves as Chairman of the Live Like Bella Childhood Cancer Foundation (search), founded in honor of his daughter, Bella. Under his leadership, the Foundation has supported families in more than 30 countries and helped advance scientific initiatives aimed at improving survival, quality of life, and hope for children battling cancer.
Addressing a Persistent Challenge in Oncology
Despite advances in genomics and targeted therapies, many cancer treatment decisions remain guided by population-level assumptions rather than direct evidence of how an individual patient's tumor responds to therapy. This challenge is especially significant for patients with relapsed, refractory, or difficult-to-treat cancers, where time and treatment options may be limited.
First Ascent Biomedical (search)'s xDRIVE platform is designed to close that gap. By combining ex vivo live-cell drug sensitivity testing, genomic analysis, and AI-enabled insights, the platform helps physicians better understand which therapies may be most promising for a patient's unique cancer biology. The goal is not to replace physician judgment, but to provide stronger biological evidence to support more informed treatment decisions.
The platform has been applied across 52 cancer types and represents the first clinical application of Functional Precision Oncology to be prospectively validated, peer-reviewed, and published in Nature Medicine. The pivotal study, authored by Acanda De La Rocha et al. (2024), demonstrated the feasibility of functional precision medicine for guiding treatment of relapsed or refractory pediatric cancers (search).
Scaling for Broader Impact
Among his first executive priorities, Rodriguez-Torres will focus on broadening First Ascent Biomedical (search)'s Series A funding initiatives and engaging experienced strategic partners. "Cancer care is moving toward a more personalized future, where treatment decisions must be informed by the unique biology of each patient," said Rodriguez-Torres. "First Ascent Biomedical is helping lead that evolution by giving physicians deeper insight before the next treatment decision is made. I am honored to help build a world-class team committed to changing the trajectory of cancer treatment for patients and families everywhere."
Beyond supporting individualized care for pediatric and adult patients, the platform also contributes to pharmaceutical research, biomarker discovery, and oncology drug development. The platform delivers a clinically actionable report in an average of 10 days, helping clinicians identify effective therapies and avoid ineffective ones across solid and blood cancers, with the potential to improve patient outcomes and response rates, increase healthcare efficiency, and accelerate drug validation across the oncology ecosystem.