Kazia Therapeutics Limited announced the appointment of Dr. Sudha Rao as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). Dr. Rao is the scientific originator of the epigenetic framework underlying paxalisib and a pioneer in next-generation therapeutic platforms, including PD-L1 protein degradation and SETDB1-targeted chromatin modulation. Her appointment brings deep expertise in translational epigenetics, AI-guided epi-drug discovery capability, liquid and spatial epigenetic clinical biomarker precision medicine platforms, and early clinical development into Kazia's executive leadership as the Company advances its integrated oncology platform strategy.
Dr. Rao is a highly accomplished translational scientist and biotech executive with more than 20 years of experience spanning pharmaceutical R&D, biotechnology, and early clinical development. She currently holds a professorial appointment and leads the Gene Regulation and Translational Medicine Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and previously held senior scientific roles at Sanofi/Rhône-Poulenc in the UK, where she contributed to one of the earliest clinical genomics platforms. She is the founder and former Chief Scientific Officer of EpiAxis Therapeutics and has advanced first-in-class epigenetic therapeutics from discovery through IND-enabling studies and into early clinical trials, including the first Phase 1b study of an LSD1 inhibitor in metastatic breast cancer. Dr. Rao is lead inventor on 39 international patents and has authored numerous high-impact publications in journals including Science, Nature, and Immunity.
At Kazia, Dr. Rao will lead all research and development activities, advancing the Company's pipeline and expanding its next-generation platform capabilities, including: Paxalisib, a brain-penetrant dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor being developed across oncology indications, including advanced breast cancer; NDL2, a novel PD-L1 protein degrader platform designed to target intracellular and nuclear PD-L1 biology; and MSETC, a first-in-class SETDB1-targeted epigenetic program aimed at reversing immune evasion at the chromatin level. Dr. Rao will also play a key role in advancing Kazia's biomarker strategy, external collaborations, scientific publications, and strategic partnerships, while continuing to expand the Company's platform and pipeline.
