Methvin Isaac

Dr. Methvin Isaac is currently a Senior Scientific Advisor and Group Leader at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), where he leads a multidisciplinary 40-member drug discovery team. His team spans critical functions, including Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, PK/DM, Toxicology, Molecular Structure, Pharmaceutics, and Legal, all focused on advancing the development of small molecule inhibitors. Dr. Isaac is responsible for defining, coordinating, and executing key project activities along the critical path, with a strong track record of identifying novel compounds and therapeutic targets in oncology and beyond.

Dr. Isaac has made significant contributions to drug discovery at OICR. He spearheaded efforts to validate cell-survival kinases, such as Pim kinases, and brought numerous novel targets into the OICR pipeline. His collaborations have led to impactful projects, including a partnership with Janssen (J&J) to develop novel orally bioavailable BCL6-BTB inhibitors and BCL6 degraders for B-cell lymphomas. He also played a key role in discovering WDR5/MLL1 inhibitors in partnership with Celgene (now BMS), as well as pioneering the first potent and selective human ClpXP protease inhibitors for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in collaboration with Dr. Aaron Schimmer at UHN. Additionally, Dr. Isaac contributed to the development of HPK1 inhibitors designed to synergize with immune-checkpoint proteins for cancer immunotherapy.

Currently, Dr. Isaac leads the ISR-GCN2 and Hippo pathway NUAK/MARK inhibitor discovery projects, both in the lead optimization phase and targeting critical cancers with unmet medical needs, such as ovarian cancer, HNSCC, and triple-negative breast cancer. With over 27 years of experience in identifying drug candidates across CNS, gastrointestinal, and oncology therapeutic areas, Dr. Isaac has demonstrated his expertise in both scientific and leadership capacities. He previously led the NPS/AstraZeneca mGluR program in Medicinal Chemistry for six years and the OICR/J&J BCL6 program for two years. Additionally, as the scientific leader of the DIPG program at M4K Pharma, a pioneering open-science project, he contributed to the identification of two preclinical candidates for further clinical development.

Dr. Isaac’s work has led to the discovery of multiple new chemical entities, with 10 drug candidates advancing to late-stage preclinical and clinical development. He holds over 80 issued and published patents and has authored more than 40 research papers and review articles in peer-reviewed journals, underscoring his impactful career in drug discovery and translational research.