BPGbio Appoints Esteemed Cancer Researcher Dr. Dipanjan Chowdhury to Scientific Advisory Board

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 8, 2024--

BPGbio, Inc., a leading biology-first, AI-powered, clinical stage biopharma focused on mitochondrial biology and protein homeostasis, today announced the addition of Dr. Dipanjan Chowdhury, a distinguished cancer researcher, to its Advisory Board. With his extensive expertise in early translational research and a deep understanding of aggressive solid tumors, Dr. Chowdhury will provide valuable guidance to enhance BPGbio’s preclinical and clinical development processes.

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Dr. Dipanjan Chowdhury, an expert in cancer therapy, currently serves as the Chief of the Division of Radiation and Genome Stability at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and is a Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School. His groundbreaking research on DNA damage repair mechanisms has significantly advanced the field of cancer therapy, earning him numerous accolades and recognition in the scientific community. Leading The Chowdhury Lab at Dana-Farber, Dr. Chowdhury focuses on understanding the mechanisms of DNA repair and how these processes influence cancer development and treatment. His lab has identified key proteins in the DNA damage response and clarified their roles in maintaining genomic stability, which is critical for developing novel cancer therapies to enhance the effectiveness of existing treatments and overcome resistance.

“It’s a privilege to have Dr. Chowdhury join our Scientific Advisory Board,” said Niven R. Narain, Ph.D., Chairman, President and CEO of BPGbio. “BPGbio’s NAi platform generates a vast amount of potential novel targets, including groundbreaking ones in our E2 protein degraders program that aims to identify ways to target pathways long considered undruggable. Dr. Chowdhury’s expertise in translational cancer research related to proteins will be very valuable in helping us perfect our target validation process.”

“The team at BPGbio is at the forefront of advancing medicines on highly aggressive cancer phenotypes through their pioneering work in mitochondrial biology and protein homeostasis,” said Dr. Chowdhury. “I look forward to contributing to the company's innovative efforts and helping to drive forward BPGbio’s mission of developing breakthrough therapies for patients for unmet needs.”

About BPGbio Inc.

BPGbio is a leading biology-first AI-powered clinical stage biopharma focused on mitochondrial biology and protein homeostasis. The company has a deep pipeline of AI-developed therapeutics spanning oncology, rare disease and neurology, including several in late-stage clinical trials. BPGbio’s novel approach is underpinned by NAi, its proprietary Interrogative Biology Platform, protected by over 400 US and international patents; one of the world’s largest clinically annotated non-governmental biobanks with longitudinal samples; and exclusive access to the most powerful supercomputer in the world. With these tools, BPGbio is redefining how patient biology can be modeled using bespoke Bayesian AI specifically designed for solving large-scale biology challenges. Headquartered in greater Boston, the company is at the forefront of a new era in medicine, combining biology, multi-modal data, and AI to transform the way we understand, diagnose, and treat disease. For more information, visit www.bpgbio.com.

Dipanjan Chowdhury, Ph.D. (Photo: Business Wire)

MIAMI (AP) — A storm system that was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico strengthened into Tropical Storm Milton on Saturday and forecasters warned it could intensify into a hurricane and slam into the west coast of Florida later this week.

Tropical Storm Milton was about 355 miles (565 kilometers) west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 845 miles (1,360 kilometers) west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) while heading east at 5 mph (8 kph), the National Hurricane Center in Miami said early Sunday.

“Milton moving slowly but expected to strengthen rapidly,” the center said, noting a “risk of life-threatening impacts increasing for portions of the Florida west coast.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 35 counties ahead of the storm's potential landfall. Since many of those counties are still recovering from Hurricane Helene, DeSantis asked the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Transportation to coordinate all available resources and personnel to supplement local communities as they expedite debris removal.

Though no coastal watches or warnings were in effect, the hurricane center said the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys, Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and the northwestern Bahamas should monitor the system’s progress.

The storm is forecast to strengthen and bring the risk of life-threatening impacts to parts of Florida, with hurricane and storm-surge watches likely in effect from Sunday. Parts of the state are expected to have heavy rainfall beginning that day, threatening flash, urban, and areal flooding, along with some river flooding.

“There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and wind impacts for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning late Tuesday or Wednesday. Residents in these areas should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place, follow any advice given by local officials, and check back for updates to the forecast,” the center said.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Kirk remained a Category 4 major hurricane about 1,345 miles (2,165 kilometers) west-southwest of the Azores with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) late Saturday night, the center said.

Large swells from the storm causing “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” were affecting the Leeward Islands, Bermuda, the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas and the U.S. East Coast. The swells were expected to move north along the U.S. East Coast and Canada's Atlantic Coast on Sunday and to the Azores on Monday, the center said.

Hurricane Leslie was moving northwest over the open Atlantic without posing a threat to land, forecasters said late Saturday.

The storm was located about 855 miles (1,375 kilometers) west of the southernmost Cabo Verde Islands with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (128 kph). There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

The storms churned as rescuers in the U.S. Southeast searched for people unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene struck last week, leaving behind a trail of death and catastrophic damage.

This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 4:50 p.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Tropical Storm Milton, center, off the coast of Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (NOAA via AP)

This Satellite image provided by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Leslie, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 in the Atlantic Ocean. (NOAA via AP)