/ Scientists

Lesley Murray

Principal Project Manager, Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics

"A turning point for me was when...I was myself diagnosed with pre-breast cancer (DCIS). Receiving radiation every day for six weeks and watching other patients go through this ordeal reinforced my hope that there must be a better way to conquer this terrible disease."

10
years at Genentech
9
publications (2010-12)

I joined Genentech in November 2003 as Associate Director of Small Molecule Translational Oncology. In that role, I built a new Pharmacology group to provide PK/PD and efficacy data in Oncology mouse models to support Genentech's small molecule program.

Within four years, I hired six scientists and many skilled RAs and dosing technicians to form an effective group of 40 people. In 2006, I contributed the Pharmacology sections to the IND filings for GDC-0449 Hedgehog inhibitor, which is now in Phase II, and for GDC-0152 IAP antagonist, now in Phase I. I enjoyed the experience of being a member of the Pharmacology subteams (PST) for these two molecules, as well as contributing to the Core team for Mek inhibitor XL518.

Featured Publication

Oncogenic BRAF is required for tumor growth and maintenance in melanoma models
Cancer Res 2006 Jan 15; 66(2): 999-1006
Hoeflich KP, Gray DC, Eby MT, Tien JY, Wong L, Bower J, Gogineni A, Zha J, Cole MJ, Stern HM, Murray LJ, Davis DP, Seshagiri S.
View Abstract on PubMed

My Focus

In May 2008, I transitioned into my new role as Principal Project Manager within the DMPK group, leading an Oncology small molecule back-up research project in collaboration with Array, Boulder, Colorado.

Also I support the lead kinase inhibitor for this target in Early Development, sitting on both the Core and PST teams. I am also dedicated to working with other project team leaders to ensure optimal use of PK/PD and early safety studies during the research phase. In addition, I am helping to link research and clinical PD efforts that are both so important to pick the right drug candidates and ensure that they effectively inhibit their targets in patients.
Publications
- Discovery of a Potent Small-Molecule Antagonist of Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAP) Proteins and Clinical Candidate for the Treatment of Cancer (GDC-0152)
  Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2012, ISSN: 0022-2623
  Flygare, John A; Beresini, Maureen; Budha, Nageshwar; Chan, Helen; Chan, Iris T; Cheeti, Sravanthi; Cohen, Frederick; Deshayes, Kurt; Doerner, Karl; Eckhardt, S. Gail; Elliott, Linda O; Feng, Bainian; Franklin, Matthew C; Reisner, Stacy Frankovitz; Gazzard, Lewis; Halladay, Jason; Hymowitz, Sarah G; La, Hank; LoRusso, Patricia; Maurer, Brigitte; Murray, Lesley; Plise, Emile; Quan, Clifford; Stephan, Jean-Philippe; Young, Shin G; Tom, Jeffrey; Tsui, Vickie; Um, Joanne; Varfolomeev, Eugene; Vucic, Domagoj; Wagner, Andrew J; Wallweber, Heidi J. A; Wang, Lan; Ware, Joseph; Wen, Zhaoyang; Wong, Harvey; Wong, Jonathan M; Wong, Melisa; Wong, Susan; Yu, Ron; Zobel, Kerry; Fairbrother, Wayne J;
  View on PubMed
- Discovery of dihydrothieno- and dihydrofuropyrimidines as potent pan Akt inhibitors.
  Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2010, ISSN: 0960-894X
  Bencsik, J.; Xiao, D.; Blake, J.; Kalla, N.; Mitchell, I.; Spencer, K.; Xu, R.; Gloor, S.; Martinson, M.; Risom, T.; Woessner, R.; Dizon, F.; Wu, W.; Vigers, G.; Brandhuber, B.; Skelton, N.; Prior, W.; Murray, L.
- Second generation 2-pyridyl biphenyl amide inhibitors of the hedgehog pathway.
  Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2010, ISSN: 1464-3405
  Castanedo, G.; Wang, S.; Robarge, K.; Blackwood, E.; Burdick, D.; Chang, C.; Dijkgraaf, G.; Gould, S.; Gunzner, J.; Guichert, O.; Halladay, J.; Khojasteh, C.; Lee, L.; Marsters, J.; Murray, L.; Peterson, D.; Plise, E.; Salphati, L.; de Sauvage, F.; Wong, S.; Sutherlin, D.
- Corrigendum to "GDC-0449-A potent inhibitor of the hedgehog pathway" [Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 19 (2009) 5576]
  Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2010, ISSN: 0960-894X
  Robarge, K.; Brunton, S.; Castanedo, G.; Cui, Y.; Dina, M.; Goldsmith, R.; Gould, S.; Guichert, O.; Gunzner, J.; Halladay, J.; Jia, W.; Khojasteh, C.; Koehler, M.; Kotkow, K.; La, H.; LaLonde, R.; Lau, K.; Lee, L.; Marshall, D.; Marsters, Jr., J.; Murray, L.; Qian, C.; Rubin, L.; Salphati, L.; Stanley, M.S.; Stibbard, J.; Sutherlin, D.; Ubhayaker, S.; Wang, S.; Wong, S.; Xie M.
- GDC-0449-a potent inhibitor of the hedgehog pathway.
  Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2009, ISSN: 1464-3405
  Robarge, K.D.; Brunton, S.A.; Castanedo, G.M.; Cui, Y.; Dina, M.S.; Goldsmith, R.; Gould, S.E.; Guichert, O.; Gunzner, J.L.; Halladay, J.; Jia, W.; Khojasteh, C.; Koehler, M.F.; Kotkow, K.; La, H.; Lalonde, R.L.; Lau, K.; Lee, L.; Marshall, D.; Marsters, J.C. Jr.; Murray, L.J.; Qian, C.; Rubin, L.L.; Salphati, L.; Stanley, M.S.; Stibbard, J.H.; Sutherlin, D.P.; Ubhayaker, S.; Wang, S.; Wong, S.; X
- In vivo antitumor activity of MEK and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors in basal-like breast cancer models
  Clinical Cancer Research, 2009, ISSN: 1078-0432
  Hoeflich, K.P.; O'Brien, C.; Boyd, Z.; Cavet, G.; Guerrero, S.; Jung, K.; Januario, T.; Savage, H.; Punnoose, E.; Truong, T.; Zhou, W.; Berry, L.; Murray, L.; Amler, L,; Belvin, M.; Friedman, L.S.; Lackner, M.R.
- Suppression of HER2/HER3-mediated growth of breast cancer cells with combinations of GDC-0941 PI3K inhibitor, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab.
  Clinical Cancer Research, 2009, ISSN: 1078-0432
  Yao, E.; Zhou, W.; Lee-Hoeflich, S.T.;Truong T.; Haverty, P.M.;Eastham-Anderson, J.; Lewin-Koh, N.; Gunter, B.; Belvin, M.; Murray, L.J.; Friedman, L.S.; Sliwkowski, M.X.; Hoeflich, K.P.
- Antitumor efficacy of the novel RAF inhibitor GDC-0879 is predicted by BRAF^V600E mutational status and sustained extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway suppression.
  Cancer Research, 2009, ISSN: 1538-7445
  Hoeflich, K.P.; Herter, S.; Tien, J.; Wong, L.; Berry, L.; Chan, J.; O'Brien, C.; Modrusan, Z.; Seshagiri, S.; Lackner, M.; Stern, H.; Choo, E.; Murray, L.; Friedman, L.S.; Belvin, M.
- Pharmacodynamics of 2-[4-[(1E)-1-(hydroxyimino)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-5-yl]-3-(pyridine-4-yl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]ethan-1-ol (GDC-0879), a potent and selective B-Raf kinase inhibitor: understanding relationships between systemic concentrations, phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 in
  Journal of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, 2009, ISSN: 1521-0103
  Wong, H.; Belvin, M.; Herter, S.; Hoeflich, K.P.; Murray, L.J.; Wong, L.; Choo, E.F.
Education
- University of Cambridge, B.A. –
- National Institute of Medical Research, Postdoctoral Fellow –
- Imperial Cancer Research Fund and University College, Ph.D. –

Lesley Murray

Principal Project Manager, Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics

Featured Publication

Discovery of a Potent Small-Molecule Antagonist of Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAP) Proteins and Clinical Candidate for the Treatment of Cancer (GDC-0152)

Discovery of dihydrothieno- and dihydrofuropyrimidines as potent pan Akt inhibitors.

Second generation 2-pyridyl biphenyl amide inhibitors of the hedgehog pathway.

Corrigendum to "GDC-0449-A potent inhibitor of the hedgehog pathway" [Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 19 (2009) 5576]

GDC-0449-a potent inhibitor of the hedgehog pathway.

In vivo antitumor activity of MEK and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors in basal-like breast cancer models

Suppression of HER2/HER3-mediated growth of breast cancer cells with combinations of GDC-0941 PI3K inhibitor, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab.

Antitumor efficacy of the novel RAF inhibitor GDC-0879 is predicted by BRAFV600E mutational status and sustained extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway suppression.

Pharmacodynamics of 2-[4-[(1E)-1-(hydroxyimino)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-5-yl]-3-(pyridine-4-yl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]ethan-1-ol (GDC-0879), a potent and selective B-Raf kinase inhibitor: understanding relationships between systemic concentrations, phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 in

Antitumor efficacy of the novel RAF inhibitor GDC-0879 is predicted by BRAF^V600E mutational status and sustained extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway suppression.