Novonco Therapeutics (www.novoncotherapeutics.com) announced today that Dr. Keith Black has joined the Board of Directors. Novonco is a clinical stage company with three different platform technologies for the treatment of cancer. Its first target, that began human clinical trials in July, is ovarian cancer. Novonco was founded by Dr. Jack Kavanaugh (founder of ZetaRx which became the core of JUNO therapeutics), Dr. David Horne, Deputy Director of Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center of City of Hope and Dr. Larry Overman (Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, University of California Irvine).

Dr. Black said, “I am honored to join the board of Novonco. The company’s technology is extremely innovative and could be transformative for the treatment of cancer. Equally important is the leadership of Dr Kavanaugh as Chairman and his unique ability to identify early stage innovations and translate them into successful therapeutics.”

Dr. Kavanaugh stated, “We are thrilled to have Dr. Black on our Board. Not only is he renowned is his field of neurosurgery, but he is also profoundly involved and is leading research that is already successful in treating cancer patients and positively impacting the course of Alzheimer’s disease. He has significant biotech industry business experience and skills.”

Dr. Keith Black is the Chairman and Professor of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai. He is an internationally renowned neurosurgeon and cancer researcher.

He is the founding director of the Maine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and Cochran Brain Tumor Center at Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Black was previously on the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles for 10 years. A professor of surgery and neurology, he held the Department of Surgery’s Ruth and Raymond Stotter Chair and served as head of both Neurosurgical Oncology and the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program at UCLA Medical Center.