CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MoMa Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company discovering the next generation of precision medicines by targeting molecular machines that underlie human disease, today announced that Peter Hammerman, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed as the company’s chief scientific officer. A leading cancer biologist and oncologist, Dr. Hammerman joins MOMA from Novartis Institutes of Biomedical Research, where he was global head of oncology translational research.

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Peter Hammerman, M.D., Ph.D. (Photo: Business Wire)

“The addition of Peter, a consummate physician scientist with a passion for drug discovery, to lead MOMA’s group of veteran drug hunters, marks a critical step forward in assembling a world-class team that will deliver important new medicines to patients in need,” said Asit Parikh, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of MOMA. “This is a unique time for MOMA in terms of maturation of our scientific platform, and I am thrilled to be welcoming Peter to the team as our partner to oversee the next phase of our evolution.”

At Novartis, Dr. Hammerman led a global team of 100 full-time employees focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer therapies, including small molecules, biologics and immunotherapeutics. Previously, he spent more than eight years as a physician scientist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he trained in medical oncology and then served as an assistant professor. While there, he led a translational research laboratory focused on experimental therapeutics, genomics and biomarker development in lung and head and neck cancers and was actively involved in clinical trials in these areas based on his laboratory research. Dr. Hammerman was a recipient of multiple grants from the federal government and private foundations and has published more than 100 peer reviewed manuscripts. Before his time at Dana-Farber, Dr. Hammerman completed his internal medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. Board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology, Dr. Hammerman holds a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and a Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and history from Stanford University.

“I’ve always believed that targeting the molecular machines that underlie human disease has enormous potential to generate a brand-new class of medicines,” said Dr. Hammerman. “In addition to MOMA’s singular focus and progress to date on this previously elusive target class, I am excited to be a part of MOMA’s industry leading team to improve the lives of the patients I have committed my career to serving.”

About MOMA Therapeutics

MOMA Therapeutics is committed to discovering the next generation of precision medicines by targeting molecular machines that underlie human disease. Bringing together seminal scientific advancements in biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology, chemistry and functional genomics, the company is establishing a platform to exploit a key vulnerability inherent to all enzymes in the class: their dependence on well-coordinated, stepwise changes in protein conformation. By focusing this platform on disease-causing targets, MOMA aims to develop high impact, precision medicines for patients with unmet medical needs. MOMA Therapeutics is a private company launched in 2020 and is financed by world-class biotech investors, including Third Rock Ventures, Nextech Invest, Cormorant Asset Management, Creacion Ventures, Casdin Capital, Alexandria Venture Investments and Rock Springs Capital.

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