J. Marc Pipas, M.D.

Senior Medical Director

J. Marc Pipas, M.D.

Senior Medical Director

Dr Pipas has extensive clinical, research, and leadership expertise built on a long and successful career in clinical oncology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center/Norris Cotton Cancer Center, an NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center.  During his academic career, Dr Pipas led the GI Clinical Oncology Group for >10 years, served as Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Director, and was Medical Director for the Office of Clinical Research in the Cancer Center. He has more than 15 years’ experience as a member of Human Subject Protection and Data Monitoring Boards. He has 40 scientific papers and >60 abstracts to his credit and received numerous nominations and awards for teaching and humanism in medicine.

Dr Marc Pipas received his Doctor of Medicine degree from SUNY-HSC at Syracuse in 1989 and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.  Following this, he pursued a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire and was then invited to become a faculty member at Dartmouth Medical School where he was eventually promoted to Full Professor.

Dr Pipas’ academic career has been followed by extensive clinical development experience in oncology pharmaceuticals and biotech in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During time at Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Dr Pipas was involved in clinical development work with Onivyde, which was approved by the FDA for pancreatic cancer in late 2015.  Additionally, he was a physician-leader in Merrimack’s sale of Onivyde to Ipsen Pharmaceuticals in 2017.  Following his time at Merrimack, Dr Pipas joined H3 Biomedicine as Executive Medical Director where he led a multicenter, international trial in hepatocellular cancer.  Dr Pipas served as Chief Medical Officer at PanTher Therapeutics from 2021-2022 where he led clinical program activities.

Dr Pipas joined Rho as Senior Medical Director, and he brings a deep understanding of oncologic therapeutics and clinical trial management, as well as a network of research contacts and leadership skills honed by many years of experience.

Why Oncology?

“In my second year of medical school, I remember reading the chemotherapy chapter in my pharmacology textbook and being blown-away that these medications even existed.  I was thrilled by their power and horrified by their side-effects.  Later, I heard a lecture by the Oncology Center Director at Syracuse about work to link a cellular toxin to an anti-B cell antibody to treat lymphoma, and I was hooked…

I love oncology because it represents all that is best in medicine: the ability to bring the newest, most ground-breaking therapies to the clinic while at the same time to be able to hold a patient’s hand, to explain issues to families, and to relieve suffering. It has been such a privilege to care for patients afflicted by cancer and to feel that my knowledge, training, and hard work have really made a difference in people’s lives. It has been a joy to have witnessed the evolution of oncology cover the past 30 years.  We have moved collectively from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance of cancer treatment with immunotherapies, molecularly targeted agents, translational science, and interdisciplinary care strategies.  It is now clear that we are moving in an accelerated fashion toward the eventual cure of ALL cancer. This can be made real only by research, and by the doctors, scientists, research teams, and patients who are willing to participate.”


Content by J. Marc Pipas, M.D.

Webinar

Mapping Out Oncology Development: Filling Gaps and Avoiding Pitfalls

Nine out of 10 clinical trials for new drugs fail; Oncology drugs have a 3.4 percent probability of succeeding. Still, cancer drugs can and are being commercialized. From 2003 to 2020, 124 oncology therapies were approved by FDA. What makes this possible? Knowing the key factors to consider at each juncture of development is critical to build the right roadmap for your product. In this webinar, you will learn how examining each step of drug development helps sponsors find success for cancer therapies. Topics include: 1. How to fill gaps and avoid pitfalls of oncology drug development. 2. The importance of early phase planning, from optimum dosage to formulation, 3. The role of end-of-phase planning, such as regulatory feedback.