Daniel Freeman

In my current role, I lead the early Oncology Projects group, which is responsible for developing immuno-oncology (IO) agents, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and cell therapies from preclinical evaluation to Phase 3 enabling clinical trials.

Since joining AstraZeneca in 2016, I have led a range of programmes exploring the potential of IO agents and oncolytic viruses and personalized therapies in cancer. I also served as the science lead for our head and neck and lung cancer tumour strategy groups. Notably, I led the development strategy for our NGK2A agent, monalizumab, that has now entered phase 3 development and managed key aspects of our partnerships with Innate Pharma.  Because we are committed to seeking the best science either from inside AstraZeneca or outside, I have also lead collaborations including, Immunocore, Juno, Parker Institute, Transgene, Fred Hutch, Washington University Personalized Immunotherapy Collaboration. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, I held positions of increasing seniority at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo and Amgen.

Throughout my nearly 25-year career, I have worked on a breadth of small molecule and antibody programmes within oncology, with a focus on biology, translational medicine and early development.

In this time, I’ve led and built multiple cross-functional discovery and development teams, bringing together colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences, aimed at delivering robust portfolios with the greatest potential for producing effective cancer medicines. I’m particularly proud of having mentored colleagues as they have advanced their careers in the biopharmaceutical industry.

I earned a PhD in Molecular and Medical Pharmacology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. I have authored more than 100 papers and conference abstracts about cancer research, and have generated 10 patents.