Medical Director in City of Westminster

Ellipses Pharma is a global clinical-stage drug development company focused on progressing first- or best-in-class oncology drugs. Ellipses’ maturing clinical pipeline is progressing three clinical phase-2 programmes with an additional programme due to commence Phase 1 studies in 2026. Ellipses Pharma is supported by a global Scientific Advisory Group comprising over 300 leading Oncology Key Opinion Leaders to de-risk initial asset selection and provide critical insights into clinical trial design.

The Medical Director has primary responsibility for providing medical expertise and oversight to all aspects of the ongoing asset development programmes from protocol design through to safety oversight (pharmacovigilance), and the interpretation and presentation of emerging clinical data in alignment with agreed asset strategy. The Medical Director will be responsible for building and representing deep understanding of the emergent data for Ellipses’ development assets and providing medical context in terms of the established clinical and competitor landscape and target product profiles. The role will also assist in the evaluation of potential new assets for in licensing.

The role will report to the Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer and work closely with the Head of Clinical Strategy, Head of Translational Medicine and the Clinical Operations team.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide medical and oncology expertise into the design of clinical trial protocols, in particular early oncology clinical trials, and supporting documentation, including regulatory documents and engagement with regulators.
• Provide medical review and safety input into all clinical documentation, including, but not limited to, the Clinical Development Plan, Protocols, Investigator Brochures (IBs), IMPDs, DSURs, Clinical Study Reports, SOPs, Statistical Analysis Plan (tables/listings/figures) and SMCs.
• Provide medical context and input to the development of line of sight for assets and development of target product profiles.
• Provide medical oversight to support the optimal execution of assigned Ellipses clinical trials.
• Oversight of safety and pharmacovigilance to ensure appropriate measures are taken to protect patients through the ongoing review of data in order to identify trends of adverse events.
• Proactively support clinical strategy and translational medicine team with subject matter expertise in the development of strategies for preclinical and clinical development.
• Lead medical review, assessment and interpretation of clinical safety and outcome data to ensure that the data is presented with the appropriate medical interpretation and appropriate risk mitigation is implemented. Take appropriate action and elevate findings in the event of any abnormal findings.
• Provide medical input to the development of external publications of asset data.
• Working closely with the clinical operations team to ensure that clinical trials are conducted in accordance with the applicable regulatory framework and guidelines.
• Work closely with clinical development team to support drafting of abstracts, conference presentations and manuscripts.
• Support the wider business and development team with the evaluation process for in-licensing of new assets.
• Identify and attend relevant medical conferences to facilitate development of Ellipses assets.
• Identify and build relationships with key external experts that can support the development of Ellipses assets, including the Ellipses Scientific Affairs Group.

Skill and Experiences

• An experienced Medical Oncologist with license to practise. PhD/MD preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry in investigational drug development, including biotech experience, which must include extensive experience/responsibility in medical supervision of ongoing trials and management of patient safety.
• Experience in leading/contributing to the design and execution of early-stage trials in oncology is mandatory.
• Strong scientific understanding of the oncology pathways across a range of indications, drug mechanisms and treatment modalities and the commercial aspects of drug development.
• Robust understanding of all regulatory aspects/requirements of oncology drug development including experience in contributing to the development of regulatory documents (FDA/EMA/MHRA and other agencies) and engagement with regulatory agencies.
• Extensive experience in working in a cross functional matrix environment.
• Ability to work across multiple diverse clinical projects.
• Strong ability to collaborate with external investigators and KOLs during the drug development process including to support Ellipses’ Scientific Advisory Group (SAG).
• Knowledge of the complexities and recent developments in oncology including treatment algorithms and guidelines.
• Experience in communicating via presentations to a wide variety of audiences including internal/external teams and medical/scientific communities.
• Good understanding of/experience in the commercialisation of oncology products/commercial considerations in the development of early stage assets (life cycle management).
• Proven track record of line management in a cross-functional matrix organisation.

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about the Ellipses vision and mission.
• Pragmatic, willing and able to roll up sleeves in a fast-moving, smaller company environment.
• Confident demeanour, capable of navigating discussions with senior colleagues.
• Track record of successful engagement with KOLs to deliver drug development programmes.
• Collaborative and inclusive working personality.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills with ability to engage both internal and external stakeholders.
• Well-developed problem-solving skills.
• Experience working with outside consultants in a positive and collaborative fashion.
• Able to regularly travel nationally and internationally.

Ellipses Pharma is an organisation that values the strength of collaboration, inclusive and quick decision making, knowledge sharing and a culture built on working together on site. As a small but growing company face to face interaction is highly valued. We recognise that a more hybrid approach is at times required and we do support some element of remote working where operationally appropriate to help employees with work life integration. By balancing in-person presence with occasional remote working, we ensure we remain agile while protecting the unique benefits that come from working side by side.