Dr. Steven M. Fruchtman has been appointed president of Onconova Therapeutics, Inc., a late-stage biopharma company with a primary focus on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Dr. Fruchtman will have oversight over the entire product portfolio, as well as a key role in all other areas of the company. He will maintain the responsibilities of chief medical officer until a replacement is named. Dr. Fruchtman will continue to report to Dr. Ramesh Kumar, co-founder and chief executive officer of the company.

Dr. Fruchtman joined the company as chief medical officer and senior vice president, R&D, in January 2015. He is a board-certified hematologist with extensive industry experience in clinical research for myelodysplastic syndromes, hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Previously, Dr. Fruchtman served as director of the Myeloproliferative Disorder Program at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City and established the Stem Cell Transplant Program there. He has served with increasing responsibilities at Ortho Biotech, Novartis, and biotechnology companies Allos, Spectrum, and Syndax, leading to Health Authority approvals for a number of new chemical entities in various malignancies.

“Steve has an enviable track record of successful development and approval of several new drugs for the unmet needs of cancer patients. His background as a practicing hematologist/oncologist, combined with his research and development acumen and experience, position him very well to lead the development of our innovative late stage portfolio of small molecule products for MDS and other cancers,” said Dr. Kumar.