Udai Banerji

Udai Banerji, MBBS, PhD, FRCP is Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Head of the Drug Development Unit at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden Hospital, one of the world's leading early-phase oncology centers. Dr. Banerji is an internationally recognized expert in pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling in early-phase oncology drug development, having pioneered the use of pharmacologically guided dose escalation (PGDE) and pharmacodynamic endpoints as key readouts in phase I trials. His work on HSP90 inhibitors—including 17-AAG (tanespimycin) and subsequent generations—established paradigm-shifting approaches for using PD biomarkers (HSP70 induction, client protein degradation) to confirm target engagement and guide dose selection. He leads the ICR/Marsden Drug Development Unit, which conducts over 50 first-in-human and early-phase trials annually. Dr. Banerji has led phase I trials of PARP inhibitors, ATR inhibitors, MDM2 inhibitors, and multiple other DNA damage response agents, contributing foundational PK/PD and translational data to their clinical development. He is co-lead of the CRUK Drug Development Matrix, a national program integrating academic and industry early-phase trial capacity across the UK.