About Blaze Bioscience
Blaze Bioscience is a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to improving the lives of cancer patients. Our focus: giving surgeons the real-time visibility they need to remove more cancer with greater precision.
Our Story
Blaze Bioscience was founded in 2010 as a spinout from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. The company was built around a discovery made by physician-scientist Jim Olson: a scorpion venom-derived peptide that crosses the blood-brain barrier and accumulates selectively in tumor tissue.
That discovery became Tumor Paint®, a technology that enables surgeons to see cancer in real time during surgery using near-infrared fluorescence. The lead candidate, tozuleristide (BLZ-100), has since been studied in over 250 patients across five cancer types.
Today, Blaze is advancing an investigator-sponsored trial in breast cancer patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery.
"Dedicated to improving the lives of cancer patients by giving surgeons better visibility and patients better surgical outcomes."Blaze Bioscience Mission
Tozuleristide (BLZ-100) is a chlorotoxin-based, near-infrared fluorescent imaging agent that selectively internalizes in cancer cells, rendering tumor tissue visible during surgery. It has demonstrated a strong safety and tolerability profile across multiple cancer types and patient populations, including pediatric patients.
Leadership
An experienced team of biotech, clinical, and operational leaders united by a common purpose: better outcomes for cancer patients.
Steven Daly brings over 25 years of experience commercializing light-activated drugs. He previously led strategy and business development at Light Sciences Oncology, advancing a drug/light combination product through 14 clinical studies, and has held leadership and advisory roles with multiple startups. Steven serves on the boards of POP Biotechnologies and Inmedix Corporation and on the University of Washington's Engineering Innovation in Health advisory board.
Senior finance professional and certified public accountant with over 25 years of finance leadership in the biotechnology industry. As Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations, Mila leads financial strategy, corporate planning, and operational execution. Prior to joining Blaze Bioscience, Mila served in senior roles at ZymoGenetics and ICOS Corporation, where she provided financial leadership for major corporate development and strategic initiatives, including development of Cialis®.
Accomplished clinical development, quality, and operations leader with 30 years of progressive industry experience. Meghan offers collaborative strategic planning and a forward-thinking mindset, with a focus on team building excellence and achieving organizational initiatives.
With 23 years in pharmaceutical development, Christina has led CMC strategy, process and analytical development, validation, and regulatory submissions across early- and late-stage programs. At Seattle Genetics, she played a key role in process characterization, validation, and global regulatory submissions for Tukysa® (tucatinib), supporting its approval for HER2+ breast cancer. Christina joined Blaze Bioscience in 2020 to lead all CMC-related functions for the company.
Seasoned QA/QC professional with over 25 years of increasing leadership responsibility across medical device, pharmaceutical, biologics, and combination product companies. Damon has expertise in the design and implementation of Quality Management Systems compliant with US, Canadian, European, and Japanese regulations, with a proven track record in technology transfers, audits, and harmonizing quality processes across multiple sites.
Key Advisors
Specialized advisors bringing deep expertise in clinical medicine, regulatory affairs, and legal and intellectual property strategy, helping Blaze navigate complex challenges at every stage of development.
Physician scientist dedicated to improving the lives of oncology patients by expanding the real-time imaging information available to surgeons. Dr. Harrington brings experience as a breast surgical oncologist, clinical researcher, and multi-disciplinary oncology team leader with research training in biochemistry and molecular biology, helping develop solutions that create meaningful advances in surgical oncology care.
With over 25 years of corporate legal and intellectual property experience in biotechnology, medical device, and agriculture, Jenn has guided companies through all stages of the corporate lifecycle from innovation through commercialization. Previously, Jenn was Head of IP Biology & Traits at Syngenta and, as Chief IP Counsel at ZymoGenetics, led corporate IP strategy through the company's acquisition by Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Regulatory strategist with over 30 years of experience guiding pharmaceutical and biotech companies through FDA submissions and global market access. Lisa provides hands-on regulatory leadership, shaping submission strategy, managing agency interactions, and aligning regulatory pathways with clinical and commercial objectives.
Scientific Advisory Board
World-class surgeons and scientists whose expertise in neuro-oncology and fluorescence-guided surgery helps shape Blaze's research and clinical strategy.