Drug Discovery, Early Development and Medicinal Chemistry Consultant
Technical Consultant #2421
Expertise
- Drug Discovery and Development Leader in the pharmaceutical and biotechnical Industries.
- Deliver candidates into clinical development with focus on infectious diseases, immunology, oncology, CNS and metabolic diseases.
- Raising venture capital and non-dilutive funding.
- CRO and CMO landscape Program Manager, setting up partnerships and collaborations.
- Execute complex research programs in a virtual environment.
- Project management, timelines and budgeting.
- Medicinal chemistry and synthesis.
- Target validation, lead generation strategies and lead optimization.
- Biophysical studies, assay development, ADME/PK and PKPD.
- In vivo pharmacology and exploratory toxicology.
- Process development, early CMC and IND-enabling studies.
- Due diligence, intellectual property, regulatory paths and market opportunity.
- Project and portfolio management.
Experience
Undisclosed Company, Founding Consultant, 2015 - Present
Advisory Board Member-Scientific Advisor
- Management team Advisor for portfolio development, project strategy and due diligence.
- Leading discovery research and development of enabling technologies for a structurally novel broad-spectrum antibiotic targeting Gram-negative pathogens.
- Mentoring team of scientists.
- Principal Investigator on a $ 1.25 million NIH grant.
- Clients include a clinical-stage precision medicine oncology company and a stem-cell therapy startup targeting muscle regeneration.
Navitor Pharmaceuticals,Cambridge, MA, Director-Medicinal Chemistry, 2015 - 2017
- Discovered NV-5138 - a first-in-class mTORC1 activator for treatment-resistant depression.
- Delivered a clinical candidate within 3 years of target discovery.
- Drove overall project strategy, structure-based design, medicinal chemistry, biophysics and academic collaborations.
- Led IND-enabling studies including CMC development and non-clinical ADME.
- Led multiple exploratory projects on the selective modulation of mTORC1 signaling for the treatment of metabolic diseases.
- Managed internal talent and external resources in creative ways to achieve company goals.
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP., Waltham, MA, Principal Scientist and Team Leader 2013 - 2015
- Infection Innovative Medicines Led a chemistry team on the development of an oral small molecule treatment for RSV.
- Led chemistry team on the discovery of improved analogs of negamycin - a translation inhibitor for the treatment of Gram-negative bacterial infections.
- Directly supervised up to 8 reports ranging from experienced PhDs to associate chemists.
Eisai, Inc. Andover, MA, 2006 - 2012
Senior Scientist, 2010 - 2012
- Frontier Product Creation Unit (Immunology and Inflammation) Led chemistry team in successful nomination of a first-in-class clinical candidate (E6887), a TLR7 antagonist for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Research Investigator, 2006 - 2009
- Discovery Chemistry (Oncology, Immunology and Atopic Diseases) Led chemistry efforts on an international project team focused on discovery of chemokine receptor antagonists.
- Initiated a new exploratory project targeting the IL-17 pathway for psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
- Key member of the team that developed second-generation analogs of eribulin (Halaven®) for expanded indications, oral bioavailability and brain penetration.
The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, Postdoctoral Fellow, 2003 - 2006
- Established and formalized the "On Water" process for organic synthesis, which is now widely used in diverse disciplines such as nanotechnology, material science and chemical biology.
- Expanded the scope of click chemistry by developing a novel ruthenium-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azides and alkynes.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Ph.D. Organic Chemistry, 1997 - 2003
- Devised a late-stage biaryl coupling strategy for the total synthesis of hibarimicin B. Developed novel methodology for the synthesis of 2-deoxyglycosides in natural products.
Honors & Publications
Credentials
- Business Development Fundamentals
- Project Management for Biotechnology
- AstraZeneca Delegate at BIO Convention and Partnering
- Biotechnology Entrepreneur Boot Camp short course
- Learner Player Mindsets for Managers behavioral and management training
- Management & Skills Training Courses at Eisai (Strategic Thinking, Emotional Intelligence, Project Leadership, Regulatory Affairs).
Academic and Professional Affiliations
- American Chemical Society-ACS
- Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership - GARDP
Publications
- Frequent peer reviewer for top journals in drug discovery, medicinal chemistry and organic chemistry.
- Author and Co-Author of numerous publications.
Patents
- Holds one world patent.
Education
- Ph.D. Organic Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- M.S. Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India
- B.S. Chemistry, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India