Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Chemical Development Expert
Technical Consultant #1968
Expertise
- A Medicinal Chemist with an extensive and diversified background in drug discovery.
- Discovery of a smallpox inhibitor utilized in major biodefense agencies.
- Computer aided drug design and creative applications of organic chemistry.
- Implements and manages database solutions and robotic applications.
Key Competencies
- CMC and IND support.
- Drug discovery.
- Chemical development.
- Establishing and managing robotic solutions.
- Managing complex scientific instruments.
- Team leadership and coordination, building effective project teams.
- Implementing and managing database solutions.
- NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), GC/MS (Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry), LC/MS (Liquid chromatography - Mass Spectrometry), HPLD, (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography).
- Using organic chemistry to solve synthetic problems.
- Molecularly targeted approach.
- Establishing and managing robotic applications.
- Computer-assisted drug design.
Experience
Undisclosed Company, Medicinal Chemist Consultant (Owner), 2011 - Present
- Oversees early drug discovery and source manufacture of API and write chemistry CMC's.
- Establish infrastructure and screening libraries for start-up businesses provide preclinical support.
- Evaluate SAR and support sale of specific intellectual property for ViroPharma.
- Manage manufacturing of clinical candidate API, provide virtual chemical development, and support IP legal.
- Serve on Scientific Board of Advisors for Combs Laboratories LLC.
Cephalon, Inc., West Chester, PA, 2004 - 2011
Senior Scientist II - Chemistry Administration, 2009 - 2011
- Responsible for Chemistry Administration.
- Identified and implemented Dotmatics and ChemInventory, key departmental software tools.
- Oversaw group and responsible for supporting chemistry activities such as registration, and storing proprietary compounds, dispensing chemical procurement and inventory, equipment and supplies.
- Supported the management of SAI Advantium an outsourced chemistry collaboration.
- Proposed and executed scaffolds that provided novel IP for existing products.
- Expertly managed automation including bringing robotics on line and on time.
Senior Scientist II CNS, 2004 - 2009
- Oversaw CNS lead optimization that directed target selection.
- Led three scientists performing CNS candidate selection.
- Member of successful H3 project team delivering potent inverse agonist clinical candidate.
- Led group that delivered proof of concept for the 5-HT6 receptor antagonist project.
- Calculated target drug-like properties for CNS projects.
Viropharma, Exton, PA, 1995 - 2004
Fellow, Principal Scientist and Senior Scientist - Department of Medicinal Chemistry
- Managed seven chemists, three Ph.D.s and four associates and oversaw orthopox inhibitor program.
- Invented a smallpox drug which was selected by U.S. government resulting in a bid of $433 million.
- Headed "hit-to-lead" in discovery, identifying investigation hits in viral projects and moving toward decision.
- Identified all Hepatitis C leads being pursued with three entering clinics with VP-796 (HCV pol) demonstrating proof of concept in Phase II.
- Identified new lead series in HCV pol, orthopox and viral hemorrhagic fever.
- Led group that identified and directed synthesis of first hepatitis C polymerase inhibitor that advanced to Phase II clinical trials.
- Managed Hepatitis C alliance with Wyeth-Ayerst as coordinating chemistry between the two groups.
- Advanced compounds to lead status through the coordination of biology, chemistry, DMPK, analytic and outside parties.
- Supported drug discovery through selection of ActivityBase for corporate database and ACD's chemical property prediction software.
- Acquired over 300,000 new chemical entities.
- Recruited and hired chemists and established departmental budget as acting director.
Sterling Winthrop, Inc. - Sanofi Winthrop, Inc., NY and PA, 1985 - 1995
- Filling the rolls: Principal Research Investigator, Senior Research Investigator, Senior Research Chemist for the Department of Medicinal Chemistry.
- Designed potent inhibitor, which led to NDA candidate Pleconaril and identified back-ups by identifying bioisosteres to isoxazole functionality using x-ray crystallography and computer-assisted design.
- Identified promising hits as project chemist for Herpes and HIV Tat and Rev programs , and selected compounds for screening, planned synthetic approaches to targeted mechanisms, synthesized where appropriate, interpreted SAR, and presented findings.
- Developed convenient palladium catalyzed method for generating heterobiaryls which was widely cited after publication and found widespread use in several Sterling projects.
- Responsible for bar coding and managerial oversight of chemical inventory.
Honors & Publications
Credentials
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO
Academic and Professional Affiliations
- American Chemical Society: Medical Chemical Division and Organic Division
- New York Academy of Sciences
Publications and Patents
- Author and Co-Author of numerous publications and lectures
- 5 U.S. patents.
Education
- Ph.D. Organic Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA
- B.S. Chemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH