NEOMORPH
Advancing the science of targeted protein degradation to destroy ‘undruggable’ proteins and cure disease
About
Neomorph is a venture backed biotechnology company solving critical problems in human health through the discovery and development of innovative new medicines against ‘undruggable targets’. Our team is comprised of industry leading experts in protein degradation and molecular glues who have a track record of ground-breaking discoveries in the field. We are committed to leadership in advancing the science and technology of molecular glue drug discovery, while prosecuting a pipeline of projects through clinical development. Our patient-first, science-driven approach is complemented by our dedication to a supportive and collaborative work environment. Neomorph is headquartered in San Diego, California.
Science
Targeted Protein Degradation Therapeutic Discovery
Targeted protein degradation drugs work by repurposing the cellular machinery to destroy proteins linked to disease. Some degraders work by redirecting cellular machines known as E3 ubiquitin ligases to disease-causing proteins, causing them to be marked for degradation. These degraders can be classified as heterobifunctional (e.g. PROTACs) or ‘molecular glue’ (e.g. indisulam or thalidomide). There has been an explosion of interest in targeted protein degradation in recent years due to the convergence of two advances: heterobifunctional molecules were optimized to be suitable for in vivo use, and clinically approved drugs were found to function via the ‘molecular glue’ degradation mechanism. Together, these scientific advances offer an opportunity to tackle targets and diseases that had been considered intractable to conventional drug discovery.
Molecular Glue As A Solution to ‘Undruggable’ Targets
Historically, conventional therapeutics fell into the categories of large and small molecule drugs, with large molecules such as antibodies able to target extracellular targets, and small molecules able to target extracellular or intracellular targets. Small molecule campaigns are typically limited to targets shown to be ‘druggable’. Druggable targets have a binding pocket that can support high-affinity binding to a drug molecule with appropriate properties for clinical use. Binding alone is often insufficient to achieve a biological effect, so drug binding in the pocket must also perturb cellular biology in a way that is clinically beneficial. However, many disease-causing proteins lack druggable binding pockets, or drug binding alone does not cause the desired biological effect, and these targets have been considered ‘undruggable’. Targeted protein degradation offers a path to solving this problem by triggering the destruction of the target protein by the 26S proteasome, thereby removing all of the associated biological activities. While heterobifunctional drugs still require a druggable binding pocket on the target protein, molecular glue drugs are able to bypass this requirement, and as such offer a differentiated approach to drug discovery with different rules and the potential to target a broad section of the proteome. Molecular glue drugs have been described relatively recently, but the science is now well-established and the therapeutic mechanism has been clinically validated through an understanding of the recruitment of neomorphic substrates to CRL4CRBN by thalidomide analogs, as well as the recruitment of RBM39 to CRL4DCAF15 by indisulam.
Further Reading
News
Neomorph Announces Appointment of Dr. Peter Lebowitz, M.D., Ph.D. to its Board of Directors
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Bell Zhong Named as Chief Financial Officer of Neomorph
Click here for Business Wire Article
Guggenheim Healthcare Talks - Targeted Protein Degradation Day
Click here for Webcast
Neomorph Inc., to Participate in Upcoming Guggenheim Healthcare Talks - Targeted Protein Degradation Day
Philip Chamberlain Named as Chief Executive Officer of Neomorph
Neomorph, Inc. Announces $109 Million Series A Financing to Advance Proprietary Protein Degradation Platform and Programs
Neomorph, Inc. Announces $109 Million Series A Financing to Advance Proprietary Protein Degradation Platform and Programs
(San Diego, CA, December 20th, 2020)—Neomorph, Inc. announced a $109 million Series A financing to advance a proprietary targeted protein degradation platform and specific programs. Deerfield Management Company established Neomorph earlier this year with scientific founders Phil Chamberlain, DPhil, Eric Fischer, PhD, Benjamin Ebert, MD, PhD, and Scott Armstrong, MD, PhD.
The founding management team comprises pharmaceutical veterans with deep industry knowledge in targeted protein degradation drug discovery. Led by Dr. Chamberlain as President and Chief Scientific Officer, Neomorph has recruited top industry talent who have made major contributions to the field, including: Rohan Beckwith, PhD; Gang Lu, PhD; Mary Matyskiela, PhD; Ben Wen, PhD, and Samer Chmait.
Targeted protein degradation offers opportunities to develop novel therapeutics across a broad range of disease areas, including oncology. Strategies for protein degradation have been shown to solve critical problems in drug discovery by enabling researchers to target previously ‘undruggable’ proteins that lack suitable binding pockets required for conventional drug activity.
Of particular note, Neomorph’s founders are responsible for several fundamental scientific developments in the “molecular glue” field. Molecular glues are types of molecules that encourage proteins to come together that normally wouldn't interact. Neomorph plans to build on the collective pivotal research findings of the team to advance the technology of targeted protein degradation and solve critical problems in human health.
“Having the ability to achieve this milestone during these unprecedented times is a testament to Neomorph’s capabilities in the protein degradation and molecular glue space,” said Dr. Fischer, who is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School and an Independent Investigator at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “I am humbled to be a part of a team poised to make real strides in advancing the science. We believe we are in an excellent position to take our technology to the next level with the ultimate goal of delivering transformative treatments to patients in need.”
“The Neomorph team has deep expertise in pharmacological approaches to targeted protein degradation and we are excited to be developing new therapeutics for patients with diseases that are currently difficult to treat,” said Dr. Armstrong, who is also David G. Nathan, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Utilizing Deerfield seed funding and operational support since the first quarter of 2020, Neomorph has established a research site in San Diego at the Genesis Science Center in Sorrento Mesa, California. This Series A financing will position Neomorph to further develop its platform, advance lead programs, and expand the research team.
“As a drug strategy, protein degradation has enormous potential as it leverages the cell’s natural system for clearing unwanted or damaged proteins,” said Deerfield Partner Cameron Wheeler, PhD. “We believe there continues to be a significant opportunity in protein degradation, in particular as it relates to the glue space. Neomorph is in an exceptional position and couldn’t have a more seasoned and knowledgeable team in place to interrogate and advance drug targets. The Company’s success could potentially lead to life-altering therapies.”
Neomorph will benefit from a close collaboration with the Center for Protein Degradation at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. With its investment, this expands Deerfield’s commitment in the space given the firm’s longstanding partnership and collaboration with Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
About Neomorph, Inc.
A venture-backed biotechnology company based in San Diego, California, Neomorph is building a leading protein degradation entity, focused on ‘molecular glue’ degraders. Neomorph’s mission is to use this technology to solve critical problems in human health with the discovery and development of innovative new medicines against ‘undruggable targets’.
Neomorph comprises scientific leaders from academia and industry who have demonstrated years of commitment and success in the field, and who remain dedicated to advancing the science and technology and delivering highly impactful drugs. The Neomorph team intends to concentrate their efforts on accelerating molecular glue drug discovery, while shepherding a pipeline of projects through clinical development. The Company maintains an important close affiliation with the Center for Protein Degradation at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Contacts:
Investor Contact: inquiries@neomorph.com
Media Contact: media@neomorph.com
Philip Chamberlain Named as Chief Executive Officer of Neomorph
SAN DIEGO, November 29th, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Neomorph, Inc., a venture backed biotechnology company solving critical problems in human health through the discovery and development of innovative new medicines against ‘undruggable targets’, announced today that its board of directors has appointed Philip Chamberlain, D.Phil. as Chief Executive Officer.
“Phil has an outstanding career in biotechnology and his scientific expertise and leadership make him ideally qualified to lead the company through its next chapter. I am delighted to continue working closely with Phil in pushing the boundaries of this exciting therapeutic area.”
Chamberlain has extensive biotechnology leadership experience and most recently served as Executive Director at Celgene where he built and led its structural and chemical biology department. Chamberlain was responsible for several fundamental scientific breakthroughs on the mechanism of action of thalidomide analogs as prototype molecular glues, including the structural basis for cereblon binding and neosubstrate recruitment, the definition of the neosubstrate structural degron, and a molecular explanation for the thalidomide teratogenicity tragedy. Based on these discoveries, he led the construction of the cereblon modulator platform at Celgene, the pioneering drug discovery effort in the molecular glue field. Chamberlain has published work on targeted protein degradation in journals including Nature, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology and Nature Chemical Biology.
“Phil was integral to the founding of Neomorph and is passionate about pushing the boundaries of new modalities to enable the discovery of advanced new therapeutics,” said Cam Wheeler, Ph.D., Deerfield Management Partner. “We are excited to welcome him as Chief Executive Officer and look forward to benefiting from his expertise and leadership as Neomorph continues its growth strategy.”
“I am honored to take on the role of CEO as we advance on our mission to discover transformational therapeutics,” said Chamberlain. “I have been working in the degrader field for more than a decade, and co-founding Neomorph has provided an opportunity to build a specialist molecular glue company from the ground up. We have assembled a wonderful team of employees, founders, and investors, all of whom share the deepest commitment to the field. I am extremely excited to see what we will be able to achieve.”
“Neomorph will be well served under Phil’s capable leadership,” said Eric Fischer, co-founder of Neomorph and Independent Investigator at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “Phil has an outstanding career in biotechnology and his scientific expertise and leadership make him ideally qualified to lead the company through its next chapter. I am delighted to continue working closely with Phil in pushing the boundaries of this exciting therapeutic area.”
About Neomorph
Neomorph is a venture backed biotechnology company solving critical problems in human health through the discovery and development of innovative new medicines against undruggable targets.
Neomorph’s team is comprised of industry leading experts in protein degradation and molecular glues who have a track record of ground-breaking discoveries in the field. The team at Neomorph is committed to leadership in advancing the science and technology of molecular glue drug discovery, while prosecuting a pipeline of projects through clinical development.
Neomorph is headquartered in San Diego, California.
Contacts:
Investor Contact: inquiries@neomorph.com
Media Contact: media@neomorph.com
Neomorph, Inc. to Participate in Upcoming Guggenheim Healthcare Talks – Targeted Protein Degradation Day
March 10, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Neomorph, Inc., a rapidly growing biotechnology company comprised of industry leading experts in the field of targeted protein degradation (TPD), today announced that it will participate in an upcoming virtual investor conference:
Guggenheim Healthcare Talks - Targeted Protein Degradation Day: Fireside chat led by Phil Chamberlain, D.Phil., Co-Founder, President, & Chief Executive Officer on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, at 3:30pm ET.
Presentation webcasts will be available in the News section of Neomorph’s website https://neomorph.com/index.html#news.
About Neomorph
Neomorph is a venture backed biotechnology company solving critical problems in human health by discovering innovative new medicines against ‘undruggable’ targets. Our team is comprised of industry leading experts in protein degradation and molecular glues who have a track record of ground-breaking discoveries in the field. We are committed to leadership in advancing the science and technology of molecular glue drug discovery, while prosecuting a pipeline of projects through clinical development. Our patient-first, science-driven approach is complemented by our dedication to a supportive and collaborative work environment. Neomorph is headquartered in San Diego, California.
Contacts:
Investor Contact: inquiries@neomorph.com
Media Contact: media@neomorph.com
Guggenheim Healthcare Talks - Targeted Protein Degradation Day
March 16, 2022, at 3:30pm ET
Fireside chat led by Phil Chamberlain, D.Phil., Co-Founder, President, & Chief Executive Officer on Wednesday,
March 16, 2022, at 3:30pm ET
Click here for Webcast
Neomorph Announces Multi-Target Collaboration with Novo Nordisk to Discover Novel Molecular Glue Degraders for Cardiometabolic and Rare Diseases
- Collaboration leverages Neomorph’s leading molecular glue discovery platform and Novo Nordisk’s extensive expertise in cardiometabolic and rare diseases
- Total potential deal value of $1.46B across multiple targets
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Neomorph, Inc. today announced it has entered into a collaboration and licensing agreement with global healthcare company Novo Nordisk to discover, develop and commercialize molecular glue degraders. Neomorph, a biotechnology company solving critical problems in human health through the discovery of novel therapeutics against ‘undruggable’ targets, was founded in 2020 and is venture backed by Deerfield Management Company.
“We are incredibly excited to partner with Novo Nordisk, a world-class healthcare company within diabetes, obesity and rare blood disorders,” said Phil Chamberlain, DPhil, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Neomorph. “By combining Neomorph’s proprietary glue discovery platform with Novo Nordisk’s vast experience in cardiometabolic and rare diseases, we are well positioned to develop transformative treatments in these areas. This collaboration will enable the expansion of our platform into new therapeutic areas, complementing our on-going efforts in oncology.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Neomorph will receive an upfront and near-term milestone payments, plus R&D funding. Neomorph is also eligible to receive future clinical, commercial and sales milestone payments bringing the total potential deal value for multiple targets to $1.46B, plus tiered royalties. Neomorph will lead discovery and preclinical activities against selected targets with Novo Nordisk having the right to exclusively pursue further clinical development and commercialization of the compounds.
"Novo Nordisk is expanding its drug discovery efforts and deploying a range of novel technology platforms with the aim of discovering and developing new treatment solutions for people living with serious chronic diseases. We are pleased to enter this research collaboration and eager to start the scientific work on the novel class of molecular glue degraders being pioneered by Neomorph,” said Brian Vandahl, Senior Vice President of Global Research Technologies at Novo Nordisk.
About Neomorph
Neomorph is a biotechnology company solving critical problems in human health through the discovery and development of innovative new medicines against ‘undruggable’ targets. Neomorph was founded in 2020 and is venture backed by Deerfield Management Company.
Neomorph’s team is comprised of industry leading experts in protein degradation and molecular glues who have a track record of ground-breaking discoveries in the field. The team at Neomorph is committed to leadership in advancing the science and technology of molecular glue drug discovery, while prosecuting a pipeline of projects through clinical development.
Neomorph is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, visit www.neomorph.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Contacts:
Investor Contact: inquiries@neomorph.com
Media Contact: media@neomorph.com
Biogen and Neomorph Announce Multi-Target Research Collaboration to Discover and Develop Molecular Glue Degraders for Alzheimer's, Rare, and Immunological Diseases
- The collaboration aims to discover and develop molecular glue degrader clinical candidates for priority targets to Biogen
- Collaboration leverages Neomorph's leading molecular glue discovery platform and Biogen's deep expertise in Alzheimer's, rare, and immunological diseases.
Cambridge, Mass. and San Diego, Calif., - October 29, 2024 - Biogen Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) and Neomorph Inc. announced a research collaboration to discover and develop molecular glue degraders for priority targets in Alzheimer's, rare neurological, and immunological diseases
As part of the collaboration, the companies aim to utilize Neomorph's proprietary molecular glue discovery platform to accelerate the identification and validation of novel small molecule therapeutic molecular glue degraders. Small molecule protein degraders have been shown to effectively drug challenging targets with differentiated pharmacology from more traditional inhibitors. Pursuing innovative solutions aimed at modulating protein levels through targeted degradation holds promise for treating complex neurological, immunological and rare diseases. This collaboration will leverage Neomorph’s research strengths in targeted protein degradation and Biogen’s deep scientific expertise and drug development capabilities.
"As part of our modality agnostic research strategy, Biogen is committed to investing in new approaches to unlock biological targets that have remained difficult to reach," said Jane Grogan, Ph.D., Head of Research at Biogen. "This collaboration with Neomorph reflects the approach we want to take to pair our internal drug development expertise with cutting-edge external innovation to create clinically meaningful therapies for patients."
"Neomorph's molecular glue degrader platform represents a unique approach to drug discovery," said Phil Chamberlain, DPhil, Co-Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Neomorph. "We are excited to partner with Biogen, a leader in Alzheimer's, rare, and immunological diseases, to explore the potential of our technology in addressing some of the most challenging and valuable targets in these fields."
Under the terms of the agreement, Biogen and Neomorph will collaborate to identify, validate, and optimize small molecule molecular glue degraders for several high-priority targets and Biogen will advance clinical candidates for further development and potential commercialization. Neomorph will receive an upfront payment and is eligible to receive contingent milestone payments per target as the collaboration progresses through various stages. These include certain pre-clinical milestones payable in the near-term and certain clinical, regulatory, commercial and sales milestones that are anticipated to occur later this decade and beyond, for a total consideration of up to $1.45B. Biogen will reimburse Neomorph for certain research development costs. Neomorph is also eligible to receive potential future royalties in the mid-single digit to low double-digit range
About Biogen
Founded in 1978, Biogen is a leading biotechnology company that pioneers innovative science to deliver new medicines to transform
patients' lives and to create value for shareholders and our communities. We apply deep understanding of human biology and leverage
different modalities to advance first-in-class treatments or therapies that deliver superior outcomes. Our approach is to take bold risks,
balanced with return on investment to deliver long-term growth.
We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.biogen.com. Follow us on social media - Facebook, LinkedIn, X, YouTube.
About Neomorph
Neomorph is a biotechnology company solving critical problems in human health through the discovery and development of innovative new medicines
against 'undruggable' targets. Neomorph was founded in 2020 and is venture-backed by Deerfield Management Company.
Neomorph's team is comprised of industry-leading experts in protein degradation and molecular glues who have a track record of groundbreaking
discoveries in the field. The team at Neomorph is committed to leadership in advancing the science and technology of molecular glue drug
discovery while prosecuting a pipeline of projects through clinical development.
Neomorph is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, visit www.neomorph.com
and follow us on LinkedIn.
Biogen Safe Harbor
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements relating to our strategy and plans; potential of, and expectations for, our commercial business and pipeline programs; capital allocation and investment strategy; clinical development programs, clinical trials, and data readouts and presentations; the potential for molecular glue degraders; regulatory discussions, submissions, filings, and approvals; and the potential benefits, safety, and efficacy of our and our collaboration with Neomorph. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "goal," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "possible," "prospect," "will," "would," and other words and terms of similar meaning. Drug development and commercialization involve a high degree of risk, and only a small number of research and development programs result in commercialization of a product. Results in early-stage clinical trials may not be indicative of full results or results from later-stage or larger-scale clinical trials and do not ensure regulatory approval. You should not place undue reliance on these statements.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including our dependence on sales from our products; uncertainty of long-term success in developing, licensing, or acquiring other product candidates or additional indications for existing products; failure to compete effectively; failure to successfully execute or realize the anticipated benefits of our strategic and growth initiatives; difficulties in obtaining and maintaining adequate coverage, pricing, and reimbursement for our products; our dependence on collaborators and other third parties for the development, regulatory approval, and commercialization of products and other aspects of our business, which are outside of our full control; risks associated with current and potential future healthcare reforms; risks related to commercialization of biosimilars; failure to obtain, protect, and enforce our data, intellectual property, and other proprietary rights; and the risks and uncertainties relating to intellectual property claims and challenges.
These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements.
Contacts:
Investor Contact(s)
Biogen: IR@biogen.com
Neomorph: inquiries@neomorph.com
Media Contact(s)
Biogen: public.affairs@biogen.com
Neomorph: media@neomorph.com
Leadership
Phil is Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Neomorph. He obtained his BA and D.Phil. degrees from the University of Oxford before traveling to the U.S. to work at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF). At GNF Phil supported and led projects in serious respiratory and inflammatory disease and solved multiple novel structures. Phil joined Celgene, San Diego in 2007 and built and led the Structural and Chemical Biology department, most recently as Executive Director, Protein Homeostasis and Structural Biology. Phil was responsible for several fundamental scientific breakthroughs on the mechanism of action of thalidomide analogs, including the structural basis for cereblon binding and neosubstrate recruitment, the definition of the neosubstrate ‘structural degron’, and a plausible molecular explanation for the thalidomide teratogenicity disaster of the twentieth century. Based on these discoveries, Phil led the construction of the cereblon modulator platform at Celgene, the pioneering drug discovery effort in the ‘molecular glue’ field generating a portfolio of projects. Phil has published work on targeted protein degradation in journals including Nature, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology and Nature Chemical Biology. Phil was the recipient of the John W. Jackson leadership award, the most prestigious achievement award at Celgene.
Rohan Beckwith, Ph.D. is Vice President of Chemistry at Neomorph bringing over 15 years of experience in Drug Discovery, 7 in the field of targeted protein degradation. He most recently served as a Director in the Chemical Biology and Therapeutics group at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, where he was a key contributor in building a molecular glue degrader platform, from which he led efforts to establish drug discovery programs and delivered a clinical candidate. He has developed molecular glue degraders for CRBN, VHL and DCAF15 E3 ligases. In addition, Rohan has worked on over 20 research projects across various therapeutic areas, such as HECT E3 ligase inhibitors, modulators of RNA processing, Wnt pathway modulators, IAP, spinal muscular atrophy, synthetic RNA delivery, cytokine receptors, chemokine receptors, kinases). He has led multi-disciplinary teams in chemical biology and target identification efforts, as well as hit-to-lead and lead optimization. Prior to joining Novartis, Rohan conducted postdoctoral training with Prof. Huw Davies in the field of rhodium carbenoid-mediated C-H activation. He received his Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from University of Nottingham, U.K. and before that his MSci. Chem from Bristol University, U.K.
Mary Matyskiela, Ph.D. is Vice President of Molecular Sciences at Neomorph and brings more than 20 years of experience in the ubiquitin-proteasome field. Mary received her B.S. in Chemistry from Yale University, where she performed undergraduate research in the lab of Dr. Craig Crews. She then moved to the University of California San Francisco for graduate work on ubiquitin ligase mechanism in the lab of Dr. David Morgan. She went on to perform postdoctoral research at the University of California Berkeley, studying the structure and function of the 26S proteasome with Dr. Andreas Martin, HHMI. Following her academic training, she moved to Celgene and Bristol Myers Squibb, where she spent 6 years working in targeted protein degradation drug discovery, most recently as Associate Director of Structural Biology and Proteomics, Oncology West. Mary is known for her work in elucidating the molecular mechanisms and expanding the horizons of molecular glue targeting through cereblon-CRL4, and is an author of foundational publications in the molecular glue field.
Ben Wen, Ph.D. is Vice President of Biology at Neomorph with over 15 years of experience in drug discovery pharmacology. Prior to Neomorph, Ben was at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) where he conducted his postdoc in T cell development and continued on into varying roles of increasing responsibility in the departments of pharmacology and cancer therapeutics. He has experience in progressing projects from inception to clinical investigation in the areas of autoimmunity, inflammation, allergy, cancer, infectious disease, and transplant conditioning. He received his BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology from UC Berkeley and his Ph.D. in Biology with a focus in immunology from UC San Diego.
Ana Grant, Ph.D. is Vice President, Data Sciences at Neomorph, with over 20 years of experience in bioinformatics, data science, scientific software support and data workflow automation. Originally from Portugal, Ana trained first in the U.K., obtaining her B.Sc. in Genetics from the University of Leeds, then M.Res. in Bioinformatics and D.Phil. in Chemistry from the University of York. It was at the York Structural Biology Laboratory, whilst developing a system for target selection from genomic sequences, that she discovered her passion for collaboration. As a Postdoctoral Associate at The Salk Institute, Ana worked on numerous collaborations applying data science to derive genome-wide insights on the transcriptional regulation of aging and protein homeostasis. Following her academic training, she moved to the University of Michigan, where she balanced her time between genomics research and supporting state-of-the-art OMICs analysis needs across the campus, initially for the Bioinformatics Core and later as Bioinformatics Manager for the Epigenomics Core. Prior to Neomorph, Ana was Director of Research Informatics at Synthetic Genomics, where she led a team of Bioinformaticians, Data Scientists and Software Engineers to develop an informatics platform to support algae biofuel research. There she solidified her track record on protein function and structure annotation, as well as leveraging her expertise to ensure people and systems have the software and analytics they need to do innovative science.
Bell Zhong is Chief Financial Officer of Neomorph. He is a seasoned finance professional with over 17 years of finance and investment banking experience, advising on capital markets, mergers & acquisitions and other strategic transaction for a wide array of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Throughout his career, he has helped execute over $35bn in equity and equity linked transactions and more than $100bn in M&A transactions for both private and public companies.
Most recently, Bell was Managing Director, healthcare investment banking at Raymond James & Associates, Inc. where he led the banking coverage efforts on a number of innovative biotech companies. Prior to Raymond James, Bell spent over 13 years at J.P. Morgan and was an Executive Director in the healthcare investment banking group, covering the healthcare sector.
Bell holds a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business.
Samer Chmait is Vice President, Research Operations at Neomorph. Prior to Neomorph, Samer was Head of Scientific Operations at Strateos Inc where he enabled the access of a remote-controlled lab to other drug discovery companies and research scientists through Strateos’ secure cloud-based platform. With over a decade of chemistry training and experience, Samer’s early research focused on the purification, crystallization, and structure elucidation of novel proteins in support of Amgen Inc’s small molecule drug discovery programs. Samer later joined Celgene, San Diego and led the Biology Operations Team to drive both scientific and operational functions forward during company growth and expansion. Samer has over 15 years of biotechnology industry experience and has contributed to 17 publications within prestigious journals.
Megan Gates is the Vice President of Human Resources and Talent Acquisition for Neomorph, where she oversees all HR and recruitment related functions including strategic talent management, compensation and benefit design, employee relations, policy development and implementation. Megan brings over 20 years of combined HR and Talent Acquisition expertise focused primarily on the life sciences industry supporting scientific research organizations. She joins Neomorph from Bristol Myers Squibb where she served as Director, Talent Acquisition responsible for developing the strategic planning and execution for the global Research & Early Development organization’s recruitment plan following the acquisition of Celgene. Prior to Bristol Myers Squibb, Megan held both management and consulting roles within HR and Talent Acquisition at various companies, including Celgene, Bristol Myers Squibb, Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Elan Pharmaceuticals.
Marla Bornstein is Vice President, Business Development for Neomorph. She brings over 20 years of biotech experience in business development, corporate strategy, new product planning, marketing, and regulatory affairs. Most recently, Marla was Senior Director, Business Development at Illumina where she led pharmaceutical companion diagnostic partnerships and established an IVD partnering program for Illumina’s sequencing platforms. At Biogen Idec, Marla played an integral role in portfolio prioritization initiatives and was instrumental in driving oncology new product marketing launch plans. Prior to Biogen Idec, Marla worked as a strategy consultant for Analytica International, performing market assessments and building global pricing and reimbursement strategies for life science companies. Marla began her career in regulatory affairs at Pharmascience. Marla has a BSc in Microbiology and Immunology from McGill University and an MBA from Columbia University.
Suzana Couto, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVP is Senior Vice President of Pathology and Toxicology at Neomorph. She is an innovative and strategic biopharma leader with over 15 years of experience leading teams and working in multiple stages of drug discovery, including target selection, pre-clinical research, nonclinical safety, translational development, and companion diagnostics. She remains at the forefront of digital and computational pathology and is passionate about leveraging AI in medical imaging.
Prior to Neomorph, Suzana led global pathology, digital pathology, and companion diagnostics teams at Genmab, and helped build their translational development capabilities. She has extensive experience in the protein degradation field from her 6 years at Celgene, where she contributed towards the development of numerous molecular glue products. Prior to Celgene she led a digital pathology team at Genentech and served as lead pathologist in oncology and neuroscience teams.
Before joining industry, Suzana managed a tri-institutional core facility offering pathology, radiology, parasitology, and microbiology support to researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Rockefeller University and Weill Cornell Medical School. Early in her career she served as assistant professor at Weill Cornell, and as teaching assistant at UC Davis, where she completed her pathology residency and PhD. Suzana is an invited member of the Pathology in Cancer taskforce within the AACR, serves as a member of the FNIH biomarker consortium, and has experience in Board of Directors for nonprofit and public companies.
Phil is Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Neomorph. He obtained his BA and D.Phil. degrees from the University of Oxford before traveling to the U.S. to work at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF). At GNF Phil supported and led projects in serious respiratory and inflammatory disease and solved multiple novel structures. Phil joined Celgene, San Diego in 2007 and built and led the Structural and Chemical Biology department, most recently as Executive Director, Protein Homeostasis and Structural Biology. Phil was responsible for several fundamental scientific breakthroughs on the mechanism of action of thalidomide analogs, including the structural basis for cereblon binding and neosubstrate recruitment, the definition of the neosubstrate ‘structural degron’, and a plausible molecular explanation for the thalidomide teratogenicity disaster of the twentieth century. Based on these discoveries, Phil led the construction of the cereblon modulator platform at Celgene, the pioneering drug discovery effort in the ‘molecular glue’ field generating a portfolio of projects. Phil has published work on targeted protein degradation in journals including Nature, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology and Nature Chemical Biology. Phil was the recipient of the John W. Jackson leadership award, the most prestigious achievement award at Celgene.
Eric Fischer, PhD, is Independent Investigator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Associate Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School. He is Co-Director of the Center for Protein Degradation at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Dr. Fischer’s research focuses on understanding the molecular architecture, function, and regulation of complex cellular signaling machines and their involvement in cellular processes, as well as leveraging this knowledge to develop new strategies for small-molecule-mediated modulation. Using biochemistry, chemical biology, and cell biology methods, his lab has contributed to the understanding of the efficacy and adverse activity of thalidomide and analogs. Beyond defining the mechanism of action for this transformative cancer drug and solving a decade-old mystery of pharmaceutical sciences, this work inspired numerous projects that intend to utilize similar principles to redirect ligase activity to new targets. This represents a new therapeutic modality often referred to as targeted protein degradation. Dr. Fischer’s lab helped to establish this approach and has defined many of the underlying principles for small molecules degraders. Dr. Fischer’s work has been recognized with awards including, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation’s 2017 Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award, and the Mark Foundation’s 2018 Emerging Leaders Award.
Dr. Fischer completed his undergraduate training at the Universities of Hamburg (Germany) and Basel (Switzerland) and completed doctoral training at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, also in Basel. Dr. Fischer joined the Dana-Farber faculty in 2015.
Dr. Benjamin Ebert is the George P. Canellos, MD, and Jean S. Canellos Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Chair of Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and an Institute Member of the Broad Institute.
The Ebert laboratory focuses on the molecular basis and treatment of hematologic malignancies and its non-malignant precursor conditions, with a particular focus on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and clonal hematopoiesis. The Ebert laboratory demonstrated that lenalidomide, a derivative of thalidomide, binds the CRL4-CRBN E3 ubiquitin ligase and induces degradation of specific substrates. Subsequent research from the Ebert laboratory has examined the potential of thalidomide analogs to induce degradation of a broad array of zinc finger transcription factors and other proteins, and to identify novel mechanisms of drug-induced protein degradation.
Dr. Ebert is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. He served as President of the American Society for Clinical Investigation. His awards include the Till and McCollough Award from the International Society of Experimental Hematopoiesis, the William Dameshek Prize from the American Society of Hematology, the Meyenburg Prize, and mentoring and teaching awards from Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Ebert received a bachelor's degree from Williams College and a doctorate from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar where he worked with Peter Ratcliffe, who was subsequently awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. He completed an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, a residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a fellowship in hematology/oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He was on the faculty of Brigham and Women’s Hospital for 10 years before returning to the Dana-Farber.
Dr. Scott Armstrong is the David G. Nathan Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, Chair of Pediatric Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and President of the Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.
The Armstrong laboratory is interested in the relationship between leukemia and normal hematopoietic stem cells, and the mechanisms by which chromatin modifications control gene expression during normal and cancer development. The laboratory has defined developmental gene expression programs that are aberrantly expressed in cancer and identified the chromatin regulatory complexes that are critical for maintenance of cancer-causing gene expression. This work prompted development of small molecules that target chromatin-based mechanisms, a number of which are currently being assessed in adults and children with cancer.
Dr. Armstrong is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and his work has been recognized multiple awards including the Till and McCulloch Award from the International Society of Experimental Hematology, the Wilson S. Stone Award from MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the E. Mead Johnson Award from the Society for Pediatric Research and the Dameshek Prize from the American Society of Hematology.
Dr. Armstrong received his MD and PhD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas where he performed his PhD under the mentorship of Nobel laureates Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein. He performed his residency and fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at Children’s Hospital Boston, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard Medical School.
Phil is Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Neomorph. He obtained his BA and D.Phil. degrees from the University of Oxford before traveling to the U.S. to work at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF). At GNF Phil supported and led projects in serious respiratory and inflammatory disease and solved multiple novel structures. Phil joined Celgene, San Diego in 2007 and built and led the Structural and Chemical Biology department, most recently as Executive Director, Protein Homeostasis and Structural Biology. Phil was responsible for several fundamental scientific breakthroughs on the mechanism of action of thalidomide analogs, including the structural basis for cereblon binding and neosubstrate recruitment, the definition of the neosubstrate ‘structural degron’, and a plausible molecular explanation for the thalidomide teratogenicity disaster of the twentieth century. Based on these discoveries, Phil led the construction of the cereblon modulator platform at Celgene, the pioneering drug discovery effort in the ‘molecular glue’ field generating a portfolio of projects. Phil has published work on targeted protein degradation in journals including Nature, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology and Nature Chemical Biology. Phil was the recipient of the John W. Jackson leadership award, the most prestigious achievement award at Celgene.
Peter Lebowitz currently serves as the CEO of Third Arc Bio. Prior to Third Arc, he was the Global Head of Oncology R&D for Johnson & Johnson, where he built a world-class, end-to-end J&J oncology team that delivered 13 new oncology drugs by leveraging both internal R&D excellence and external partnerships. Peter also held senior leadership positions in discovery and early/late-stage clinical development at GlaxoSmithKlein. Throughout his tenure in the pharmaceutical industry, he achieved 15 major product approvals and successfully filed over 40 Investigational New Drug applications. Peter also served as Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center, where he established a translational and clinical research program as a practicing oncologist. Peter graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed his postgraduate clinical training in Internal Medicine at Duke University Medical Center and his Hematology/Oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health.
Cameron Wheeler, Ph.D., is a Partner on the Biotherapeutics group at Deerfield and joined the Firm in 2014. Prior to Deerfield, Dr. Wheeler worked for and on behalf of Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc. as a director since 2009. Previous to that, he was Manager of the Business Development and Operations team at Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and a Senior Associate at Third Rock Ventures, LLC. Dr. Wheeler holds a Ph.D. and S.M. in Biological Engineering and an S.B. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Eric Fischer, PhD, is Independent Investigator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Associate Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School. He is Co-Director of the Center for Protein Degradation at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Dr. Fischer’s research focuses on understanding the molecular architecture, function, and regulation of complex cellular signaling machines and their involvement in cellular processes, as well as leveraging this knowledge to develop new strategies for small-molecule-mediated modulation. Using biochemistry, chemical biology, and cell biology methods, his lab has contributed to the understanding of the efficacy and adverse activity of thalidomide and analogs. Beyond defining the mechanism of action for this transformative cancer drug and solving a decade-old mystery of pharmaceutical sciences, this work inspired numerous projects that intend to utilize similar principles to redirect ligase activity to new targets. This represents a new therapeutic modality often referred to as targeted protein degradation. Dr. Fischer’s lab helped to establish this approach and has defined many of the underlying principles for small molecules degraders. Dr. Fischer’s work has been recognized with awards including, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation’s 2017 Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award, and the Mark Foundation’s 2018 Emerging Leaders Award.
Dr. Fischer completed his undergraduate training at the Universities of Hamburg (Germany) and Basel (Switzerland) and completed doctoral training at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, also in Basel. Dr. Fischer joined the Dana-Farber faculty in 2015.
Joseph Pearlberg, M.D., Ph.D., is the Vice President of Scientific Affairs on the Biotherapeutics group at Deerfield and joined the Firm in 2017. Prior to Deerfield, Dr. Pearlberg was the Vice President of Clinical Development at Infinity Pharmaceuticals. Before Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Pearlberg worked as a Medical Director in the oncology unit of Sanofi. Dr. Pearlberg received his M.D. at the University of California, San Francisco, and completed his clinical training at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Harvard University and was a Lecturer in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School. He holds a B.A. in Biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania.
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