Atomwise, a leader in leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence to advance small molecule drug discovery, announced the appointment of Steve Worland, Ph.D. as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors.
Dr. Worland, who brings more than three decades of leadership and R&D experience across multiple biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, will work closely with Atomwise’s existing management team and Board of Directors to advance the company’s proprietary pipeline and its ML/AI drug discovery platform, AtomNet. Dr. Worland’s appointment builds on Atomwise’s recent momentum, including the company’s breakthrough findings that illustrate the value of AtomNet in identifying novel chemical starting points to address a variety of biological targets, including difficult-to-drug and previously unaddressed targets.
“I am thrilled to join Atomwise at such an important time for the company, as demand for tech-enabled solutions that help optimize and streamline the drug discovery process continues to rise,” said Dr. Worland. “Throughout my career, I’ve always been deeply passionate about identifying solutions to complex, life threatening diseases, and I am thrilled to join an organization that shares my dedication to delivering better medicines to patients. I look forward to working alongside Atomwise’s exceptional team of world-class scientists to continue revolutionizing the drug discovery landscape.”
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During his career, Dr. Worland has led capital raising, strategic planning, research, clinical development and corporate development activities to drive value creation, and his fundamental scientific research has contributed to the discovery and development of Paxlovid, Inlyta, zotatifin, tomivosertib, setrobuvir, rupintrivir and other clinical-stage product candidates. Most recently, Dr. Worland founded and led eFFECTOR Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of Selective Translation Regulator Inhibitors for cancer treatment. Under his leadership, eFFECTOR progressed two products candidates from target concept into Phase 2, raised more than $250M in private and public equity markets, and entered into a major research collaboration with Pfizer. Previously, Dr. Worland held senior positions at Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer and Agouron Pharmaceuticals.
“Atomwise is tackling some of the most pressing challenges in drug discovery and molecular design, and Steve is the ideal leader to scale the company’s AI-enabled drug discovery platform and advance its mission to revolutionize the biopharmaceutical industry,” said Dr. Robert Mittendorff, General Partner and Global Head of Healthcare at B Capital. “With a proven track record in drug discovery and clinical development, as well as experience guiding biotechnology companies through transformative growth, Steve brings exceptional expertise and leadership. His appointment reflects the strength of what Atomwise has built, and we’re confident he will accelerate progress in enhancing human health alongside the Atomwise team.”
Source: BusinessWire