YDS Pharmatech, a computational drug discovery company specializing in induced proximity, today announced the appointment of Dr. Robert Sullivan as Head of Medicinal Chemistry. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Dr. Sullivan possesses expertise in small molecules, PROTACs, peptides, and oligonucleotides.
Dr. Sullivan previously served as Head of Preclinical Development at BioTheryX, where he played a pivotal role in creating the Cereblon binding library and directed research that led to more than 20 issued patents. These patents encompass a broad range of small molecules (molecular glues) and PROTACs. Before BioTheryX, Dr. Sullivan held the position of Executive Director of Drug Development at NovoMedix, where he contributed to the drug discovery efforts for antifibrotic and breast cancer development candidates entering IND-enabling studies.
Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Sullivan has held leadership positions at PYC Therapeutics, Protagonist, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Kemia, Neurocrine, and Signal Pharmaceuticals. As one of the pioneering scientists in high throughput parallel synthesis technologies and combinatorial chemistry, he has co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Sullivan earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Robert Sullivan to the YDS Pharmatech team,” said Dr. Xing Che, CEO of YDS Pharmatech. “His extensive experience in targeted protein degrader discovery is invaluable to us. Dr. Sullivan’s expertise will enhance YDS’s ability to bridge the gap between computational scientists, biologists, and chemists, fostering more efficient integrated research. As a result, our computational platform for rationalizing drug discovery of protein degraders will see accelerated development.
“I am truly excited to join such a dynamic organization like YDS Pharmatech. YDS’s unique platform of combining AI and biophysics simulations to help drive drug discovery and development are second to none,” said Robert Sullivan, Ph.D., Head of Medicinal Chemistry. “I look forward to working with the YDS team and it’s partners to create drugs that address unmet medical needs.”
Dr. Sullivan’s appointment as Head of Medicinal Chemistry bolsters YDS Pharmatech’s dedication to remaining at the cutting edge of combining AI and biophysics simulations for induced proximity drug discovery. This state-of-the-art approach ensures that YDS Pharmatech stays at the forefront of innovation, while providing valuable support to partner companies collaborating with YDS to create groundbreaking medicines that address unmet medical needs.
About YDS Pharmatech
YDS Pharmatech, Inc. is a computational drug discovery company dedicated to developing cutting-edge computational platforms for multispecific drugs. Utilizing AI-accelerated enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations, the company examines ternary complex interactions, thermodynamics, and kinetics to advance induced proximity studies and transform degrader discovery from serendipitous to rational design. YDS Pharmatech currently specializes in PROTACs and molecular glue protein degraders. Their interdisciplinary team of scientists is committed to accelerating their collaborators’ efforts in pioneering innovative treatments for a diverse range of diseases.
