Andrew Kawasaki, PhD

 

Dr Kawasaki obtained a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry at University of Michigan, then completed a productive career spanning 25 years in the Biopharmaceutical Industry (Drug Discovery, Research and Development, Bioactive Small Molecules) with tenures at Ionis Pharmaceuticals (formerly Isis Pharmaceuticals) and Arena Pharmaceuticals. Having compiled an extensive publications and patents record, Dr Kawasaki is co-author of 38 peer-reviewed publications and co-inventor on 36 patent applications including 13 granted patents. Also, Dr Kawasaki performed technology feasibility research for the development of novel products and evaluated intellectual property (IP) opportunities.

 

Since joining WCTE, Inc, Dr Kawasaki has intently studied the current biomedical scientific literature on Neurodegenerative Diseases, including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), suffered by American Football players (active and retired), military personnel, soccer players, and boxers. We strive to take advantage of the state of art advances in the Neurodegenerative Diseases research to develop products to prevent, treat, and cure CTE, PD, AD, and ALS.

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Nigel Beeley, PhD

 

Dr. Nigel R. A. Beeley obtained a BSc. Honours (Class 1) degree in chemistry from the University of Liverpool, UK followed by a Ph.D. from the University of Manchester, UK on prostaglandin synthesis (supervisor Prof. J.K. Sutherland). He then spent two years as a Royal Society Overseas Research Fellow in Prof. A. Eschenmoser's laboratory (ETH, Zurich, Switzerland) on the synthesis of macrolide antibiotics.

 

His industrial career began at Reckitt and Coleman, Pharmaceuticals Division, UK working on opiates followed by 8 years in the cardiovascular group of Synthélabo Recherche, Paris, France (now part of Sanofi) working on ACE inhibitors, dopamine agonists and calcium antagonists. Returning to the UK in 1988, he joined Celltech (now part of UCB) as Head of Oncology-Chemistry, contributing in particular to programs on antibody targeting to tumour antigens and inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases. In 1994 he became Senior Director of Chemistry at Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. San Diego, USA(now part of AstraZeneca)working on peptides and proteins related to amylin, leptin and exendin along with small molecule amylin antagonists, activators of mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCPs) and anti-atherosclerotic compounds. From early 1999 to June 2004 he was VP and Chief Chemical Officer at Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. where he built two substantial teams totaling over 120 chemically oriented scientists working on known and orphan G-protein coupled receptors. From June 2004 to January 2007 he was VP, Discovery for Senomyx, Inc. where he was focused on the identification and optimization of ligands for G-protein coupled receptors and ion channels involved in taste. Dr. Beeley was CEO, China Operations(Beijing) and a Consultantfor BioDuro, Inc. from January 2007until their acquisition by PPD in December 2009. An interest in renewable energy spurred him to found ENRQI, Inc., a start-up company focused on biofuels and renewable chemicals (now dissolved). He also became a partner and Chief Strategy Officer with Sinagy CleanTech, LLC, an energy related US/China business endeavor (now discontinued). In early 2014 he co-founded Ab-VAX,Inc.,a company focused on interrogating the immune repertoire using Nextgen Gene Sequencing to identify novel antibodies and vaccines (now dissolved). During his career he has been involved in over 20 projects that have delivered clinical candidates, four of which (Mylotarg, Symlin, Byettaand Belviq [Lorcaserin]) have become products. From 2010 onwards he was/is Prinicipal at BEELEY Consulting, currently advising six clients.

 

Dr. Beeley has co-authored over 70 scientific publications and abstracts and is co-inventor on over 120 patent applications, including 73 issued US patents.