Unnatural Products Bolsters Leadership with Appointment of Simon Bailey, Ph.D.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Nov. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Unnatural Products (UNP), a pioneering biotech company focused on developing orally-delivered macrocyclic peptides to tackle previously undruggable targets, today announced a significant addition to its executive team. Simon Bailey, Ph.D., has been appointed as the company’s new Chief Operating Officer and President of Research and Development (R&D). This newly created role underscores UNP’s ambitious growth strategy and commitment to innovation in the field of macrocyclic therapeutics.
In his new position, Dr. Bailey will assume responsibility for overseeing all aspects of R&D, operations, strategic execution, and cross-functional team alignment. His leadership will be instrumental in driving UNP’s progress and accelerating the development of its innovative pipeline. Dr. Bailey’s extensive experience and proven track record in early-stage drug discovery and development make him uniquely qualified to lead this critical charge.
A Veteran Leader in Drug Discovery and Development
Dr. Bailey brings over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, specializing in drug discovery and early development across various therapeutic areas including oncology, metabolic disease, and immuno-oncology. Before joining UNP, he served as Executive Vice President at Plexium, a San Diego-based company specializing in targeted protein degradation, where he successfully led the drug discovery, platform technologies, and clinical development teams, advancing the company’s first internally discovered clinical agent.
His impressive career also includes a tenure as Head of Research and Global Pipeline Leader at Intercept Pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, he dedicated over two decades to Pfizer, holding various leadership positions in medicinal chemistry. This extensive background, encompassing diverse therapeutic areas and stages of drug development, positions Dr. Bailey to provide invaluable leadership at UNP.
Unnatural Products: Revolutionizing Macrocyclic Therapeutics
Unnatural Products utilizes a proprietary platform that uniquely integrates machine learning with synthetic biology. This innovative approach allows for the discovery of novel macrocyclic therapeutics, addressing some of the most challenging targets in drug discovery. Macrocyclic peptides represent a ‘Goldilocks’ chemical modality, possessing the advantageous properties of both small molecules and biologics, creating a highly promising therapeutic class.
“Simon’s proven track record and extensive experience in early-stage drug discovery and development make him an ideal addition to our executive team as we enter our next phase of growth,” said Cameron Pye, Ph.D., CEO & Founder, Unnatural Products. “As we advance our pipeline of macrocyclic therapeutics, his expertise will be invaluable as we advance our first candidates into the clinic.”
Dr. Bailey’s Vision for the Future
Dr. Bailey expressed his enthusiasm for joining UNP, stating, “I am thrilled to join UNP’s team of innovators in macrocyclic peptide drug discovery at such an exciting stage of the company. The company has created the industry’s premier technology to design and synthesize novel macrocyclic peptides that are active against clinically important and underserved targets, and I look forward to working with Cameron and the UNP team to build on this momentum and advance new life-changing therapies to patients in need.”
Academic Achievements and Recognition
Dr. Bailey holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from The University of Manchester (UK) and completed postdoctoral studies in synthetic organic chemistry at The Ohio State University. He also holds an MBA from the University of California, San Diego. His contributions to the field have been recognized with the American Chemical Society’s Hero of Chemistry award for his leadership role in the discovery of Lorbrena™. He has authored over 70 publications and is a frequent speaker at leading scientific and industry conferences.
About Unnatural Products, Inc.
Unnatural Products, Inc. (UNP) is a California-based biotechnology company that has developed a cutting-edge platform addressing the complexities of medicinal chemistry in the macrocycle space. By combining parallel experimentation and machine learning, UNP is developing a portfolio of therapeutic macrocycles targeting high-value and traditionally difficult-to-drug targets. The company was founded by pioneers in macrocycle research whose academic work has significantly advanced our understanding of how nature’s macrocycles function. For more information, visit www.unnaturalproducts.com. For partnering opportunities, email contact@unnaturalproducts.com.
Media Contact:
Kimberly Ha
KKH Advisors
917-291-5744
kimberly.ha@kkhadvisors.com
