Gregory L. Verdine (born June 10, 1959) is an American chemical biologist, biotech entrepreneur, venture capitalist and university professor. He is a founder of the field of
chemical biology
Chemical biology is a scientific discipline spanning the fields of chemistry and biology. The discipline involves the application of chemical techniques, analysis, and often small molecules produced through synthetic chemistry, to the study and ma ...
, which deals with the application of chemical techniques to biological systems. His work has focused on mechanisms of DNA repair and cell penetrability.
Verdine is the co-inventor with Christian Schafmeister of
stapled peptide
A stapled peptide is a short peptide, typically in an alpha-helical conformation, that is constrained by a synthetic brace ("staple"). The staple is formed by a covalent linkage between two amino acid side-chains, forming a peptide macrocycle. Stap ...
s, a new class of drugs that combines the versatile binding properties of
monoclonal antibodies
A monoclonal antibody (mAb, more rarely called moAb) is an antibody produced from a cell Lineage made by cloning a unique white blood cell. All subsequent antibodies derived this way trace back to a unique parent cell.
Monoclonal antibodies ca ...
with the cell-penetrating ability of
small molecules. Verdine coined the term "drugging the undruggable" to describe the unique capabilities of stapled peptides. A close analog of a stapled peptide drug invented in the Verdine Lab, ALRN-6924, is a first-in-class dual MDM2/MDMX inhibitor currently in Phase II clinical development by Aileron Therapeutics, which he co-founded in 2005. FogPharma, founded in 2016, aims to further develop stapled peptide technology for therapeutic use.
He has founded numerous other drug discovery companies, including six that are listed on the NASDAQ. His companies have succeeded in developing two FDA-approved drugs,
Romidepsin
Romidepsin, also known as Istodax, is an antineoplastic, anticancer agent used in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and other peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs). Romidepsin is a natural product obtained from the bacterium ''Chromobacterium viola ...
and
Paritaprevir
Paritaprevir (previously known as ABT-450) is an acylsulfonamide inhibitor of the NS3- 4A serine protease manufactured by Abbott Laboratories that shows promising results as a treatment of hepatitis C. When given in combination with ritonavir an ...
, which are, respectively, an
anticancer agent
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...
used in
cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a class of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a type of cancer of the immune system. Unlike most non-Hodgkin lymphomas (which are generally B-cell-related), CTCL is caused by a mutation of T cells. The cancerous ...
(CTCL) and other
peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs), and an acylsulfonamide inhibitor that is used to treat chronic
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. During the initial infection people often have mild or no symptoms. Occasionally a fever, dark urine, a ...
.
Education and Training
Verdine received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. Saint Joseph's is the seventh olde ...
and a PhD in Chemistry from
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, working under
Koji Nakanishi
was a Japanese chemist who studied bioorganic chemistry and natural products. He served as Centennial Professor of Chemistry and chair of the Chemistry Department at Columbia University.
Early life
Nakanishi was born in Hong Kong on May 11, 192 ...
and Maria Tomasz. He held an NIH postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology at
MIT and
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...
, and joined the faculty of Harvard University in 1988.
[Gregory Verdine Biography](_blank)
Harvard University
Academic career
Over the course of his academic career at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
and the
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...
, Verdine has elucidated the molecular mechanism of epigenetic DNA methylation and pathways by which certain genotoxic forms of DNA damage are surveilled in and eradicated from the genome.
As a professor, Verdine introduced biological principles into organic chemistry courses and helped found two fields of science that meld basic research and new medicines discovery: chemical biology, which enlists chemistry to answer biological questions; and new modalities, which works to discover and develop novel structural classes of therapeutics.
He has served as the Erving Professor of Chemistry in the Departments of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Chemistry and Chemical Biology at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
since 1988. In 2013, he stepped down from his tenured professorship at Harvard, taking a leave of absence in order to focus full-time on steering Warp Drive Bio as CEO
while continuing to run
his eponymous Verdine Laboratory at the Harvard University Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology. The laboratory focused on research based in chemical biology, including synthetic biologics and genomic research,.
[Verdine Lab](_blank)
Harvard University He has since transitioned to a 'professor of the practice' position at Harvard.
Research
In his academic research, Verdine made fundamental discoveries about how organisms manage their genomes: how they tag specific cell types and conduct search-and-destroy operations for cancer-causing abnormalities.
Verdine has published more than 190 academic articles.
[PubMed](_blank)
/ref> In 2005, Verdine and Anirban Banerjee published research in crystallography showing how enzymes could be used to fix flawed DNA.[Amanda Yarnell]
Chemical & Engineering News In 2013, Verdine received a research grant to study cell-penetrating miniproteins in order to target cancer cells. His work has led to the FDA approval of the drugs romidepsin
Romidepsin, also known as Istodax, is an antineoplastic, anticancer agent used in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and other peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs). Romidepsin is a natural product obtained from the bacterium ''Chromobacterium viola ...
and paritaprevir
Paritaprevir (previously known as ABT-450) is an acylsulfonamide inhibitor of the NS3- 4A serine protease manufactured by Abbott Laboratories that shows promising results as a treatment of hepatitis C. When given in combination with ritonavir an ...
.
Verdine is also the inventor of stapled peptide technology, which stabilizes peptides intended for therapeutic use by introducing an all-hydrocarbon “staple” into the peptide’s linear backbone. These “stapled” peptides have a higher affinity for their targets, enter cells more easily and are less readily degraded.[Amanda Goh]
Stapled Peptides: Targeting the "Undruggable"
BioIT World
Biotechnology
Companies
To translate his discoveries into therapeutics, Verdine has founded or co-founded numerous public biotech companies including Variagenics, Enanta, Eleven Bio, Tokai, Wave Life Sciences, and Aileron. He also founded the private company Gloucester Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Celgene in 2009. His companies share the mission of developing molecules intended to target “hard-to-drug” endogenous targets that have remained out of reach of modern cell-penetration technologies.[Ben Fidler]
With Latest Startup, Harvard’s Verdine Again Aims at Elusive Targets
Xconomy.com[Matthew Herper]
Can Bush's NIH Chief Fix the Drug Industry
Forbes
FogPharma
In 2016, Verdine co-founded FogPharma with Sir David Lane to develop next-generation stapled peptides, Cell-Penetrating Miniproteins (CPMPs), a broad new class of medicines that aim to combine the cell-penetrating abilities of small molecules with the strong target engagement of biologics.
LifeMine
Founded alongside FogPharma in 2016, LifeMine seeks to discover, characterize, and translate into medicine bioactive compounds in fungal genomes.
Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute
Founded in 2013, the nonprofit Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute to study marine genomes for potential therapeutic compounds and to advance fisheries science.[Katheleen Conti]
Can the nation’s oldest seaport reinvent itself?
Boston Globe He is also the founder and director of the Gloucester Biotechnology Academy, which is providing technical training in the life science industry to high school graduates in Gloucester, MA, USA.
Warp Drive Bio
In 2012, Verdine founded Warp Drive Bio with cofounders George Church and James Wells. The company maps the genomes of soil-dwelling microbes in the search for potential treatments for drug-resistant ailments. In 2013, Verdine became full-time CEO of Warp Drive Bio, then handed the CEO position to Lawrence Reid in 2016 in order to found two new startups, FogPharma and LifeMine.
Wave Life Sciences
Verdine is the Chairman of the Board of Wave Life Sciences,[Damian Gard]
Wave LifeSci Banks $66M with a "Pure" Take on Synthetic Chemistry
FierceBiotech.com which uses synthetic chemistry to develop nucleic acid therapeutic candidates.[Jessica Moore]
Brokerages Expect WAVE Life Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ:WVE) to Post -$0.75 EPS
The CERBAT GEM
Venture Capital
Verdine has worked in the venture capital industry as a Venture Partner with Apple Tree Partners, Third Rock Ventures, and WuXi Healthcare Ventures, and as a Special Advisor to Texas Pacific Group
TPG Inc., previously known as Texas Pacific Group and TPG Capital, is an American investment company based in Fort Worth, Texas. The private equity firm is focused on leveraged buyouts and growth capital. TPG manages investment funds in growth c ...
.
Scientific Consultation
Verdine is a member of both the Board of Scientific Consultants of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Board of Scientific Advisors of the National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...
, Advisory Board at Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation, and the Board of Reviewers at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was l ...
.[Bloomberg Executive Profile](_blank)
/ref>
Recent Recognition
2019 - Honorary Doctor of Science Degree, Clarkson University
2019 - Herman S. Bloch Award for Scientific Excellence in Industry, University of Chicago
2011 - American Association for Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world's oldest and largest professional association related to cancer research. Based in Philadelphia, the AACR focuses on all aspects of cancer research, including basic, clinical, and t ...
Award for Excellence in Chemistry in Cancer Research
2007 - Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry, with Anirban Banerjee
2005 - Royal Society of Chemistry
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society (professional association) in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the Ro ...
Nucleic Acid Award Lecture, Responses to DNA Damage conference
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verdine, Gregory L.
1959 births
Living people
21st-century American chemists
Harvard Medical School faculty
People from Somers Point, New Jersey
Saint Joseph's University alumni
Columbia University alumni