Joseph Pero Email & Phone Number

Collegeville, Pennsylvania

• As Medicinal Chemistry Leader of a high-priority program, led a team of ~15 internal chemists (plus external chemistry support) to the identification of two Preclinical Candidates, achieving key 2022 portfolio objectives,• As Medicinal Chemistry Leader of a high-priority program, led a team of ~15 internal chemists (plus external chemistry support) to the achievement of Commit-to-Lead Optimization only eleven months following Commit-to-Target.• As GSK Program Leader of a matrix team… Show more • As Medicinal Chemistry Leader of a high-priority program, led a team of ~15 internal chemists (plus external chemistry support) to the identification of two Preclinical Candidates, achieving key 2022 portfolio objectives,• As Medicinal Chemistry Leader of a high-priority program, led a team of ~15 internal chemists (plus external chemistry support) to the achievement of Commit-to-Lead Optimization only eleven months following Commit-to-Target.• As GSK Program Leader of a matrix team comprised of colleagues across various functions (medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry, biology, protein synthesis, high-throughput screening, chemical biology) and in alliance with a biotechnology company, achieved a Commit-to-Target milestone for a high-priority antiviral program.• As GSK Medicinal Chemistry Leader of an alliance with a biotechnology company, worked across boundaries to facilitate six Commit-to-Target milestones for a high-priority antiviral program and key 2021 portfolio deliverables. • In support of a high-priority antiviral program, led a team of 5 chemists in the identification of a Preclinical Candidate, satisfying key 2019 portfolio deliverables. Show less

• In support of a high-priority neuroscience program, led a group of 4 internal associate chemists in the discovery of novel, orally-bioavailable, brain-penetrant activators that led to the achievement of key 2018 objectives. Co-inventor on 4 patent applications.• In support of a high-priority respiratory program (COPD), led a group of 4 internal associate chemists in the discovery of a novel inhaled activator that achieved key 2017 objectives regarding in vivo activity and lung… Show more • In support of a high-priority neuroscience program, led a group of 4 internal associate chemists in the discovery of novel, orally-bioavailable, brain-penetrant activators that led to the achievement of key 2018 objectives. Co-inventor on 4 patent applications.• In support of a high-priority respiratory program (COPD), led a group of 4 internal associate chemists in the discovery of a novel inhaled activator that achieved key 2017 objectives regarding in vivo activity and lung pharmacokinetic properties, triggering progression down the critical path as a potential backup to a clinical compound. Co-inventor on 4 patent applications. • In support of another high-priority respiratory program (COPD), led a group of 4 internal associate chemists and 5 external chemists (GVK, India) in the optimization of a novel structural class, leading to a Preclinical Candidate. Co-inventor on 2 patent applications. Show less

Upper Merion, Pa

• In support of a high-priority cardiovascular program, led a group of 5 associate chemists in the lead optimization of a novel structural class, culminating in the discovery of 4 Preclinical Candidates and the achievement of key 2015 objectives. Lead/Corresponding Author on a manuscript detailing this work. Gave an oral presentation on this work at the Young Investigator Symposium at the National ACS Meeting in Boston (August 2018). • In support of a high-priority clinical program… Show more • In support of a high-priority cardiovascular program, led a group of 5 associate chemists in the lead optimization of a novel structural class, culminating in the discovery of 4 Preclinical Candidates and the achievement of key 2015 objectives. Lead/Corresponding Author on a manuscript detailing this work. Gave an oral presentation on this work at the Young Investigator Symposium at the National ACS Meeting in Boston (August 2018). • In support of a high-priority clinical program, designed and executed an enantioselective, 17-step synthesis of an observed metabolite of a clinical compound under investigation in Phase 1 clinical trials, enabling critical profiling and preventing a delay in progression.• In support of another high-priority cardiovascular program, was the principal innovator of a novel class of inhibitors that led to the discovery of a Preclinical Candidate with a projected human dose of 10-20 mg qd and the achievement of key 2015 program objectives. • In support of the Lp-PLA2 Inhibitor program (cardiovascular), led a group of 3 associate chemists and 3 interns in the lead optimization of a chemical series originating through a collaboration with Astex Pharmaceuticals. Efforts led to the first compounds in the series to satisfy the potency and physicochemical property requirements of a Preclinical Candidate. Co-Lead Author on a published manuscript detailing this work (J. Med. Chem. 2016, 59, 5356). Show less

West Point, Pa

• In support of a high-priority neuroscience program (neuropathic pain), led medicinal chemistry efforts in evaluating, triaging and optimizing hits from an HTS (high throughput screen) campaign, leading to the identification of novel leads. Required a cross-functional collaboration with the in vitro Pharmacology, High-throughput Screening, Automated Synthesis & Purification and Chemical Informatics groups. • In support of a high-priority neuroscience program (neuropathic pain), was the… Show more • In support of a high-priority neuroscience program (neuropathic pain), led medicinal chemistry efforts in evaluating, triaging and optimizing hits from an HTS (high throughput screen) campaign, leading to the identification of novel leads. Required a cross-functional collaboration with the in vitro Pharmacology, High-throughput Screening, Automated Synthesis & Purification and Chemical Informatics groups. • In support of a high-priority neuroscience program (neuropathic pain), was the principal innovator of a novel pro-drug strategy to enable the oral administration of compounds from a leading structural class, thereby delivering on a key 2013 objective. Required a cross-functional collaboration with the Drug Metabolism and Preclinical Development groups.• Collaborated with Drug Metabolism and Information Technologies to successfully establish a paradigm for the externalization of routine pharmacokinetic studies. This paradigm was subsequently adopted by the entire medicinal chemistry department.• Served as Single Point of Contact between Medicinal Chemistry and the Automated Synthesis & Purification group. Responsible for the identification and design of library opportunities that would be most impactful to programs in Lead Optimization. Required the direction of an associate-level chemist from the Automated Synthesis & Purification group.• Provided leadership, target design, chemistry guidance and employee development opportunities for 2-3 associate-level chemists.• Provided target design to external CRO’s in order to advance the leading series of a high-priority neuroscience program (neuropathic pain).• Chaired a session on Allosteric Modulators and moderated a round-table discussion on Ligand Bias at the Discovery on Target Conference in Boston, MA (October 2012). Was an invited speaker at this conference. Show less

West Point, Pa

• Principal innovator of a leading series of benzoxazolinone Nav1.7 inhibitors that led to the achievement of Lead-op Entry and critical portfolio objectives. Lead/Corresponding Author on a publication detailing this work (Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 2017, 27, 2683). • Principal innovator of a novel radioligand that enabled a critical HTS campaign for a high-priority neuroscience program. Recipient of a MRL Discovery and Preclinical Sciences Award (monetary award plus plaque given by Merck… Show more • Principal innovator of a leading series of benzoxazolinone Nav1.7 inhibitors that led to the achievement of Lead-op Entry and critical portfolio objectives. Lead/Corresponding Author on a publication detailing this work (Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 2017, 27, 2683). • Principal innovator of a novel radioligand that enabled a critical HTS campaign for a high-priority neuroscience program. Recipient of a MRL Discovery and Preclinical Sciences Award (monetary award plus plaque given by Merck CEO Ken Frazier) for my effort.• Principal innovator of a leading series of positive allosteric modulators (PAM’s) of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) for the treatment of schizophrenia. Led a group of 2-3 associate level chemists in support of this program. Resulted in milestone accomplishments for the program in regards to in vivo efficacy and predicted human pharmacokinetic properties. Gave two invited, external oral presentations detailing this work. Lead/Corresponding Author on a publication detailing this work (ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2016, 7, 312). • Led chemistry efforts for a Target Validation program to discover novel therapeutics for Parkinson’s disease. Managed internal as well as external chemists. Evaluated hits from an HTS screen and managed internal resources for re-synthesis of promising hits for in vitro and in vivo studies.• Leveraged structure-based design to optimize a hit from a fragment library screen to a leading compound with low-picomolar in vitro activity for the PDE10 program (schizophrenia) in Lead Optimization.• Provided leadership, target design, chemistry guidance, employee development opportunities and direct line management for 2-3 associate-level chemists. Show less

Investigated alkyliminium azamethine Diels-Alder reactions and utilized the methodology in studies directed toward the total synthesis of spiro-prorocentrimine.

Nih Postdoctoral Fellow, Organic Chemistry

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Organics Chemistry

Ph.D. Dissertation: The Total Synthesis of (-)-Rasfonin

Master Of Science (Ms), Organic Chemistry

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Chemistry

Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa Summa Cum Laude