Stephen A. Parent, Phd Email & Phone Number

Union, New Jersey, Us

Union, New Jersey, Us

Kathera Bioscience's (KatheraBio) mission is to treat serious, life-threatening fungal infections. The company has raised non-dilutive federal and state funding with a total value of up to $4.6 Million for our programs. Our company's name is derived from the Greek word "kathairó" meaning to cleanse. Fungal Infections are a major cause of human disease - an estimated 11.5 million (M) people suffer from life-threatening infections globally, resulting in more than 1.5 M deaths annually. Current classes of antifungal drugs to treat life-threatening infections have limitations, including toxicity, drug-drug interactions, inconvenient dosing, and increasing incidence of acquired and inherent resistance. The company focus is to develop therapeutics against fungal enzyme targets with new modes of action.KatheraBio is startup biotech company launching out of the Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship (ILSE). ILSE is a Life Sciences technology accelerator and incubator at Kean University in Union, NJ. I am a co-founder of Kathera Bioscience, Vice President of Business Strategy and Development and the acting Board of Directors Treasurer.KatheraBio has an experienced management team, scientific and consultant's advisory boards with industry experts and has raised Family and Friends investments. The management team is actively developing the company's business strategy and is applying for non-dilutive SBIR funding for its founding program.

As the owner of SP Pharma Consulting LLC, I launched a biotech startup company, Kathera Bioscience, along with my scientific co-founder, to develop drugs to treat serious life-threatening fungal infections.SP Pharma Consulting provides services to the pharma, biotech and Contract Research Organizations. Clients leverage my experience and network for projects requiring pharma and biotech industry professionals with skills in drug discovery and development.Strategic Advice: Emerging Technologies, Business Plans, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Technology Evaluation, Target Identification, Target Validation, Lead Identification, Lead Optimization, Data Evaluation/Assessment, Scientific Reviews, Biomarkers, Sales and Business Development, Alliance Management, Project Management.Industry scientific experience in the following therapeutic areas: Infectious Diseases, Antifungals, Sepsis, Immunology, Immune-based diseases, Inflammatory Pain and Osteoarthritis.Drug Discovery and Development expertise: Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Biochemistry, Enzymology, in vitro Pharmacology, G Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs), Enzyme assays, Receptor assays, Cell-based assays, Assay Development, Target Identification, Target Validation, Lead Identification, Lead Optimization, small molecules, biologics, High Throughput Screening (HTS) campaigns, Site-Directed mutagenesis supporting Structure Function and in vitro pharmacology, Mechanism of Action, Mode of Action, Preclinical Evaluation of Biologics.

Cranbury, New Jersey, Us

Oncobiologics is a U.S. based pure play biosimilar company developing, manufacturing and commercializing biosimilar versions of leading global biopharmaceuticals. My responsibilities included supporting Oncobiologics Senior Management with global business strategies and business development activities for biosimilar monoclonal antibodies and the platform technologies that support the Research & Development of these large molecules.My Business Strategy & Development Activities included supporting Oncobiologics Senior Management with Licensing, Alliance Management, Contract Review, Intellectual Property Activities. Alliance Management - In this role I worked with Oncobiologics Senior Management, R&D teams and managed national and international partnership activities with inVentiv Health Clinical, Laboratorios Liomont S.A. de C.V., and IPCA Laboratories, LtdIntellectual Property Activities - I worked with Oncobiologics Senior Management, R&D teams and legal counsel to develop, implement and support Oncobiologics' Intellectual Property strategy.I was responsible for review and negotiation of contracts and agreements with Clinical Research Organization and Contract Manufacturing Organizations including Confidentiality Agreements (CDAs), Master Service Agreements (MSA), Clinical Supply Agreements (CSA), Clinical Trial Agreements (CTAs) with Phase III Clinical Trials with Trial Sites, Licensing Letters of Intent (LOI)/Term Sheets for Licensing Partnerships and Marketing & Distribution Agreements.

Piscataway, Nj, Us

PBL Assay Science (Formerly PBL InterferonSource) began as the leading provider of products, services, information, and know-how related primarily to interferons. The pioneering interferon research conducted by its founder, Sidney Pestka, M.D., reflects decades of exploration into interferon's applications in medicine. The company has grown from start-up to well respected company, employing state-of-the-art technology in conducting assay services and manufacturing world-class products for scientists around the globe each day. Recognizing that our research, our products, and our services have moved beyond interferon into other cytokines and biological materials, we have grown from the “InterferonSource” into an Assay Solutions company. Let us help you solve your problems. Specialties Custom Assay Development, Assay Kits, Assay Services, Consulting Services, Interferons, Cytokines, Biomarkers, Chemokines, AntibodiesIn addition to my sales/business development responsibilities, I was also involved in PBL's marketing and digital marketing efforts. I was also author of PBL's blog "Ahead of the Curve"​.https://www.pblassaysci.com/ahead-of-the-curve/

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Us

113 Industries' High-Speed Open Innovation processes assist Companies with Technology Mining, Technology Assessment and Opportunity Assessment, by enabling successfull adoption of External Discoveries through: 1) Assessing technologies critical to their business growth, 2) Achieving new revenue growth through rapid introduction of new products3) Building or validating their technology strategy and roadmap by understanding the market and revenue potential of new technologies and the competitive landscape4) Quickly introducing new products while reducing cost, resources, technological risk and time to market.

Indianapolis, In, Us

YourEncore is a management consulting group of retired and veteran scientists and engineers, and provides clients with proven experience to help accelerate their pace of innovation. Experts collaborate with clients to add value and transfer their knowledge and insights.

Malvern, Pa, Us

Reaction Biology Corp. (RBC) is a Contract Research Organization that provides drug profiling, screening and early stage drug discovery collaborations. The company's proprietary radioisotopic HotSpot technology is an innovative, high-throughput platform for screening/profiling small molecules against any biological target which can be assayed with radioisotopic methiods. HOTSPOT is an industry-accepted format for kinase profiling. RBC also has a suite of fluorescence-based assays.RBC also provides screening/profiling against all major classes of epigenetic transferases using radioisotopic assays.Kinaseshistone lysine and arginine methyltransferases (HMTs)DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs)histone acetylases (HATs)histone-modifying kinasesHDACs (histone deacetylases)Sirtuin enzymes.

New Brunswick, Nj, Us

I served as an advisor for the Drug Discovery Tract of a new Master of Business and Science program being developed at the Rutgers University by Professor Charles E. Martin. In my role, I developed and taught the first "Drug Discovery Through Pre-Clinical Development" course with Gregory Ford. The core course is part of the Drug Discovery tract and provides an in-depth study of early phases of small molecule and biopharmaceutical drug development It emphasizes preclinical methodologies and decision making processes, business concepts and regulatory requirements needed to file a successful Investigational New Drug Application (IND). Topics includes:Target identification & validationDiscovery of lead drug candidatesLead optimizationPharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic (PK/PD)In-vivo efficacy modelsADMEPre-clinical toxicology and safety studiesBiomarker discovery and use in clinical studiesProcess chemistry & biologicsFiling Investigational New Drug Application and regulatory agency considerationsPhase I Clinical Trials and early Proof-of-Concept Studies in humans. Subject matter experts from the pharmaceutical industry participated in the course by giving guest lectures on the scientific and business fundamentals of several the course topics.

Euroscreen SA is a world-renowed biotechnology company that specializes in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) research. In addition to its internal drug discovery programs, the Euroscreen-FAST business unit provides custom assay development and pharmacological profiling services, HTS screening capabilities and receptor deorphanization capabilities. Euroscreen FAST is an expert contract research group that works with customers to address their research and development needs.In this role, I performed sales and business development services to optimize the strategy and value of Euroscreen-FAST.I also identified and developed North American sales and business opportunities for Euroscreen-FASTTo help Euroscreen FAST marketing activities, I redesigned marketing folders, increasing their capacity and company message. I also contributed to ad designs for scientific journals, as well as international and national meetings.I represented Euroscreen FAST at vendor shows and scientific meetings. I managed North American client requests, quotes, contracts and study protocols generating significant revenues and positioned Euroscreen FAST as a supplier in Fortune 500 international pharmaceutical companies. I also served a scientific consultant for FAST customers, providing expertise in G-protein coupled receptor Pharmacology, High Throughput Screening (HTS) and Assay Development. This included helping guide assay selection and experimental design of projects, interpretation of unexpected study results and recommending new paths forward to conduct follow-up experiments for customers to obtain timely, cost-effective and high quality results.

Rahway, New Jersey, Us

Immunology & Rheumatology Department included: 1) Identified and validated new pain and osteoarthritis targets 2) Developed and managed in vitro and cell-based assays to support high thoughput screens, hit & lead identification, and lead optimization efforts on S1P, Osteoarthritis and Inflammatory Pain programs.3) Identified several S1P1-selective agonists for development on S1P1 project team. Managed site-directed mutagenesis studies that identified a key amino acid contributing to S1P1/S1P3 receptor selectivity4) As co-chair of TREM1 project team, coordinated and managed multi-site research efforts of three Merck Departments and licensing partner Bexel SpA that conducted scientific evaluation of a licensed biologic to treat sepsis5) As co-chair of Merck BRIE/Neuroscience New Target committee of Ph.D. scientists, evaluated new targets6) As Chair of Inflammatory Pain Biology Meetings coordinated efforts of several labs7) Cloned and characterized murine C-type lectin expressed in dendritic cells (DCs) and homolog of human DC-SIGN, a DC–Specific HIV-1-Binding Protein that enhances HIV infection of T Cells. 8) Co-developed and administered Franchise WIKI portal that enhanced strategic communication between research departments at three sites.MENTOR IN MERCK-UNCF PROGRAMMENTOR IN MERCK-MMD PROGRAM

Rahway, New Jersey, Us

Infectious Disease Department: 1) Identified and validated new antifungal targets2) Developed and managed cell-based and in vitro assays to identify new antifungal leads against an essential fungal peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase).3) Managed development of assays to detect inhibitors of fungal mRNA capping, screened natural products and identified sinefungin as a cap methyltransferase inhibitor.Biochemistry & Physiology Department: 1) Developed and managed cell-based and in vitro assays to identify G-CSF and EPO mimetics, as well as insulin sensitizers. 2) Expressed yeast recombinant human PPARgamma and RXRalpha, developed assays to characterize PPARgamma agonists and demonstrated that a PPARgamma dominant negative mutant forms heterodimers with RXRalpha and binds to a PPRE with wild-type affinity in vitro using recombinant yeast cell extracts and radiolabeled PPRE DNA.MENTOR IN MERCK-UNCF PROGRAMMENTOR IN MERCK MENTOR PROGRAM

Rahway, New Jersey, Us

Natural Products Program:1) Researched mechanism of action of immunosuppressants FK506 and CsA and determined that antifungal properties are mechanistically related to immunosuppressive properties. 2) Developed cell-based assays to detect and characterize immunosuppressive compounds in natural products. 3) Researched mechanism of action of echinocandin antifungals. Identified and characterized echinocandin susceptibility mutation in yeast FKS2 gene. 4) Prepared monthly "Transcription Competition Highlights" for MRL senior management making recommendations on targets, compounds and research areas. 5) Co-organizer of Merck Transcription symposium involving academic and Merck scientists and presented symposium talk outlining strategies for using yeast cell-based assays to screen for small molecule regulators of mammalian transcription factors.

Rahway, New Jersey, Us

I managed development of assays to identify new antifungal drugs and initiated efforts to evaluate use of yeast cell-based Ty transposon assays to identify new compounds that inhibit the HIV life cycle. I designed artificial intron in Saccharomyces cerevisiae PHO5 gene, and developed/validated cell-based screen for discovery of natural product antifungals that inhibit mRNA splicing. My lab also studied PHO5 regulation to optimize its expression in heterologous systems. To that end, my lab demonstrated that the positive-acting transcription factors PHO4 and PHO2 bind to multiple PHO5 promoter sites and cooperatively activate it, leading to higher levels of expression.I prepared monthly Transcription Competition Highlights for MRL senior management. I researched antifungal properties of the immunosuppressant FK506 to determine if they were related to natural products immunosuppressive and/or toxic mechanisms.

Providence, Rhode Island, Us

Ph.D., Molecular And Cell Biology

Mini-Mba Certificate Programs

Postdoc Fellow, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology

B. Sc. With High Distinction, Life Sciences