ChemoGenics BioPharma
Optimizing Drug Discovery through Rapid Bioanalytical Studies

The distinct journey and success of Dr. Francis Tavares, Ph.D., a medicinal chemistry expert in the pharmaceutical industry, is a perfect example of going out of the box. Dr. Tavares started as a medicinal chemist at the multinational pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). During his decade-long tenure at GSK, Dr. Tavares ascended the ranks of the medicinal chemistry department and developed compounds for several metabolic targets that entered GSK drug discovery programs. An avid knowledge-seeker and entrepreneur, Dr. Tavares later taught himself mass spectrometry and founded ChemoGenics BioPharma, a drug discovery research and service-based organization that provides one-stop, high-quality solutions at a variety of preclinical stages of the drug discovery process. The company offers exceptional services in medicinal chemistry, process optimization, scale-up, animal (rodent) dosing studies, DMPK, and bioanalytical studies (tissue and plasma matrices).

Success in drug discovery requires a solid working knowledge of translational medicine. Dr. Tavares always possessed a profound interest in understanding disease biology and applicable targets. In a remarkable achievement, using Dr. Tavares’ cross-functional expertise in the drug discovery process enabled ChemoGenics BioPharma to contribute to the design and synthesis of a unique kinase scaffold, performing structure-based SAR as well as metabolic profiling. This has culminated into two Phase II clinical compounds—Trilaciclib and Lerociclib—that are progressing rapidly toward commercialization for various cancer indications. ChemoGenics BioPharma facilitates the entire medicinal chemistry program from in-vitro metabolic profiling to in-vivo studies in order to transform lead compounds into viable drug candidates. When clients approach the company to design and develop new molecules, they also opt for the company’s other extensive capabilities—including molecular modeling, in-house bioanalytical services, and compound scale-up.

The availability of this sophisticated level of expertise from a single company provides clients the convenience of access to all drug discovery services under one roof instead of hiring separate entities for each step of the process. “We follow a streamlined drug discovery process, and the greatest benefit to our clients is that we achieve this with a rapid turnaround time and with absolute robustness in the quality of data,” says Francis Tavares, Founder and CEO of ChemoGenics BioPharma.

ChemoGenics BioPharma believes that it is vitally important to offer a full range of analytical services as an integral part of its drug discovery offerings. Delays or low-quality analytical services often cause setbacks in the development of innovative new molecular entities. The company is well-equipped to perform purity analysis on both small molecules and peptides required to meet FDA criteria in preparation for commercialization. The company uses state-of-the-art in-house instrumentation that includes several triple quadrupole LC/MS/MS and QTRAP LC/ MS/MS/MS.

ChemoGenicsBioPharma is unique among contractbased research organizations (CROs) because it redefines drug discovery services through its integrated full-service operation. Rather than offering tailored CRO services in a run-of-the-mill fashion, the company conducts collaborative research with clients, helping them transform their ideas into viable drug candidates. ChemoGenics BioPharma can also provide their services, including consultation, at competitive rates, and is flexible enough to provide alternative fee arrangements to minimize cash burn for startup companies.

These unique capabilities make ChemoGenics BioPharma the partner of choice for many pharmaceutical, biotechnology, academic and governmental institutions worldwide. The wordof- mouth recognition and a high percentage of repeat clients provide a solid foundation for the company’s continued growth and success.

Currently, ChemoGenics BioPharma has four active collaborations developing new molecular entities and is confident that these drug development programs will progress into proof-of-concept studies. To support increasing client demands, ChemoGenics BioPharma plans to hire more research staff and move to a new facility. “Over the past ten years, we have expanded our capabilities by focusing on our clients being successful and have gained more knowledge in return. We plan to offer GLP compliant bioanalytical services within the next six months,” concludes Tavares.