Coulter Partners strengthens Curve Therapeutics’ leadership team with appointment of Chief R&D Officer
London, December 3, 2024 – Coulter Partners, the global expert building leadership teams for Health, Science and Technology innovation businesses, successfully completed a search assignment for Curve Therapeutics (“Curve”) and is pleased to announce the placement of Rab Prinjha, PhD, as Chief Research and Development (R&D) Officer.
Curve Therapeutics is a private biotechnology company pioneering a revolutionary mammalian cell-based, functional drug discovery platform to address intracellular disease targets. Its mission is to improve patient outcomes by discovering innovative drugs that address the most complex disease targets.
Dr. Prinjha is a proven R&D leader with a more than 20-year track record of success from target discovery through many transitions to development: leading drug discovery programs and collaborations and pioneering research across immunology, oncology, neuroscience and epigenetics using small molecule, nucleic acid and biologic modalities. He joins from GSK where he was Head of the Immunology Research Unit and Immunology Network sponsor and led the team reshaping and focusing the immunology research portfolio. Under his leadership this team delivered over 15 clinical candidates and over 30 new targets.
Dr. Prinjha will be responsible for the therapeutic portfolio strategy and execution, with the goal of advancing Curve’s growing pipeline of first-in-class assets, including a dual HIF-1/HIF-2 inhibitor and a folate-independent inhibitor of ATIC. He will also leverage his expertise in oncology, neuroscience, immunology and epigenetics to further enhance target selection and validation using the Microcycle® platform.
Simon Kerry, Chief Executive Officer of Curve Therapeutics, said: “Rab is the latest addition to the world-class leadership team we are assembling at Curve; his skill-set, experience and passion align with our mission to successfully drug complex disease targets and develop life-changing drugs for patients. As we progress towards the clinic and develop our relationships with major pharma, Rab’s exceptional track record will be invaluable.”
Simon Kerry continued: “We were truly impressed with Coulter Partners’ diligence and professionalism throughout the entire recruitment process. Their deep understanding of the market and the specific needs of our R&D team enabled them to identify a pool of highly qualified candidates. Their expert advice and guidance were invaluable in making informed decisions, ultimately leading to the successful placement of Rab as our new Chief R&D Officer.”
Rab Prinjha, Chief Research and Development Officer of Curve Therapeutics, commented: “I am delighted that Coulter Partners introduced me to Curve and this incredibly exciting stand-out opportunity. The application of Curve’s unique Microcycle platform to directly screen for molecules that are functionally active in the native context of mammalian cells is hugely powerful. My passion has always been for translating scientific excellence into future medicines and with the Curve team there is an exciting opportunity to apply this ground-breaking technology to deliver first-in-class medicines across oncology, neuroscience and other therapeutic areas, contributing major improvements to patient treatment.”
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Rab Prinjha, Chief R&D Officer of Curve Therapeutics
Rab Prinjha has spent the last 25 years building and executing R&D portfolio delivery performance. He brings deep experience in successful small molecule, nucleic acid and biopharma R&D, spanning oncology, neuroscience, immunology and epigenetics.
Prior to joining Curve, Rab was Head of the Immunology Research Unit and Immunology Network sponsor at GSK, leading the development of several clinical candidates and new targets. He previously led the Epigenetics group and was responsible for target selection and validation along with coordinating academic collaborations with leaders in the oncology, neuroscience, immunology and epigenetics therapy areas.
Rab is an Elected Fellow of Academy of Medical Sciences and Elected Senior Fellow Royal Society of Biology, a member of the Milner Therapeutics Institute Governance Board and scientific advisor/ SAB member to several institutes and biotechnology companies.
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Notes to editors:
About Curve Therapeutics
Curve is a private biotechnology company pioneering a revolutionary mammalian cell-based, functional drug discovery platform to address intracellular disease targets. Its mission is to improve patient outcomes by discovering innovative drugs that address the most complex disease targets. Curve originated from world-leading Microcycle® research conducted by Professor Tavassoli’s group in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Southampton, UK. Curve is backed by blue chip investors including Advent Life Sciences, Epidarex Capital, Pfizer Ventures, Columbus Venture Partners and British Patient Capital. Curve has a US$1.7bn global research collaboration with MSD the trade name of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA, to discover and validate modulators of up to five therapeutic targets using its Microcycle technology, initially for oncology and neurology indications.
For more information visit: www.curvetx.com.
About Coulter Partners
We are executive search and leadership development specialists working to build a better future. As advisors and consultants to companies at the cutting edge of Health, Science, and Technology, we are united by our mission to build teams that change the world. Operating uniquely as one global team, we have honed our expertise, platform, and data for over two decades, working across three continents, and in 40 countries. Applying what we learn through our work with boards, leadership teams, and investors in the world’s most innovative companies, we bring together and develop the right people at the right time to propel them to achieve their worthwhile goals.
