Appointment strengthens expertise in targeted protein degradation as company advances novel small molecule degraders in oncology and inflammation

PhoreMost has appointed Dr Adam Gilbert to its scientific advisory board to support the development of its pipeline of small molecule degraders and molecular glues derived from its GlueSEEKER platform.

Gilbert brings over three decades of experience in drug discovery and pharmaceutical development, most recently serving as executive director and external accelerator lead at Pfizer. During his tenure, he led Pfizer’s Design and Synthesis Sciences medicinal chemistry group, contributing to the development of targeted covalent inhibitors, protein homeostasis modulators and vaccine antigens.

He is a co-inventor of ritlecitinib (LITFULO), a covalent JAK3/TEC inhibitor approved for alopecia areata, and was involved in the development of Pfizer’s RSV vaccine ABRYSVO and the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine COMIRNATY. Gilbert holds a PhD in organic chemistry from Columbia University.

“Adam’s extensive experience and expertise in drug discovery, especially as a KOL in the targeted protein degradation field, will be invaluable in advancing our pipeline of novel degraders in both oncology and inflammation,” said Dr Christian Dillon, chief scientific officer at PhoreMost. “His proven track record in delivering new therapeutics to market will be pivotal as we progress into clinical stages. As a company, we have focused on building a team with world-class scientific and commercial expertise, welcoming Adam to our scientific advisory board is a key part of that and we are honoured to have his support as we cement our position as leaders in degrader-based drug discovery.”

PhoreMost’s GlueSEEKER platform is designed to identify novel molecular glues — small molecules that reprogramme protein interactions to trigger selective protein degradation — as a route to drug previously intractable targets.

“Molecular glues are a very promising therapeutic modality, which hold huge potential to address undruggable targets,” said Dr Adam Gilbert. “Having been an active part of the development of this field, I am very excited by the possibilities of PhoreMost’s platforms. I’ve joined the team at a particularly interesting stage given the recent validation of GlueSEEKER, and look forward to working with the team to translate identified novel molecular glues into commercially viable assets, addressing key challenges associated with other degrader therapeutics and unlocking the next generation of medicines.”

PhoreMost, based in Cambridge, UK, is developing a pipeline of degrader therapeutics focused on oncology and inflammation, and continues to build strategic advisory capacity as it moves towards clinical development.