John received his PhD in steroid synthetic chemistry in TCD in 1995. He then worked for a pharmaceutical R&D company, Unimed PLC, which had a special interest in combination drugs and prodrugs in the cardiovascular area. During this time he played a lead role in the development and qualification of a new modified release formulation of isosorbide mononitrate and a prodrug which were tested in clinical trials. John was named inventor on numerous patent applications in the cardiovascular area at this time and developed a strong interest in pharmaceutical IP. He took up a position as lecturer in 1998 at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, TCD, teaching medicinal chemistry to pharmacy students. He has an active medicinal chemistry research group which publishes widely on drug discovery and development. He has been active as a pharmaceutical development consultant and has participated as expert/consultant in several high profile pharmaceutical patent trials at the Irish High Court in recent years (including Lipitor® and Seretide®). John’s research group developed the first really effective aspirin prodrugs licensed to Solvotrin Therapeutics. Another colon targeting steroid prodrug developed by his group has been licensed by Opsona Therapeutics. He has an active medicinal chemistry research group with interests in bile acid analogues for metabolic disorders and intestinal cancer and interactions between matrix metalloproteinases and nitric oxide. John’s role is to co-lead the R&D programme, support clinical trials and third party clinical relationships, protect Company assets via appropriate IP strategy as well as representing the business at academic and industry level. John received his PhD in steroid synthetic chemistry in TCD in 1995. He then worked for a pharmaceutical R&D company, Unimed PLC, which had a special interest in combination drugs and prodrugs in the cardiovascular area. During this time he played a lead role in the development and qualification of a new modified release formulation of isosorbide mononitrate and a prodrug which were tested in clinical trials. John was named inventor on numerous patent applications in the cardiovascular area at this time and developed a strong interest in pharmaceutical IP. He took up a position as lecturer in 1998 at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, TCD, teaching medicinal chemistry to pharmacy students. He has an active medicinal chemistry research group which publishes widely on drug discovery and development. He has been active as a pharmaceutical development consultant and has participated as expert/consultant in several high profile pharmaceutical patent trials at the Irish High Court in recent years (including Lipitor® and Seretide®). John’s research group developed the first really effective aspirin prodrugs licensed to Solvotrin Therapeutics. Another colon targeting steroid prodrug developed by his group has been licensed by Opsona Therapeutics. He has an active medicinal chemistry research group with interests in bile acid analogues for metabolic disorders and intestinal cancer and interactions between matrix metalloproteinases and nitric oxide. John’s role is to co-lead the R&D programme, support clinical trials and third party clinical relationships, protect Company assets via appropriate IP strategy as well as representing the business at academic and industry level.

Pharmaceutical industry