CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Scholar Rock, a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing niche modulators that selectively target growth factor activation in the disease microenvironment, today announced the appointment of Paul Burgess, JD, as Vice President, Intellectual Property. Mr. Burgess will lead all intellectual property aspects of the company's strategic and corporate development, and he will be responsible for further developing and leveraging the intellectual property portfolio underlying Scholar Rock's core technology and applications for niche modulators in multiple therapeutic areas.
"I believe that Scholar Rock's platform is truly innovative. Great science is always the basis of a strong intellectual property portfolio, and I look forward to helping Scholar Rock realize the full value of its foundational patent estate covering niche modulators."
"Paul has an exceptionally strong track record for developing and prosecuting highly valued patent portfolios in the biotech industry, and we are delighted to welcome him to Scholar Rock's leadership team," said Nagesh Mahanthappa, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Scholar Rock. "Paul will play a critical role at Scholar Rock, spearheading our intellectual property strategy and further advancing a growing patent portfolio that covers Scholar Rock's proprietary approach to niche modulators, and candidate therapies for the treatment of many significant diseases."
Mr. Burgess brings 20 years of experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry with expertise managing all aspects of intellectual property portfolios. Prior to joining Scholar Rock, he was Vice President of Intellectual Property at BIND Therapeutics, Inc. since 2008 where he managed the development of BIND's patent portfolio from an initial university license to a portfolio with more than 40 issued U.S. patents. He also played a role in negotiating and drafting BIND's partnership agreements with Amgen, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Roche. In addition to BIND, Mr. Burgess was previously head of Intellectual Property for Civitas Therapeutics, Inc. where he managed a large patent portfolio and implemented strategies for patent extensions and new patents for the company's lead drug candidate. His experience in the pharmaceutical industry also includes serving as General Counsel and Head of Intellectual Property at Logical Therapeutics, as Senior Patent Counsel at Johnson & Johnson, and as Patent Counsel at Transform Pharmaceuticals. He received a JD from Northeastern University, an MS in pharmacology from Northeastern University, and a BS in biology from Merrimack College.
"I am excited to join Scholar Rock to lead the company's intellectual property efforts and to be a part of a team that is developing innovative medicines," said Paul Burgess. "I believe that Scholar Rock's platform is truly innovative. Great science is always the basis of a strong intellectual property portfolio, and I look forward to helping Scholar Rock realize the full value of its foundational patent estate covering niche modulators."
About Scholar Rock
Scholar Rock is a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing niche modulators, a novel class of biologic therapies that selectively modulate the activation of growth factors in the disease microenvironment. The Company's initial proprietary and partnered drug discovery programs target specific growth factors, including members of the TGF-beta superfamily, which are present in the microenvironments of significant diseases such as fibrosis, diseases of the musculoskeletal systems and autoimmune diseases. Scholar Rock was founded based on discoveries made by its scientific founders, Professors Timothy Springer, PhD, and Leonard Zon, MD, of Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, related to the molecular mechanisms of growth factor activation. The company is backed by leading life sciences investors, including Polaris Partners, ARCH Venture Partners, Timothy Springer, EcoR1 Capital and The Kraft Group.
Contacts
Investors:
Stern Investor Relations, Inc.
Stephanie Ascher, 212-362-1200
[email protected]
or
Media:
The Yates Network
Kathryn Morris, 845-635-9828
[email protected]