Medicinal Chemistry

2 months ago

San Diego, United States Light Horse Therapeutics Full time

Light Horse Therapeutics is a small molecule drug discovery company based in San Diego, employing tools from chemical and computational biology, in conjunction with precision genome editing methods to identify functional/ligandable sites on high value oncology protein targets for therapeutic intervention. Light Horse therapeutics was founded by leading academics Brian Liau (Harvard), Ben Cravatt (Scripps) and Nathanael Gray (Stanford) with initial financial backing from Versant Ventures and Mubadala Capital.


Light Horse Therapeutics is seeking a talented, motivated, and creative Principal / Senior Principal Scientist to join the Medicinal Chemistry group. The candidate will contribute to strategy and implementation in discovery programs for high value, challenging oncology targets. The candidate will also have the opportunity to drive discovery programs and contribute broadly to building an understanding of novel target biology in a dynamic start-up environment that employs cutting-edge tools in functional genomics and proteomic technologies.


Job Description:

  • Lead chemistry for multiple early projects and drive the Design, Make, Test, Analyze cycle
  • Plan, prioritize and implement synthetic and medicinal chemistry strategies to achieve project goals
  • Effectively manage external chemistry resources at partner CROs, including target selection and prioritization, synthetic planning and troubleshooting, and routine in vitro ADME and PK studies
  • Collaborate with functional leads – e.g., computational chemistry, biology, proteomics, and structural research – to design appropriate flowcharts
  • Analyze data sets and develop SAR using in-house and commercial in silico tools and communicate results in formal and informal settings
  • Apply advanced medicinal chemistry principles to design high quality compounds, considering multiple parameters in parallel – e.g., potency, selectivity, SBDD, ADME/PK, physicochemical properties
  • Provide clear communication of the medicinal chemistry strategy to cross-functional colleagues, scientific leadership and external collaborators
  • Lead the preparation of patent applications and scientific publications as appropriate
  • The individual should be scientifically creative and driven by a willingness to embrace innovation and an eagerness to challenge and meet aggressive timelines
  • This position does not require laboratory work


Required Qualifications:

  • PhD in in organic chemistry, in addition to 6+ years of medicinal chemistry experience in the biopharmaceutical industry
  • High levels of competence in all aspects of modern synthetic chemistry, including single compound synthesis, small parallel arrays, purification methods and analytical characterization
  • Significant experience and successful implementation of independent synthetic route design and problem solving
  • Familiarity with a variety of biochemical, biophysical, and cellular assays and ability to interpret data derived from such assays
  • Understanding of correlations between compound structure, properties, and ADME and ability to optimize multiple parameters
  • Proven ability to work well with others in a dynamic and highly collaborative environment
  • Excellent communication skills are required, particularly the ability to effectively present work and ideas and contribute to team discussions.


We offer a competitive total compensation package, as well as working in a supportive team environment.


The anticipated salary range for candidates who will work in San Diego, CA is $150,000 to $230,000. The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and length of experience within the job, type and length of experience within the industry, education, etc.

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