Camil Sayegh, PhD

Head of Complement Biology and Macrocycle Peptide Platform at UCB Ra Pharma

Speaker

I began my career in drug discovery at the Merck Frosst research site in Montreal (Merck & co, Canada). This was a fantastic experience where I learned and then honed my drug hunting abilities as a project leader. The project I initiated led to a Ph2 clinical candidate. Further, I was provided with the opportunity to evaluate licensing opportunities as a scientific expert. Following the closure of the Merck Frosst research site, I co-founded a biotech company with 2 leading PIs in the field of antiviral research. Through this effort, we attempted to capitalize on Merck-directed donations to the province of Quebec to fund our efforts. Shortly thereafter, I joined the nascent Vertex Pharmaceutical research site in Montreal as an Associate Director of Biology. Further, I recently completed a mini MBA program at McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management where I acquired several core competencies that I’ve incorporated in my professions. My experience at Vertex has been immensely productive and satisfying. I’ve contributed to the creation of our research strategy in IBD and was provided with the opportunity to present it to the Board of Directors. I’ve led a change in research directions that saw us build a research strategy in kidney diseases with strong underlying causal genetics. To support our efforts, I built our research capabilities including hiring key people, acquiring technologies, and developing strategic collaboration networks. We created a vibrant culture for our site that was focused on a clear vision of excellence aimed at delivering transformative medicines in diseases with high unmet need. I joined RA Pharmaceuticals in June 2017, an exciting and promising start-up focused on targeting the complement pathway. In my new role, I am building on my expertise in kidney diseases and immunological disorders, developing competencies in advancing biologicals, and honing my leadership skills in a start-up setting.