TEAM
FOUNDER, CEO & CSO
V.P. Eswarakumar, Ph.D.
Dr. Eswarakumar founded Krouzon Pharmaceuticals after 25+ years of research in Antibody Engineering, Molecular Genetics, and Cell Signaling. Before founding Krouzon, he was an Associate Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at the Yale University School of Medicine. He joined the Yale faculty after completing post-doctoral research at the Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology in 2007. He is one of the foremost pioneers in FGFR signaling and discovered the functions of alternatively spliced FGFR isoforms using novel genetic engineering tools. He created the world’s first disease model for Crouzon and Pfeiffer syndromes and discovered novel therapeutic targets for FGFR2-related Syndromic Craniosynostosis. During graduate studies, he received Gold Medal (M.Sc.), Young Researcher Award (M.Sc.), and Young Scientist Award and Medal (Ph.D.). He did his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Madras Christian College (MCC). He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Immunology, Madurai Kamaraj University, India, under the guidance of Dr. VR. Muthukkaruppan, and conducted post-doctoral research at the Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, under the direction of Late Dr. Peter Lonai, and at the Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine under the guidance of Dr. Joseph Schlessinger and Dr. Irit Lax. His research and discovery papers on FGFR signaling were published in high-impact journals. The Essential Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters) placed one of his articles in the top 1 percent of its academic field.
ADVISORY BOARD
Andy Perlman, MD, Ph.D.
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Andy is the Head of Non-Clinical Development at X37 pharmaceutical and drug discovery company. He has had a notable career in drug development, most significantly at Genentech from 1988 to 1993, where he played a key role in the development, FDA approval, and marketing of human growth hormone (hGH, Nutropin) as Senior Director of Clinical Research. He was also responsible for the development of Genentech's entire portfolio of endocrine drugs and drug candidates. In addition, he also maintained a research lab at Genentech and was a member of the team responsible for the evaluation and selection of new therapeutic drug candidates.
After Genentech, Andy was one of the first hires at Tularik, a new drug discovery company, where he served as Vice President and then Executive Vice President until 2004, except for nine months in 2002 when he served as CEO of Affymax. While at Tularik, Andy's responsibilities included participating in the selection of promising targets for new drugs and compounds for further development. In addition, he was responsible for clinical trial design and implementation, filing Tularik's first IND, and initiating the relevant clinical trials. Later he played an active role in Tularik's business development, investor relations, and financing activities, culminating with Tularik's acquisition by Amgen in 2004 for $1.3 billion.
Following the acquisition of Tularik, Andy was the founder and CEO of Innate Immune Inc., an early-stage biotech company focused on developing therapies for asthma and autoimmune diseases. He also worked with a team at The Palo Alto Research Center to determine the clinical value of a new technique for the identification and enumeration of rare tumor cells in the peripheral circulation. He is an advisor to the venture capital firm 8VC and an advisor to several biotechnology companies.
Andy has a B.S. from MIT, an M.D. and a Ph.D. in physiology from New York University (NYU). He did his Ph.D. research in the laboratory of Nobel laureate Professor Eric Kandel. He received postgraduate clinical training at Stanford School of Medicine and NYU. He worked as a staff scientist at the Medical Research Council in London from 1983 to 1984, continuing his medical research on steroid hormone nuclear receptors. From 1984 to 1987 he was an assistant professor at Stanford University where he did clinical work, teaching and research on hypertension.
Chris Senanayake, Ph.D.
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Dr. Chris H. Senanayake, CEO and CSO of TCG GreenChem, serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Krouzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He obtained his Ph.D., where he worked on the total synthesis of complex natural products such as ophiobolanes and completed the first total synthesis of grosshemin in the guaianolide family. He then undertook a postdoctoral fellowship and conducted a total synthesis of polyol systems such as amphotericin B and compactin and the synthesis of C-nucleosides.
In 1989, he joined the Department of Process Development at Dow Chemical Co. In 1990, he joined the Merck Process Research Group. After a series of accomplishments at Merck, he accepted a position at Sepracor, Inc. in 1996, where he was Executive Director of Chemical Process Research and advanced many drugs and drug candidates to commercial settings. In 2002, he joined Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. He served 16 years as the Vice President of Chemical Development and led a group of highly talented scientists, engineers, and administrators. In June 2018, he joined AstaTech BioPharmaceutical Corporation as the CEO &CSO, overseeing all subsidiaries, including AstaGreen Chem Inc., in Richmond, VA, as the CEO. In 2019, he became the CSO of TCG Lifesciences and founded TCG GreenChem Inc. in the US as the CEO and CSO.
Dr. Senanayake’s research interests focus on the development of new asymmetric methods for the synthesis of bioactive molecules, heterocycle construction, and catalysis, including enzymatic and mechanistic studies. He has published and lectured in the area of practical asymmetric synthesis and many disciplines of organic chemistry on how to develop drugs in an economical, greener, and practical manner in large-scale operations for the rapid development of drugs. He is the co-author of >500 papers, patents, book chapters, and review articles, and more than>150 patents in many areas of synthetic organic chemistry, drug development and commercialization, and design of improved chemical entities for commercialization. Dr. Senanayake participated in many drug development activities, including Crixivan, Lunesta, Jardiance, R, R Formotorol, Desvenlafaxine, HCV drugs, and many other drugs and drug candidates.
Dr. Senanayake demonstrates the ability to define and optimize chemical research and development strategies and tactics. He is able to “connect the dots” between the purely scientific and commercial perspectives and set up creative and effective strategies for new and proprietary products in ways that build value for the organization and create a competitive advantage. He is an Editorial Advisory Board member of the Organic Process Research & Development Journal. In 2008, he was the chairperson of the Stereochemistry Gordon Conference. In 2010, he received the prestigious Siegfried Gold Medal Award for the development of practical processes for APIs and Process Chemistry. In 2011, He was appointed as an editorial board member of the Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis Journal. In 2012, He was appointed as an advisory board member of the Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry. In 2013, he was appointed to the Board of Editors for Organic Syntheses. In 2016, he joined as an IQ board member. In 2017, he was appointed an advisory board member of the Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry. In 2017, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of CURE (connecting Connecticut’s science community). In 2020, he was invited to give the Behringer Simon Lecture at ETH on Sustainable Manufacturing Processes for APIs. He was appointed as an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and to the prestigious research professorship at the University of Toledo.
In 2022, he received two CEO awards in separate categories: “Best CEO in the Pharmaceutical Industry—North America” and “Growth Strategy CEO of the Year—USA” from Business Worldwide Magazine. He has also been recognized as one of the “Top 20 Dynamic CEOs of 2022” in The CEO Publication Magazine.
Christine Goddard, Ph.D.
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Christine Goddard, Ph.D., is a Principal at Fish & Richardson patent law firm. She has been named a “Top Woman of Law,” by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2021) and the author of “Bulletproofing Pharma Patents” published by Life Sciences IP Review Newsletter (December 2014). She focuses her practice on life sciences patent procurement, strategic portfolio management, and general patent counseling, particularly in the area of pharmaceuticals. She is sought out for her expertise and experience by both small and large pharmaceutical companies to develop strong patent positions with respect to existing and future drug products. Dr. Goddard regularly advises clients with respect to identification of patentable inventions, patentability searches, patent preparation, patent prosecution strategies, global filing strategies, state of the art and patent landscape searches, freedom to operate opinions, due diligence, licensing, contracts, and assignment of patent rights.
Dr. Goddard’s prior experience includes work in-house at Bristol-Myers Squibb as well as at two law firms in the Philadelphia area. In the pharmaceutical and biotechnology realm, she has particular experience in medicinal chemistry including synthesis and characterization of molecules, pharmaceutical formulations, isomers, isotopes, metabolites, salt forms, and crystalline forms (e.g, polymorphs). She has also advised in the areas of diagnostic and therapeutic proteins, DNA libraries, directed evolution techniques, chemical indicators, genes, proteins, antibodies, optical fibers, optical devices including OLEDs, solid catalysts, petroleum processing, ink formulations, and more.
Prior to her law career, Dr. Goddard gained extensive experience in the synthesis and characterization of organic compounds and transition metal complexes while working on projects related to the structural mimicry of metalloenzyme active sites at Harvard University. In particular, she regularly characterized compounds using X-ray crystallography, electrochemistry, NMR, IR, and mass spectrometry and gained experience in air-sensitive synthetic techniques. Her experience also includes analytical work at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute as a summer fellow where she helped develop methods for measuring nitrates in seawater. She has also worked in the area of biochemistry related to the isolation, purification, and structural characterization of membrane-bound photosynthetic proteins.
Dr. Goddard received her B.S. Chemistry from M.I.T., Ph.D. in Bio-inorganic Chemistry from Harvard, and J.D. cum laude from Suffolk University Law School.
Dhileep Krishnamurthy, Ph.D., FRSC (London)
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Dr. Dhileep Krishnamurthy serves as an Advisor for Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control (CMC), regulatory and strategic planning. He advises Krouzon’s R&D team members to ensure timely development, manufacturing, testing of drug substance and drug products, regulatory submissions, and supply of clinical trial material
For the past 25 years, DR. Krishnamurthy has worked in various multinational organizations, including Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Boehringer-Ingelheim (BI), Dr. Reddy’s, Piramal, NHU, and Jubilant, with increasing responsibility from Scientist to VP, Global Head R&D and CSO in USA, Germany, India, and China. His strengths include (a) building, mentoring, and strengthening innovator and generic businesses using the 4 pillar model, (b) Cost reduction in API manufacturing using R&D, technologies, and manufacturing excellence, including US FDA-approved plants, and (c) Efficient R&D development for DMF filing using competitive advantaged routes by GCbD and QbD.
He has obtained Ph.D. in Chemistry from University of Utah, Salt Lake City and M.Sc. from IIT, Bombay. He has more than 100 publications, patents, and invited presentations to his credit. He co-invented the commercial process for the new drug Entacavir and Empagliflozin when he was working in BMS and BI. Recently, he has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a member of the National 1000 talent program from PR of China. He also won the highest award for a foreigner, the "West Lake Friendship Award,” from Zhejiang Province, China. He served as one of the panel judges in the “Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award” EPA, US Government. Currently he is an editorial advisory board member in Green Chemistry, an RSC Journal based in the UK.
CLINICAL ADVISORY BOARD
Derek Steinbacher, DMD, MD, FACS.
Chair of Clinical Advisory Board
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Dr. Steinbacher is director of Craniofacial Surgery at Yale. He is Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. His clinical interests include craniosynostosis, syndromic craniofacial surgery, orthognathic surgery, rhinoplasty, and all aspects of craniomaxillofacial surgery. He also performs cosmetic surgery of the face and body, TMJ surgery, and facial reconstruction. His research encompasses craniofacial outcomes, tissue engineering and regeneration, fat grafting, distraction osteogenesis, stress shielding, and 3-dimensional analysis and planning.
Dr. Steinbacher obtained his MD from Harvard Medical School and his DMD from the University of Pennsylvania, both with honors. He received fellowship training in craniofacial surgery from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, completed the plastic and reconstructive surgery program at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and trained in oral/maxillofacial and general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Helen Hsu, MD, MS
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Helen is a Medical Executive (M.D.) with 20+ years of experience in drug discovery and commercialization. Her leadership in the Pharmaceutical /Biotech industry involves the whole life cycle management from preclinical R&D and translational research to clinical program development, Medical Affairs, and business development. Helen has spearheaded IND / NDA submissions and monitored global Phase I-V clinical trials in multiple therapeutic areas such as Oncology/Hematology, Neurology, Cardiology, GI, Women’s Health, and Pediatric studies. Her broad experience spanning big pharma (GSK, Novartis, BI) to biotech (Epizyme, Ipsen) and her clinical practice skills and research program strategy are assets to the Clinical Advisory Board of Krouzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
During her tenure leading a cancer-specialized hospital research program in the US and building a Harvard Medical School-affiliated International Hospital in China, Helen successfully integrated the hospital research program and established a unique pathway for bringing innovative products to cancer patients.
Helen received her Medical Education from Southeast University Medical College and practiced as a licensed Internist in China. She also completed her graduate studies at MSU and received her postdoctoral training in molecular biology and genetic disease from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and NYU Medical School Teaching Hospital in the US.
Raj Sawh-Martinez, MD, MHS
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Dr. Sawh-Martinez is currently the Chief of Pediatric Plastic Surgery and Medical Director of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery at AdventHealth in Orlando, Florida.
Dr. Sawh-Martinez spent two years as an NIH Research Fellow in the Vascular Tissue Engineering Laboratory that was the first in the world to implant tissue engineered blood vessels into human infants to repair their congenital heart defects. He has authored and co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, coauthored textbook chapters and has presented nationally and internationally. He maintains positions on the editorial boards of leading Craniofacial Surgery Journals.
As an Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at the UCF College of medicine, he runs an active research group as part of the UCF Bioniix Faculty Cluster and serves on the Deans Advising Committee. His research is focused on Bioprinting Tissue Engineering, Cleft & Craniofacial Disorders, and Melanoma. His research group has won accolades for contributions to Cleft Care outcomes, Virtual Surgical Planning research, and 3D Printing Innovations.
Dr. Sawh-Martinez is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and is routinely listed as a “Top Plastic Surgeon” in media publications.
Robin Yang, DDS, MD
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Dr. Yang is the Director of pediatric craniofacial surgery and Division Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is an associate professor in the Departments of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Otolaryngology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His areas of expertise include orthognathic surgery, pediatric oral and maxillofacial pathology, and congenital craniofacial deformities. Dr. Yang received an undergraduate degree in psychology from Emory University. He earned his doctorate in dental surgery from the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Yang completed residencies in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center/R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and in plastic and reconstructive surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He performed a pediatric craniofacial/plastic surgery fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in his current position in 2019.
Tom Carpenter, MD
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Dr. Carpenter is Professor of Pediatrics (Endocrinology) and Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Carpenter has maintained a career-long involvement in metabolic bone diseases in children. He currently serves as director of the Yale Center for X-linked Hypophosphatemia (XLH) and as the Medical Director of the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation's Hospital Research Unit. His research interests center on the pathophysiology and development of therapy for XLH, the most common inherited form of rickets. He also has a major interest in the metabolism and function of vitamin D, and disorders related to vitamin D in children. He has published over 200 articles, reviews and chapters with a focus of metabolic bone diseases in children, and is currently an Associate Editor of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT TEAM
The R&D Team comprises Ph.D. level Scientists with 300+ combined years of experience in pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck and Bayer.