Coulter Partners Places Two Leaders for Dalriada
July 20, 2023 – Life sciences recruiting specialist Coulter Partners has assisted in the recruitment of two key leaders for Dalriada in Mississauga, Ontario. Adam Davenport joins the small molecule drug discovery company as chief research and development officer, and Frosty Loechel signs on as senior vice president biology, discovery strategy group. Both individuals previously worked for Hamburg, Germany-headquartered life science company Evotec. Dr. Davenport and Dr. Loechel each bring decades of experience working in pharma, biotech, and contract research organizations.
Dr. Davenport assumes strategic and scientific execution responsibility for all of Dalriada’s programs, as well as its current and future R&D capabilities. He served most recently as head of global molecular discovery at Evotec where he spent his whole career. Dr. Davenport is a seasoned drug discovery leader and innovator who brings over 22 years of hands-on life science and partnership organization experience, having contributed to drug candidates and clinical assets through both governance and scientific leadership roles.
Deep Experience
The researcher has a strong track record of progressing multiple projects through discovery into clinical evaluation and is lead inventor of P2X3R antagonists Eliapixant and Filopixant, achieving Phase 2a PoCs in persistent chronic cough (PCC), and Bradykinin B1R antagonist Fulimetibant, undergoing a Phase 2a study to treat diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP). His expertise spans across modalities, diverse target classes (GPCRs, ion-channels, PPIs, CNS, kinases, enzymes), and therapeutic areas (pain, inflammation, cognition, metabolic, women’s health, and respiratory).
“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Davenport to Dalriada as its new CRDO,” said Diana Kraskouskaya, Dalriada’s CEO and co-founder. “Throughout his outstanding career at Evotec, Dr. Davenport has been at the forefront of drug discovery. He is a renowned chemist and authority in his area of expertise, and we believe his addition to the team will further strengthen our strategies and capabilities, as we strive to become the partner of choice for our biotech partners and clients.”
Dr. Davenport is based out of Dalriada’s U.K. site, as part of the company’s growing presence in Europe, focusing on project strategy and leadership.
Scientific Strategy
Dr. Loechel served as VP, metabolic diseases, and then as SVP, therapeutic area lead and scientific director for Evotec. He built up a large department and led new collaborative drug discovery agreements with pharma/biotech partners and on the strategy of project portfolio in major multi-target collaborations. Earlier, Dr. Loechel spent his career at Lundbeck, Thermo Fisher, Neurosearch, and BioImage.
At Dalriada, Dr. Loechel is responsible for scientific strategy in biology for drug discovery programs. With 20 years’ academic experience and 25 years working in pharma, biotech, and contract research organizations, Dr. Loechel brings a wealth of experience across multiple areas and therapeutic modalities of drug discovery, from target validation to preclinical development, said Dalriada. His areas of expertise include in vitro pharmacology, small molecules, CNS, and metabolic therapy areas.
Related: Coulter Partners Recruits Chief Development Officer for TargED Biopharmaceuticals
“I am delighted to have Dr. Loechel join Dalriada,” said Dr. Kraskouskaya. “From enabling complex biology, to build-out of discovery pipelines and platforms, we strive to be an ultimate partner for our biotech clients. Dr. Loechel brings not only heaps of industry experience in small molecule discovery, but also importantly, effective strategies in enabling innovative discovery programs and bringing them to the clinic.”
As Investors Retreat, Healthcare/Life Sciences Sector Stays Resilient
Healthcare and life science organizations are facing an increasingly complex landscape, with rapid technological advancements, changing regulatory environments, and heightened public scrutiny. As a result, these companies have been turning to executive search firms more than ever to acquire world-class leadership. The most pressing challenge has been finding high-impact, innovative leaders who can navigate this complex terrain and drive meaningful change.
Dalriada, through its TURN-KEY Drug Discovery services model, provides a full suite of drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and intellectual property services for semi-virtual, lean biotechnology clients who focus on developing small molecule therapies. The company was founded in 2017.
Life Sciences Focused Recruiters
Coulter Partners is a board- and senior-level global executive search specialist focused exclusively on life sciences. The firm works closely with those at the cutting edge of innovation in the industry to understand their challenges. With an extensive global network and expertise gained over 25 years in the sector, Coulter Partners have become trusted advisers on leadership in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical technology, diagnostics, health tech, CRO, and services sectors. The firm also works closely with the global investor community, hiring for their own teams as well as building the boards and executive leadership teams of their portfolio companies. Its team of 95 completes over 260 assignments a year working from 14 offices across the U.K., EMEA, the U.S., and APAC.
CEO Bianca Coulter founded Coulter Partners in 2003 and has 25 years’ experience of board and C-level global search, building the leadership teams of early stage, mid-cap, and global multinationals in over 20 countries. Through appointing leadership, Ms. Coulter channels her judgment and expertise to impact patient benefit and assist those at the cutting edge of life science to achieve their goals.
Related: Coulter Partners Recruits Chief Medical Officer for Memo Therapeutics
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
