About Us - Oban BioPharma

GPCR Allosteric Therapeutic Development

Team

President, Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors

Derek Chalmers, Ph.D., D.Sc.

Dr. Chalmers has over 30 years experience in the biotechnology industry with increasing levels of corporate and business responsibilities. Prior to co-founding Oban BioPharma, Dr. Chalmers co-founded Cara Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CARA) and served as Director, CEO, and President from inception in July 2004 through November 2021. During his tenure he oversaw the development and regulatory approval of KORSUVA®, the first non-scheduled kappa opioid agonist approved by the FDA and negotiated and consummated corporate license agreements with Johnson & Johnson, Vifor Pharma (CSL Pharma), Maruishi Pharmaceuticals and Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corporation.

Prior to Cara, Dr. Chalmers co-founded Arena Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer in 2022), a drug discovery and development company focused on novel GPCR targets, and served as its Director and Vice President of Research and Development from inception through 2004. Prior to Arena, Dr. Chalmers was a group leader in drug discovery at Neurocrine Biosciences (NASDAQ: NBIX). Dr. Chalmers holds a Ph.D. from The Wellcome Surgical Institute, University of Glasgow and has previously conducted research as both a Fogerty International Fellow and NARSAD Fellow at The University of Michigan Medical Center. Dr. Chalmers is inventor or author of over 100 issued patents or peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Chief Scientific Officer, Board of Directors

Michael Lewis, Ph.D.

Dr. Lewis has over 50 years of research experience, with about 40 years of experience in the biotechnology industry, and has led or advised drug discovery and development programs across a broad range of indications. Prior to co-founding Oban BioPharma, Dr. Lewis co-founded Cara Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CARA) and served as Chief Scientific Advisor from inception in July 2004 through January 2022. Prior to Cara, Dr. Lewis co-founded Arena Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer in 2022) and served as Chief Scientific Advisor from inception through 2003. Prior to Arena, Dr. Lewis was a co-founder and Chief Scientific Advisor of Adolor Corporation (acquired by Cubist, 2011).

Several years after entering industry as a principal investigator pharmacologist at DuPont, Dr. Lewis started his entrepreneurial biotechnology career in 1988 as a co-founder and Director of Pharmacology at Cephalon (acquired by Teva in 2011). Dr. Lewis holds a Ph.D. from Clark University and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge in the Psychological Laboratory and the MRC Neurochemical Pharmacology Unit and Lund University, followed by postdoctoral positions at the NIMH in the Biological Psychiatry Branch and at the University of Michigan in the Mental Health Research Institute. Dr. Lewis is inventor or author of over 100 issued patents or peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Vice President of Clinical Research

Warren Wen, Ph.D.

Dr. Wen has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, with expertise in leading global clinical development programs, regulatory approvals, and cross-functional teams. Prior to Oban, Dr. Wen served as VP of Clinical Development at Cara Therapeutics where he led the Phase 3 clinical programs for oral and intravenous difelikefalin (KORSUVA®) for pruritus in chronic kidney disease patients, resulting in FDA approval of KORSUVA and approvals of Kapruvia® in 41 countries. He successfully challenged FDA restrictions to expand study populations, managed $100+ million budgets, led collaborations with KOLs and patient advocacy groups, and authored key publications, including a New England Journal of Medicine article on the KALM-1 trial.

Prior to Cara, Dr. Wen served as Vice President and Senior Director of Clinical Research at Axovant Sciences from 2015 to 2017, where he led the Phase 2 nelotanserin program for Lewy Body dementia, secured FDA fast-track designation, and navigated regulatory interactions with U.S. and European agencies. From 2006 to 2015 at Purdue Pharma, he was Clinical Lead for the Hysingla® ER program, overseeing NDA submission and expedited FDA approval, while authoring over 100 posters and 18 manuscripts. Earlier roles included Associate Director positions at Scios Inc. (Johnson & Johnson), Pfizer Inc., Organon Pharmaceutical, and Research Investigator at Bristol-Myers Squibb, contributing to programs for Natrecor®, Lipitor®, and Glucophage®. Dr. Wen holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Minnesota. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers, presentations, and regulatory submissions.

VP, Medicinal Chemistry & CMC

Paul Beckett, Ph.D.

Dr. Beckett oversees both discovery chemistry and early development CMC activities. Dr. Beckett has over 30 years of diverse experience in emerging biotech companies in Europe and the United States. He has been actively involved in the discovery of ten small molecule/peptide drug candidates across multiple therapeutic areas including Marimastat (oncology), KORSUVA® (pruritis), BB- 83698 (infectious disease) and OATD-01 (asthma/pulmonary fibrosis). Dr. Beckett holds a Ph.D. from Liverpool John Moores University and conducted postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Stephen Davies at Oxford University.

He is an inventor of more than 50 issued patents and an author on 40 peer-reviewed publications.