TORONTO– Cyclica Inc. (“Cyclica”), a neo-biotech with the vision to advance the most robust and sustainable drug discovery pipeline, welcomes drug discovery veteran Michael (Mike) Palovich as Chief Science Officer, Head of Drug Discovery. Mike brings 24 years of drug discovery experience at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he led drug discovery programs spanning multiple therapeutic areas with a highly successful track record. Most notably, Mike co-led the team who discovered umeclidinium, a regulatory-approved drug that is used in medicines for the treatment of various respiratory diseases. In his role at Cyclica, Mike will lead a growing team of drug discovery scientists who are advancing a sustainable pipeline of therapeutically rich and diverse assets.
“I’ve had the distinct pleasure of getting to know Mike over the past few years. Beyond being a world class med chemist and drug hunter, he’s a visionary, and I have always been amazed at how his aspirations for the future of drug discovery and development align perfectly with Cyclica’s growth plans,” indicates Naheed Kurji, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Cyclica. ”It’s become increasingly clear that the future of drug discovery is in the hands of hyper innovative biotech companies who have a data and AI first strategy. Mike’s experience developing first in class medicines for patients with unmet needs is exactly what we need at Cyclica as we continue to drive forward our robust drug discovery pipeline.”
Palovich shares Kurji’s sentiment about his anticipated contribution as the Chief Science Officer: “I’m looking forward to collaborating with the innovative team at Cyclica to drive their robust pipeline forward. Ultimately, with our highly scalable AI-driven platform, I believe we will impact patients with new drugs faster than ever before. Drug discovery isn’t easy, and our ambitions are lofty, but I believe that my drug discovery experience, combined with a world-class team will lead to Cyclica being a leading biotech company. I’m very excited for this opportunity.”
“2 years ago, we invested in Cyclica’s vision to build the biotech pipeline of the future,” said Molly Bonakdarpour, one of Cyclica’s board members and partner at Drive Capital. “As an investor and a continued believer in what Cyclica is building, Mike’s two decades of experience discovering successful drugs, in combination with Cyclica’s robust pipeline, will have tremendous impact on the industry.”
