BOSTON, Massachusetts — Odyssey Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing precision treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, has appointed Dennis Dean, Ph.D., as Executive Vice President and Head of Non-Clinical Development.
In this role, Dr. Dean will oversee all preclinical research and development activities supporting the company’s drug candidates as they move from discovery into clinical evaluation. His responsibilities will include toxicology, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK), chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), and program management. He will work closely with Discovery Research, Research Operations, and Clinical Development to ensure that Odyssey’s non-clinical programs remain scientifically rigorous, compliant with regulatory standards, and aligned with the company’s therapeutic strategy.
“Dennis joins Odyssey at a pivotal moment, as our lead programs advance toward later stages of development,” said Gary D. Glick, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Odyssey Therapeutics. “His deep expertise in toxicology, pharmacology and translational sciences will be invaluable as we generate the data required to support clinical development, inform patient safety monitoring and prepare high-quality regulatory submissions. With his proven track record of guiding programs from discovery through IND and into the clinic, Dennis is uniquely positioned to strengthen our non-clinical capabilities and help accelerate transformative medicines for patients.”
Dr. Dean brings more than 25 years of drug development experience across both biotechnology firms and major pharmaceutical companies. Most recently, he served as Chief Non-Clinical Development Officer at Third Harmonic Bio, where he led candidate selection and oversaw toxicology, translational science, and DMPK functions. Prior to that, he served as Chief Development Officer at IFM Therapeutics, where he helped advance multiple programs into early clinical trials, contributing to a series of successful acquisitions by global pharmaceutical companies.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Dean was Senior Vice President and Head of Preclinical Development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. In that role, he led translational disciplines including DMPK, preclinical safety, clinical pharmacology, biomarkers, and modeling and simulation, contributing to regulatory filings for medicines such as Telaprevir for hepatitis C, and Kalydeco and Orkambi for cystic fibrosis. He began his career at Merck Research Laboratories, where he held roles of increasing responsibility in DMPK.
Dr. Dean earned his Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo and completed postdoctoral research in synthetic organic chemistry at Emory University. He has authored more than 90 scientific publications and has served in leadership roles across several research organizations and industry working groups.
“I was drawn to Odyssey because of its bold scientific vision and the opportunity to help shape transformative therapies from the ground up—something truly rare at this stage of my career,” Dr. Dean said. “What excites me most is the caliber of the team and the chance to build a drug discovery and development platform that bridges cutting-edge science with real-world impact for patients.”
