Ubiquigent appoints Dr Rishi Shah as Head of Chemistry

29 August 2023 -- Dundee, UK -- Appointment brings extensive heterobifunctional and chemical biology expertise in house to drive forward Ubiquigent’s internal DUBTAC drug discovery and DUB-focused partnerships.

Ubiquigent Limited (Ubiquigent), a drug discovery and development company harnessing novel deubiquitinase (DUB) modulators as new therapeutics for areas of high unmet medical need, today announced the appointment of Dr Rishi Shah as head of Chemistry. Bringing extensive expertise in heterobifunctional molecules, Rishi will support Ubiquigent’s internal drug discovery and strategic partnerships in the design, discovery and development of DUB inhibitors, DUB-targeting Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) and DUB-targeting Chimeras (DUBTACs).

Rishi joins Ubiquigent from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where he led the development of multiple targeted protein degradation (TPD) programmes across a range of therapeutic areas, in addition to the development of an orally bioavailable PROTAC platform, a state-of-the-art bifunctional linker library, and the identification of novel E3 ligase ligands for use in TPD applications. Rishi held a visiting scientist position at Imperial College London, collaborating with Professor Ed Tate to merge recent advances in covalent inhibitor technology with PROTACs and has consulted on multiple TPD programmes, including DUB- and molecular glue-focused projects. He earnt a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology through the University of Strathclyde-GSK collaborative PhD programme, exploring the design and physicochemical optimisation of JAK PROTACs and obtained a Masters in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Queen Mary University of London.

“Ubiquigent is at an exciting stage of its growth, with an evolving focus on DUBTAC design and development through the application of its comprehensive DUB-focused drug discovery platform.” said Dr Rishi Shah, head of Chemistry, Ubiquigent. “I look forward to working alongside the Ubiquigent team to further advance its pipeline of novel DUB modulators, as well as its strategic partnerships with industry and academia, empowering therapeutic progress across the fields of protein degradation and stabilisation.”

Jason Mundin, chief executive officer, Ubiquigent, commented: “I am thrilled to welcome Rishi to the Ubiquigent team. With almost a decade of experience in heterobifunctional design and biological assay development, Rishi’s expertise will be critical in the continued development of both internal and partner DUB-focused drug discovery programmes and will strengthen our therapeutic focus on DUBTACs.”

Visit: www.ubiquigent.com

About Ubiquigent
Ubiquigent enables the discovery and development of DUB modulators as new therapeutics for areas of high unmet medical need. Founded 13 years ago, the Company has an unrivalled track record and unique range of specialist services focused on the exploitation of the DUB enzymes and ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Ubiquigent is the partner chosen by many leading industry and academic organisations for their drug discovery programmes spanning the development of DUB inhibitors and modulators in the fields of protein degradation, stabilisation and cellular signalling. Ubiquigent has an internal pipeline of drug discovery programmes and is developing a strong IP portfolio encompassing DUB inhibitors, DUB-targeting Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) and DUB-targeting Chimeras (DUBTACs) for subsequent commercialisation via partnerships and out-licensing agreements.
The Company benefits from high calibre backing, including from IP Group PLC, Scottish Enterprise, the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the University of Dundee. Based in a state-of-the-art facility located near the University of Dundee, it sits at the centre of a range of highly relevant additional scientific expertise and capabilities.