Andrew Charles

Andrew has more than 25 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry across all phases of drug discovery from early target identification and validation to late PhIIb. During his career in AstraZeneca, Andrew has worked as a bioscientist in several disease areas. For the past 12 years he has focused on type 2 diabetes and obesity, leading multidisciplinary drug discovery project teams that have delivered 3 anti-diabetic compounds into development. He offers a broad perspective of what is required to take a compound through a successful discovery and development programme, and in particular how to address the biological and pharmacological challenges involved in bringing forward novel agents in the field of metabolic disease through effective design and execution of appropriate pre-clinical scientific studies. He provides advice on optimising risk and resources across a balanced portfolio of projects including, as appropriate, the placement of studies to Contract Research Organisations (CROs). Andrew also provides due diligence evaluation of bioscience and translational science dossiers for potential in-licensing opportunities.

Andrew has extensive experience of leading and managing other bioscientists in drug discovery. He has worked internationally, most recently leading a section of in vitro and in vivo bioscientists working on aspects of metabolic disease at AstraZeneca in Sweden. Andrew has also led cross functional teams identifying new target opportunities, and has provided bioscience expertise in due diligence evaluations of licensing opportunities for direct entry into early (PhI/II) development. He has been an active member of science review panels advising senior management and has led international teams evaluating and introducing new technologies and capabilities across a global business.

Andrew holds a degree in Natural Sciences and a PhD in organometallic chemistry from Cambridge University, which was followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University working in the fields of enzymology and molecular biology.

Expertise
Biology-in-vitro, Biology-in-vivo, Biology-Molecular, Clinical-Development, CVMD, UK