-20n Bio, a biotechnology company specializing in peptide drug discovery, announced the appointment of Linghang Zhuang, PhD, as President, effective February 1
MALVERN, Penn., Jan 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --20n Bio, a biotechnology company specializing in peptide drug discovery, announced the appointment of Linghang Zhuang, PhD, as President, effective February 1, 2024. Dr. Zhuang will oversee the company’s drug research and development.
An accomplished scientific leader, Dr. Zhuang authored about 30 peer-reviewed publications and holds 85 issued US/WIPO patents and published patent applications. His work has led to the invention of dozens of preclinical candidates across various therapeutic areas, five of which have successfully entered clinical trials. Dr. Zhuang joins 20n Bio from Claim Therapeutics, where he served as Head of Chemistry and led the chemistry efforts for both the Lilly-Claim partnered program and in-house programs. Prior to Claim, Dr. Zhuang was the Acting Site Head and Head of Chemistry at Eternity Bioscience, an R&D subsidiary of Hengrui Medicine, where he oversaw the company and led discovery efforts in multiple programs targeting oncology and autoimmune diseases. Before joining Eternity, Dr. Zhuang served as the Director of Chemistry at Vitae Pharmaceuticals until its acquisition by Allergan, where he led discovery efforts in autoimmune diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and oncology. Dr. Zhuang began his career at Merck and holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania.
“I am thrilled to welcome Linghang to the 20n Bio team at this critical time as we have validated our proprietary platform for the discovery of cyclic peptide drugs and are planning to build multiple discovery programs for some high-value targets later this year,” said Mingfu Zhu, Ph.D., founder and CEO of 20n Bio. “Dr. Zhuang brings 25 years of experience in drug discovery and development. His extraordinary leadership and expertise in drug discovery, including target validation, hit identification, and lead optimization, will be invaluable.”
“Cyclic peptides are molecules that have garnered increasing attention recently due to their potential for oral administration and access to intracellular targets. They can also serve as delivery vehicles for radiopharmaceuticals, siRNA, and PDC,” said Linghang Zhuang, Ph.D. “I am impressed with 20n Bio’s mRNA-display-based platform that incorporates non-natural amino acids and am delighted to join a team of passionate innovators. This robust platform provides a significant opportunity for the discovery of a new generation of medications that will ultimately benefit patients with various hard-to-treat diseases.”
About 20n Bio
20n Bio is a VC-backed startup dedicated to designing and screening cyclic peptides for therapeutics. Launched in 2021 and located in Malvern PA, 20n Bio’s mission is addressing unmet medical needs by leveraging high-throughput screening and computing to develop peptide drugs with desired biophysical, functional, and pharmacological properties.
