Ubiquigent Limited, a UK-based drug discovery and development company, has appointed Dr. Rishi Shah as Head of Chemistry. Dr. Shah will oversee the company’s internal drug discovery efforts and strategic collaborations in the field of deubiquitinase (DUB) research.
Jason Mundin, CEO of Ubiquigent, highlighted the significance of Dr. Shah’s appointment, emphasizing his nearly a decade of experience in heterobifunctional design and biological assay development. Dr. Shah’s expertise will play a critical role in advancing both internal and partnered DUB-focused drug discovery programs, particularly in strengthening the therapeutic focus on DUB-targeting Chimeras (DUBTACs).
Dr. Shah expressed enthusiasm for joining Ubiquigent at a pivotal stage of its growth, with a specific emphasis on DUBTAC design and development utilizing the company’s comprehensive DUB-focused drug discovery platform. He looks forward to collaborating with Ubiquigent’s team to advance their pipeline of novel DUB modulators and strategic partnerships with industry and academia, thereby contributing to progress in the fields of protein degradation and stabilization.
Prior to joining Ubiquigent, Dr. Shah held a position at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he led the development of multiple targeted protein degradation (TPD) programs across various therapeutic areas. He also served as a visiting scientist at Imperial College London, where he collaborated with Professor Ed Tate to merge covalent inhibitor technology with Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) and consulted on various TPD initiatives, including DUB- and molecular glue-focused projects.
In his new role, Dr. Shah will also mentor a PhD student from Imperial College London as part of a four-year project between Ubiquigent and the college. This project aims to create a new generation of small molecule activity-based probes (ABPs) enabling comprehensive exploration and interrogation of DUB activity in intact cells and organisms.
