Catherine J. Pachuk

Dr. Pachuk has more than 25 years of research and development leadership experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors with expertise in both drug, device and vaccine development with significant experience in nucleic acid based therapeutic platforms including ASO, RNAi and nucleic acid-based vaccines. Her key areas of therapeutic focus are viral diseases including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, metabolic disease, HCC and indications associated with Ischemia Reperfusion Injury. She was involved in advancing multiple product candidates into the clinic and market including several first-in-man compounds. She received her Ph.D. in molecular virology from the University of Pennsylvania where she studied the molecular biology of coronaviruses. She also has a dual Regulatory Affairs Certificate from RAPS (Regulatory Affairs Professional Society) in medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

Following a post-doctoral fellowship at SmithKline Beecham, she joined Apollon, Inc. to develop programs in oligonucleotide-based therapeutics, and subsequently DNA-based vaccines for both viral and oncology indications. Following the acquisition of Apollon, Inc. by Wyeth-Ayerst Research in 1998 she continued to direct several vaccine programs, which resulted in several plasmid-based vaccine products being advanced into clinical trials. During this time, Dr. Pachuk worked with FDA’S CBER division in the drafting of a “Points to Consider” document regarding considerations for administration of plasmid DNA compounds in humans. In 2001, she co-founded Nucleonics, a biotech focused on the development of RNAi-based therapeutics, one of which was advanced into clinical studies in Chronic Hepatitis B patients. Until April 2008, she was VP of Preclinical Research. Dr. Pachuk then went on to lead biology and preclinical development efforts for Pfizer’s oligonucleotide therapeutic programs (ASO and siRNA) in the areas of oncology and metabolic disease and was a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Dr. Pachuk also has significant experience in nucleic-acid delivery and has led nucleic acid-delivery and formulation development programs for ASO, plasmid-based therapeutics, and siRNA at Apollon/Wyeth Vaccines, Nucleonics and Pfizer. Dr. Pachuk also was responsible for obtaining more than $1.8 million in government and private grants.

Dr. Pachuk is currently a Scientific Advisory Board member for Ocugen, Inc. where she advises on the development of a COVID-19 vaccine and is currently an invited expert curator for the American Society of Microbiology’s COVID-19 research registry. She is also an adjunct faculty member at both Florida Atlantic University and Baruch Blumberg Institute.