Frank Kayser

Frank Kayser has extensive experience in the field of drug discovery and chemistry. Frank is currently the VP of Drug Discovery at Nitrase Therapeutics, a position they have held since 2022. Prior to that, they worked at BioArdis as the Senior VP of Drug Discovery from 2018 to 2022. Before BioArdis, Frank was the Senior VP of Chemistry, Integrated Programs at BioDuro from 2016 to 2018.

In 2014, Frank founded their own consulting company called Kayser Consulting, LLC., where they served as the Principal. At Kayser Consulting, they provided expertise in small molecule drug discovery to life science companies, including optimizing drug discovery strategies and evaluating portfolios and leads. Frank also assisted in the launch of companies by implementing research and drug discovery pipelines. Frank worked at Kayser Consulting from 2014 to 2016.

Prior to starting their consulting company, Frank held various positions at Nurix, Inc. as the Head of Chemistry from 2012 to 2014. Before that, they worked at Amgen as the Scientific Director from 2004 to 2011. At Amgen, they successfully advanced multiple programs in various therapeutic areas and mentored medicinal chemistry teams.

Frank's career in the pharmaceutical industry began at Tularik Inc., where they worked as a Sr. Principal Scientist from 2000 to 2004. Frank led chemistry efforts on multiple programs, including the DGAT-1 project, which later advanced into clinical development. Prior to Tularik Inc., Frank worked at Merck Research Laboratories as a Research Fellow and Sr. Research Chemist from 1994 to 2000, where they designed and synthesized small molecule therapeutics.

Overall, Frank Kayser has a wealth of experience in drug discovery, chemistry, and leadership roles in various pharmaceutical companies, making him an invaluable asset to the industry.

Frank Kayser completed their Ph.D. in Chemistry from The Philipp University of Marburg, where they studied from 1983 to 1991. Following this, they pursued postdoctoral work with B.H. Lipshutz at UC Santa Barbara, focusing on Chemistry, from 1992 to 1994.