Stephen Wanaski

Stephen Wanaski serves as senior vice president of research and exploratory development at Paragon, overseeing the basic science, pharmacology/toxicology, clinical pharmacology, and due diligence activities for drug candidates and technologies across portfolio companies.

Stephen Wanaski, Ph.D., brings a wealth of experience to Paragon including orphan drug development of small and large molecules from discovery through late-stage clinical studies and approval.

Previously, Dr. Wanaski served as vice president of research & exploratory development at Castle Creek Pharmaceuticals, a Paragon portfolio company. He held the same role at Marathon Pharmaceuticals, playing an integral role in the development and FDA approval of a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Prior to Marathon, Dr. Wanaski was vice president of research & development at NeuroTherapeutics Pharma. He led preclinical and clinical pharmacology development at Ovation Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Lundbeck) and was responsible for late-stage new drug application (NDA)-enabling activities for four, first cycle NDA approvals in various central nervous indications. He also worked at an oncology-based biotech company, NeoPharm. Dr. Wanaski received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.