Tom Gadek

Dr. Gadek has had an illustrious career in the biotechnology industry spanning 33 years. He discovered and developed several novel first-in-class molecules addressing emerging protein therapeutic targets. These efforts have been chronicled with Dr. Gadek as an author on 54 peer-reviewed publications and as an inventor on 64 issued and 76 pending United States patents. Dr. Gadek initially gained experience and expertise at larger companies, 5 years at Syntex, and 15 years at Genentech. He founded the venture-backed startup SARcode, where he was CEO. Dr. Gadek engineered the target identification, lead discovery, and clinical proof of concept for the development of Lifitegrast, a treatment for dry eye. This resulted in the acquisition of SARcode by Shire, and the approval of Lifitegrast by the FDA in 2016. His expertise covers the realm of immunology and inflammation, particularly in the fields of ophthalmology and dermatology. Dr. Gadek obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley following a Bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado and a Master's degree from MIT.