Stephen E. Webber

Stephen E. Webber Ph.D. is a Primmune Therapeutics co-founder and advisor and expert in the discovery of TLR7 agonists. He is currently Executive Director of Medicinal Chemistry at Polaris Pharmaceuticals, where he is responsible for the discovery and synthesis of small molecule cancer therapeutics utilizing structure-based drug design techniques. Prior to joining Polaris, Dr. Webber was a co-founder and Director of Medicinal Chemistry at eFFECTOR Therapeutics, a company devoted to the discovery and development of translation regulators for cancer. At eFFECTOR, Dr. Webber’s responsibilities included building and managing a Medicinal Chemistry group, laboratories, and chemistry outsourcing, and performing structure-based drug design. Before this position, Dr. Webber was in charge of leading the discovery chemistry efforts at Anadys Pharmaceuticals, where he served in various senior level positions until the company was acquired by Roche. At Anadys, Dr. Webber discovered and co-invented several therapeutically important antiviral and anticancer small molecules, including clinical candidate setrobuvir, and TLR7 agonists ANA-975 and ANA-773. Dr. Webber also discovered rucaparib, which was licensed to Clovis Oncology by Pfizer and was approved by the FDA to treat ovarian cancer (marketed as Rubraca®). It is currently the subject of several Phase 2 and 3 clinical studies in other cancers in patients with the BRCA, or BRCA-like mutations. Dr. Webber’s industrial career extends back to Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc., joining the company in 1987 at its inception. Dr. Webber received his B.S. from Philadelphia University (now part of Thomas Jefferson University) and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.