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Deborah Charych, Ph.D.
Scientific and Technical Founder RayzeBio, Inc. and New Newco!
Deborah Charych, Ph.D., is a prominent figure in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, currently serving as the Scientific Founder, Chief Technology/Science Officer, and Advisor at RayzeBio. She has over 20 years of experience, particularly in oncology and drug development.
Professional Background
Dr. Charych co-founded RayzeBio, a company focused on the targeted delivery of radionuclides for cancer treatment. Under her leadership as Chief Technology Officer, she was instrumental in developing the scientific and operational R&D strategy, which facilitated a successful $45 million Series A financing and subsequent funding rounds totaling $418 million. Her work at RayzeBio emphasizes innovative approaches to delivering therapeutic radioisotopes, particularly Actinium-225, to solid tumors.12
Before her tenure at RayzeBio, Dr. Charych held significant roles at various biotech firms. At Nektar Therapeutics, she led the preclinical and early clinical development of an immuno-oncology pipeline, culminating in a substantial deal with Bristol Myers Squibb valued at $1.8 billion. Additionally, her experience includes leadership positions at FivePrime Therapeutics and Chiron Corporation, where she contributed to oncology target discovery and the development of biologics for cancer and autoimmune diseases.13
Academic Credentials
Dr. Charych earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University. Her academic background has provided her with a strong foundation in cancer biology, immunology, and chemistry, which she has applied throughout her career in both academia and industry.13
Current Roles
In addition to her role at RayzeBio, Dr. Charych has been appointed to the board of Skye Bioscience, further extending her influence in the biotech sector. Her expertise in scientific leadership and drug development continues to shape advancements in targeted cancer therapies.45
Highlights
Ridiculously long overdue. Success stories like RayzeBio the company I co-founded with Aaron Kantoff and Aron Knickerbocker are born from some luck but mostly I think, good science+outstanding scientists. RayzeBio was enabled in part, by collaborator Peptidream/Patrick Reid who quickly generated de novo molecules (pre-money) so we are in animal testing 3 months after raising a $45M A round. The flywheel was spinning. But mostly the company was built by the scientists who risked their livelihoods to create new tech that delivers Actinium-225 to tumors using new chemical matter. Our early team quickly learned the ropes of this niche Radiopharmaceutical field and innovated therein. I gotta thank Yvan C, Junjie Liu, Samira Khalili, Ivy Hung, Hyosuk Seo, Ron He, Greg C., Guangcheng Jiang, Daniel Kim, Jodi Cooper, Nicole Bakas, Ph.D., Alain Noncovich, Zaid Amso, Samantha Richardson, Jennifer Souratha, Peter Belmont, Stephanie Grabow, Derek Cole, Nicholas Smith, Gary Li, Ph.D, Professor Henry VanBrocklin +more and our clinical investigator Dr. Thomas Hope, leading the ACTION trial. Dr. Hope kindly sat down with me and original co-founder Thomas Fuglsang Harding, and patiently explained nuclear medicine over a 3-hour Beach Chalet lunch. Ideas are nothing without capital; greatly appreciate the team at venBio, Yvonne Yamanaka (brilliant), Richard Gaster, M.D., Ph.D. and of course Aaron Royston, M.D. stepping up to the plate and taking a swing along with Joel Drewry and Jerel Davis, Versant Ventures and Ken Song for extraordinary capital! It may seem like the RayzeBio story was overnight in biotech-time, but actually 2018 is when Thomas and I took notice of the human mCRPC compassionate data out of Germany and Australia. Not knowing any better, (and being scientists) we went out and pitched a 65-slide deck that synthesized Radiopharmaceutical drug development as we saw it. A huge thanks to the many venture partners who put up with that 4-hour presentation lol, and gently gave us feedback. 😊 In the end, drugs that actually work is the thing that matters. Go Bristol Myers Squibb!
Looking for terrific bioanalytical chemists to join our growing team
