Executive Director/Senior Director - Antibody Research And Development

About Aeglea

In June 2023, Aeglea completed the asset acquisition of Spyre and shifted its disease focus to IBD. Aeglea is advancing a pipeline of antibody therapeutics with the potential to transform the treatment of IBD. The approaches combine novel antibody engineering, rational therapeutic combinations, and precision immunology approaches to maximize efficacy, safety, and convenience of treatments for IBD. The company's two parallel lead programs—SPY001 and SPY002—target ɑ4β7 and TL1A, respectively, and build upon the validation of these targets by existing commercial- and clinical-stage antibody therapeutics. The company’s lead programs are projected to enter clinical studies in 2024.

On June 22, 2023, we completed a $210 million private placement of our Series A Preferred Stock with a syndicate of healthcare investors led by Fairmount Funds Management LLC, with participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company, Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners, Commodore Capital, Deep Track Capital, Perceptive Advisors, RTW Investments, Cormorant Asset Management, Driehaus Capital Management, Ecor1 Capital, RA Capital Management, Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company), and Wellington Management Company LLP, as well as additional institutional investors.

Role Summary

The successful candidate will have a leadership role in multiple aspects of drug discovery and drug development at Spyre. In this role, you will be spending substantial effort creating the data-driven scientific foundation of Spyre development programs. This individual will be a key member of the team executing on development candidate creation and selection, in vivo assessment of antibody pharmacology including PK/PD, characterization of the biochemical/pharmacologic properties of therapeutic antibodies, and broad scientific support of Spyre pipeline programs. Substantial effort will be spent designing and directing studies at CROs, characterizing the biochemical/cell biological properties of therapeutic antibodies, and capturing the design and results of key studies in a variety of written reports or other documents. This role will report to the SVP of Preclinical Research and Development and work closely with other Spyre functional leads (Operations/Project Management, Corporate Development, Clinical, Regulatory, FP&A, etc.).

Key Responsibilities

• Present novel research and development findings from the Spyre portfolio to external audiences including at scientific conferences, in peer-reviewed publications, and communications with investors and other company stakeholders such as patient advocacy organizations.
• Contribute to strategic planning and budget/finance projections for the company over multiple year periods.
• Lead the design, execution, and interpretation of complex biological studies aimed at increasing confidence in the in vitro and in vivo properties of therapeutic antibodies that will enable differentiated clinical activity.
• Serve as the key Spyre point of contact with outside partners and internally in support of our efforts in antibody creation/discovery, as well as development candidate selection and characterization.
• Serve as a go-to scientific leaders within Spyre and communicate plans, progress, and results of key studies to internal and external audiences via written and verbal means.
• Creating and evaluating available preclinical and clinical data to build testable antibody therapeutic hypotheses.
• Oversee the generation of reagents and development of assays to accurately characterize the properties of Spyre therapeutic antibodies in nonclinical safety studies and clinical trials (bioanalysis in support of PK, immunogenicity, biomarkers, pharmacology, etc.).
• Create and review regulatory submissions related to antibody drug development programs.

Ideal Candidate

• 7+ years of drug discovery and/or drug development experience with complex biologics spanning early and late-stage development.
• Ability and willingness to travel occasionally in support of team objectives and goals.
• Excellent communication skills with an ability to present to a variety of stakeholders and adjust message for maximum understanding of all parties.
• Availability to participate in calls across multiple international time zones.
• Ability to multi-task and keep pace with a fast-moving organization.
• PhD in relevant discipline (e.g., biochemistry, immunology, or similar relevant field)
• Experience leading and executing early-stage research and development programs aimed and the creation of antibody therapeutics. Therapeutic area experience in inflammation/immunology/gastroenterology is a plus.
• Strong leadership mentality and motivation to create the future of therapeutic medicine. Willing to learn from others, and dedication to being an excellent colleague within Spyre and with our key partners.

What We Offer

• Flexible PTO
• Commitment to provide professional development opportunities.
• Opportunity to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where you help shape the culture of our young company, contribute broadly to advance meaningful medicines, and learn quickly.
• Market competitive compensation and benefits package, including base salary, performance bonus, equity grant opportunities, health, welfare & retirement benefits.
• Two, one-week company-wide shutdowns each year.
• Remote working environment with frequent in-person meetings to address complex problems and build relationships.