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USD 70 /hr

★★★★★

☆☆☆☆☆

Hire Dr. Gagan K.

India

USD 70 /hr

Medicinal Chemistry Strategy Advisor | Drug Discovery | Scientific Due Diligence | 23+ Years Pharma R&D Experience

Profile Summary

Helping biotech startups and pharmaceutical companies make better drug discovery decisions. PhD in Organic Chemistry. I am a Drug Discovery Scientist, Medicinal Chemist and R&D Leader with over 23 years of experience in discovering and advancing innovative small-molecule therapeutics across oncology, inflammation, metabolic diseases and other therapeutic areas. Throughout my career, I have led multidisciplinary drug discovery programs spanning target identification, hit discovery, hit-to-lead, lead optimisation, translational strategy and preclinical candidate selection, working closely with biology, DMPK, pharmacology, toxicology, computational chemistry and project management teams. One of the highlights of my career has been contributing to the discovery of LND700110, a first-in-class MALT1 inhibitor that was out-licensed to AbbVie, generating US$30 million upfront for Lupin, with substantial future milestone potential. Today, through my independent advisory practice, I work with biotechnology startups, pharmaceutical companies, CROs, academic innovators and investors seeking experienced scientific guidance to: • Evaluate therapeutic targets and discovery strategies • Build robust medicinal chemistry roadmaps • Execute hit-to-lead and lead optimization programs • Assess scientific and technical risk • Conduct scientific due diligence • Develop R&D and portfolio strategies • Mentor scientific teams and project leaders I believe successful drug discovery requires much more than excellent chemistry—it requires integrating science, strategy, commercial thinking and cross-functional leadership to make better decisions and accelerate innovation. If you are building a biotech company, evaluating new therapeutic opportunities, or seeking experienced scientific leadership for your drug discovery programs, I would be happy to connect.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ★ Drug Discovery
• ★ Medicinal Chemistry
• ★ Drug Design
• ☆ Chemical Reagent Development
• ☆ Agricultural Chemistry
• ☆ Organic Chemistry
• ☆ Data Collection
• ☆ Hit-to-Lead & Lead Optimization
• ☆ Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) Studies
• ☆ Drug Development
• ☆ Small Molecule Drug Development
• ☆ Preclinical ADME/PK/PD
• ☆ Preclinical Research
• ☆ Bioavailability

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting

Writing Technical Writing, General Proofreading & Editing

Research Gap Analysis, Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review

Consulting Scientific and Technical Consulting

Work Experience

Scientific Director

Syngene International (India)

December 2021 - April 2026

Deputy General Manager (Group Lead)

PI Industries Ltd.

December 2017 - December 2021

Assistant Director

Lupin Ltd

October 2009 - September 2017

Senior Research Investigator-I/II

Advinus Therapeutic Pvt. Ltd.

January 2004 - April 2009

Research Scientist

Ranbaxy Research Laboratories Ltd

September 2002 - January 2004

Education

Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Drug Design and Synthesis

University of Siena

August 2004 - August 2005

Ph. D in Organic Chemistry

University of Delhi

January 1998 - December 2002

Certifications

• Chemical Synthesis

  Badgr

  https://badges.parchment.com/public/assertions/9pYCfw7QQkSOhK9epoI2jA

  May 2022 - Present

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Gagan Kukreja, Navnath P. Karche, Mandar Bhonde, Neelima Sinha, Gourhari Jana, Sanjay P. Kurhade, Arun R. Jagdale, Ajay R. Tilekar, Anil K. Hajare, Ganesh R. Jadhav, et al. (2020). Discovery of isoquinolinone and naphthyridinone-based inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) as anticancer agents: Structure activity relationship and preclinical characterization . Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry.

Gagan Kukreja, Ajay R. Tilekar, Arun R. Jagdale, G. Gautham Shenoy, Neelima Sinha (2017). ‘One-pot’ organocatalyzed enantioselective synthesis of highly functionalized 3,4,5,6-tetrasubstituted dihydropyrans by sequential Knoevenagel condensation/Michael addition and hemiacetalization . Tetrahedron: Asymmetry.

Gagan Kukreja, Sandra Gemma, Caterina Camodeca, Margherita Brindisi, Simone Brogi, Sanil Kunjir, Emanuele Gabellieri, Leonardo Lucantoni, Annette Habluetzel, Donatella Taramelli, et al. (2012). Mimicking the Intramolecular Hydrogen Bond: Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Modeling of Benzoxazines and Quinazolines as Potential Antimalarial Agents . Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Gagan Kukreja, Debnath Bhuniya, Dhananjay Umrani, Bhavesh Dave, Deepak Salunke, Jayasagar Gundu, Minakshi Naykodi, Nadim S. Shaikh, Prasad Shitole, Santosh Kurhade, et al. (2011). Discovery of a potent and selective small molecule hGPR91 antagonist . Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters.

Gagan Kukreja, Sandra Gemma, Giuseppe Campiani, Stefania Butini, Bhupendra P. Joshi, Salvatore Sanna Coccone, Matteo Bernetti, Marco Persico, Vito Nacci, Isabella Fiorini, et al. (2009). Combining 4-Aminoquinoline- and Clotrimazole-Based Pharmacophores toward Innovative and Potent Hybrid Antimalarials . Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Gagan Kukreja, Sandra Gemma, Giuseppe Campiani, Stefania Butini, Salvatore Sanna Coccone, Bhupendra P. Joshi, Marco Persico, Vito Nacci, Isabella Fiorini, Ettore Novellino, et al. (2008). Clotrimazole Scaffold as an Innovative Pharmacophore Towards Potent Antimalarial Agents: Design, Synthesis, and Biological and Structure–Activity Relationship Studies . Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Gagan Kukreja, Caterina Fattorusso, Giuseppe Campiani, Marco Persico, Stefania Butini, Maria Pia Romano, Maria Altarelli, Sindu Ros, Margherita Brindisi, Luisa Savini, et al. (2008). Design, Synthesis, and Structure–Activity Relationship Studies of 4-Quinolinyl- and 9-Acrydinylhydrazones as Potent Antimalarial Agents . Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Gagan Kukreja, Sandra Gemma, Pierangela Tripaldi, Maria Altarelli, Matteo Bernetti, Silvia Franceschini, Luisa Savini, Giuseppe Campiani, Caterina Fattorusso, Stefania Butini (2008). Microwave-assisted synthesis of 4-quinolylhydrazines followed by nickel boride reduction: a convenient approach to 4-aminoquinolines and derivatives . Tetrahedron Letters.

Gagan Kukreja, Sandra Gemma, Giuseppe Campiani, Stefania Butini, Matteo Bernetti, Bhupendra P. Joshi, Luisa Savini, Nicoletta Basilico, Donatella Taramelli, Vanessa Yardley, et al. (2007). Development of piperazine-tethered heterodimers as potent antimalarials against chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum strains. Synthesis and molecular modeling . Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters.

Gagan Kukreja, Jitender M. Khurana, Bhaskar M. Kandpal, Purnima Sharma (2007). Stereoselective Debromination and Selective Reduction of vic‐Dibromides with Nickel Boride . ChemInform.

Gagan Kukreja, Sandra Gemma, Giuseppe Campiani, Stefania Butini, Bhupendra P. Joshi, Marco Persico, Bruno Catalanotti, Ettore Novellino, Ernesto Fattorusso, Vito Nacci, et al. (2007). Design and Synthesis of Potent Antimalarial Agents Based on Clotrimazole Scaffold:  Exploring an Innovative Pharmacophore . Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Gagan Kukreja, Giuseppe Campiani, Jitender M. Khurana, Bhupendra P. Joshi, Surinder K. Grover (2006). Unexpected formation of hydroxybiphenylmethane derivatives and some new observations on Labat test . Natural Product Research.

Gagan Kukreja, Sandra Gemma, Caterina Fattorusso, Marco Persico, Maria P. Romano, Maria Altarelli, Luisa Savini, Giuseppe Campiani, Ernesto Fattorusso, Nicoletta Basilico, et al. (2006). Synthesis of N1-arylidene-N2-quinolyl- and N2-acrydinylhydrazones as potent antimalarial agents active against CQ-resistant P. falciparum strains . Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters.

Gagan Kukreja, Jitender M. Khurana, Arpita Agrawal (2006). A Novel Two Step Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydro-4-oxo-5H-pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidines . HETEROCYCLES.

Gagan Kukreja, Giovanni Maga, Sandra Gemma, Caterina Fattorusso, Giada A. Locatelli, Stefania Butini, Marco Persico, Maria Pia Romano, Luisa Chiasserini, Luisa Savini, et al. (2005). Specific Targeting of Hepatitis C Virus NS3 RNA Helicase. Discovery of the Potent and Selective Competitive Nucleotide-Mimicking Inhibitor QU663 . Biochemistry.

Gagan Kukreja, Margaret M. Mc Gee, Sandra Gemma, Stefania Butini, Anna Ramunno, Daniela M. Zisterer, Caterina Fattorusso, Bruno Catalanotti, Isabella Fiorini, Claudio Pisano, et al. (2005). Pyrrolo[1,5]benzoxa(thia)zepines as a New Class of Potent Apoptotic Agents. Biological Studies and Identification of an Intracellular Location of Their Drug Target . Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Gagan Kukreja, Jitender M. Khurana (2003). Nickel boride mediated reductive desulfurization of 2‐thioxo‐4(3<i>H</i>)‐quinazolinones: A new synthesis of quinazolin‐4(3<i>H</i>)‐ones and 2,3‐dihydro‐4(1<i>H</i>)‐quinazolinones . Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry.

Gagan Kukreja, Jitender M. Khurana, Geeti Bansal (2002). Desulfurization of thioureas, benzimidazoline-2-thiones and 1,3-dihydro-1,3-diaryl-2-thioxopyrimidine-4,6(2H,5H)-diones with nickel boride at ambient temperature1 . Journal of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions 1.

Gagan Kukreja, Jitender M. Khurana (2002). RAPID REDUCTION OF NITRILES TO PRIMARY AMINES WITH NICKEL BORIDE AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE[1] . Synthetic Communications.

Jitender M. Khurana, Arti Sehgal, Amita Gogia, Aparna Manian, Golak C. Maikap (1996). Pinacolization and reduction of aromatic carbonyls with aluminium–KOH . J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1.