Helmut Thomas

Biography

Dr. Thomas was Senior Vice President, Research & Preclinical Development at Tranzyme Pharma for over seven years prior to co-founding Cyclenium Pharma. He is a highly accomplished biochemist and toxicologist with an extensive and productive career in drug discovery and development. He began his career with CIBA-GEIGY in Basel, Switzerland in 1990 and became the Head of Toxicology and Preclinical Safety at CIBA-GEIGY Pharmaceuticals UK in 1994. Following the merger with Sandoz in 1997, Dr. Thomas spent the next eight years with Novartis Pharma, where he held several top-level management positions in Europe and the U.S., culminating in his appointment as Executive Director, Global Project Manager and Leader of the PRIDE (Proof of Research In Development) Team Oncology in East Hanover, NJ. While at Novartis, he directed the preclinical development of more than 25 drug candidates, including such important marketed drugs as Diovan® for hypertension and Gleevec® for chronic myeloid leukemia. He joined Tranzyme from LymphoSign Inc., where he served as Vice President, Research and Development. Dr. Thomas received his Ph.D. in biochemistry and organic chemistry from the University of Hannover, Germany. He is an author of over 130 scientific articles, book chapters and abstracts as well as a co-inventor on numerous patents.   Dr. Thomas was Senior Vice President, Research & Preclinical Development at Tranzyme Pharma for over seven years prior to co-founding Cyclenium Pharma. He is a highly accomplished biochemist and toxicologist with an extensive and productive career in drug discovery and development. He began his career with CIBA-GEIGY in Basel, Switzerland in 1990 and became the Head of Toxicology and Preclinical Safety at CIBA-GEIGY Pharmaceuticals UK in 1994. Following the merger with Sandoz in 1997, Dr. Thomas spent the next eight years with Novartis Pharma, where he held several top-level management positions in Europe and the U.S., culminating in his appointment as Executive Director, Global Project Manager and Leader of the PRIDE (Proof of Research In Development) Team Oncology in East Hanover, NJ. While at Novartis, he directed the preclinical development of more than 25 drug candidates, including such important marketed drugs as Diovan® for hypertension and Gleevec® for chronic myeloid leukemia. He joined Tranzyme from LymphoSign Inc., where he served as Vice President, Research and Development. Dr. Thomas received his Ph.D. in biochemistry and organic chemistry from the University of Hannover, Germany. He is an author of over 130 scientific articles, book chapters and abstracts as well as a co-inventor on numerous patents.  

Research Interest

 Drug Discovery and Development  Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics Pharmaceutical Analysis