Thomas Hughes
Chief Scientific Officer
Scientific Advisory Board
Navitor
Japan
Biography
Dr. Hughes has more than 25 years of industry experience in the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products and an extensive knowledge of the obesity and metabolic disease industry. Leading Zafgen since 2008 as CEO, Dr. Hughes currently serves as President, Chief Scientific Officer and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. From 1987 to 2008, Dr. Hughes held several positions at Novartis AG (and formerly Sandoz Pharmaceuticals) including Vice President and Global Head of the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Therapeutic area at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research in Cambridge, MA. In these roles, he oversaw many drug discovery and development projects targeting obesity, diabetes and heart disease. As a scientist, Dr. Hughes led Novartis’ efforts to discover and develop its dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor vildagliptin (Galvus®/Eucreas®), a drug used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, currently approved in 70 countries. Dr. Hughes also serves as a director on the board of Miragen Therapeutics, Inc., and is a member of several scientific and strategic advisory boards, including Broadview Ventures and Nimbus Discovery, LLC.
Research Interest
Molecular Biology, Cell Biology
