Alchemia: Drug Discovery with a Difference
February 2008
Alchemia: Drug Discovery with a Difference
Interview with Pete Smith
Alchemia: Drug Discovery with a Difference
In this exclusive interview, Fintan Walton talks to Pete Smith, CEO of Alchemia, about the origins of the company in carbohydrate chemistry, and how these origins led to a unique position in the manufacture of fondaparinux through an agreement with Dr Reddy’s. Pete also outlines the hyaluronic acid technology gained through the acquisition of Meditech, and how the company is using this in oncology. Alchemia’s strategic positioning as a drug discovery company that blends rational drug design with random high throughput screening is also discussed.
About Pete Smith
Peter Smith joined Alchemia in 2006 as Director of Commercialisation, and became CEO in April 2007. He has more than 18 years of commercial experience in the biotechnology-pharmaceutical sector. Before joining Alchemia, Peter was CEO and Managing Director of Amrad from 2003 to 2005, where he successfully created the spin-out anti-infectives company Avexa, and restructured Amrad to focus on antibody therapeutics, renaming it Zenyth Therapeutics in the process. Zenyth went on to be acquired by CSL in 2006. Previously Peter founded UK biotech company Onyvax, and was a top-rated pharmaceutical analyst at the UK and Swiss Investment Banks HSBC and UBS. Peter holds a PhD in Biochemistry and a BA from Cambridge University in the UK.
About Alchemia
Alchemia is a listed Australian biotechnology company. It has particular expertise in chemistry, which it has applied to the discovery and development of human therapeutic products. Since it was founded in 1995, Alchemia has grown into an established drug discovery and development company driving value through its antithrombotic drug generic fondaparinux and its dual platform technologies.
