Coulter Partners places former Evotec executives as Chief R&D Officer and SVP Biology, Discovery Strategy group at Dalriada

Dalriada, through its TURN-KEY™ Drug Discovery services model, provides a full suite of drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and intellectual property services for semi-virtual, lean biotechnology clients who focus on developing small molecule therapies.

Both Dr. Davenport and Dr. Loechel join Dalriada from Evotec and bring decades of experience working in pharma, biotech, and contract research organizations.

Dalriada’s Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Dr. Diana Kraskouskaya commented: “I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Davenport to Dalriada as its new CRDO. Throughout his outstanding career at Evotec, Dr. Davenport has been at the forefront of drug discovery. He is a renowned chemist and authority in his area of expertise, and we believe his addition to the team will further strengthen our strategies and capabilities, as we strive to become the partner of choice for our biotech partners and clients.”

She added: “I am delighted to have Dr. Loechel join Dalriada. Dr. Loechel brings not only heaps of industry experience in small molecule discovery, but also importantly, effective strategies in enabling innovative discovery programs and bringing them to the clinic.”

Commenting on her experience working with Coulter Partners, she said: “We are always impressed by the professionalism of the Coulter Partners team and by the quality of the candidates presented to us. This is why we continue working with them on our growing executive recruitment needs.”

Dr. Davenport will assume strategic and scientific execution responsibility for all of Dalriada’s programs, as well as its current and future R&D capabilities.

Serving most recently as Head of Global Molecular Discovery at Evotec where he spent his whole career, Dr. Davenport is a seasoned drug discovery leader and innovator who brings over 22 years of hands-on life science and partnership organization experience, having contributed to drug candidates and clinical assets through both governance and scientific leadership roles.

Dr. Davenport has a strong track record of progressing multiple projects through discovery into clinical evaluation and is lead inventor of P2X3R antagonists Eliapixant and Filopixant, achieving Phase 2a PoCs in Persistent Chronic Cough (PCC), and Bradykinin B1R antagonist Fulimetibant, undergoing a Phase 2a study to treat diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP).

Dr. Loechel will be responsible for scientific strategy in biology for drug discovery programs. With 20 years’ academic experience and 25 years working in pharma, biotech, and contract research organizations, Dr. Loechel brings a wealth of experience across multiple areas and therapeutic modalities of drug discovery, from target validation to preclinical development. His areas of expertise include in vitro pharmacology, small molecules, CNS, and metabolic therapy areas.

First as a VP, Metabolic Diseases, and then as SVP, Therapeutic Area Lead and Scientific Director, he built up a large department at Evotec and led new collaborative drug discovery agreements with pharma/biotech partners and on the strategy of project portfolio in major multi-target collaborations. Prior to this Dr. Loechel spent his career at Lundbeck, Thermo Fisher, Neurosearch, and BioImage.

About Dalriada Drug Discovery Inc.