Robert Ternansky Ph.D.
Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry, American Life Science Pharmaceuticals
Bio
Dr. Robert Ternansky is currently the acting head of medicinal chemistry at American Life Science Pharmaceuticals. He specializes in the design and development of small molecule protease inhibitors.
Dr. Ternansky was previously the senior vice president of Chemistry at Attenuon, LLC where he led the chemistry efforts that resulted in the advancement of two compounds through Phase II clinical trials in cancer. Prior to Attenuon, Dr. Ternansky served as director of medicinal chemistry at IDUN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in San Diego where he co-invented a lead series of caspase inhibitors for the prevention of apoptotic cell death. He held the position of associate director of inflammation at La Jolla Pharmaceuticals, Inc. where he led the analytical team on the pre-clinical development of LJP-394, a toleragen for the treatment of lupus. He was a research scientist and team leader at Eli Lilly and Co. where he invented LY193239, the first pyrazolidinone antibacterial agent to be developed for clinical investigation. He was also a member of the pre-clinical discovery/development team for loracarbef (Lorabid), the first marketed 1-carbacephalosporin antibacterial agent. Dr. Ternansky is also a co-inventor of trovirdine, a NNRT inhibitor of HIV-1 RT, which progressed through Phase II trials for the treatment of HIV infection. In addition, he currently serves as a lecturer at the University of California San Diego.