BioDuro has appointed Greg Makara senior vice president of lead discovery chemistry, putting him in charge of expanding computational chemistry, AI and lead discovery work within its early-stage drug discovery services.
Makara will work across BioDuro’s discovery organization to integrate computer-based methods with its experimental chemistry, biology and drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics capabilities. His remit includes molecular modeling, structure-based drug design, virtual screening and methods for selecting compounds for further study.
BioDuro provides contract research, development and manufacturing services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Its lead discovery work helps researchers identify compounds with activity against a target and refine them into candidates for additional testing.
Makara has more than 20 years of experience in drug discovery and chemistry leadership. He founded and led ChemPass and previously served as chief executive and chief technology officer of ComInnex, where he co-founded its chemistry services business.
Earlier, he was site head of AMRI Hungary and led Merck & Co.’s target validation chemistry group in Rahway, New Jersey. At Merck, he developed a fragment-based approach to finding lead compounds. He also held a director role at Neogenesis Pharmaceuticals, where he worked on screening technology used to identify and optimize leads.
BioDuro CEO Armin Spura said the appointment is part of the company’s effort to incorporate computational tools into its drug discovery services. Makara said he plans to connect those tools with laboratory work on client projects.
The role spans the early steps of drug discovery, from identifying initial compounds to improving leads before they advance into later development work.