Our Team

Expertise: Executive, growth and business development

Dr. Kay is nearly a 40 year veteran in the biotech industry. He was an early member of Genetics Institute, acquired by Wyeth, in the early 80s at the dawn of the biotech era, and quickly ascended to executive roles at GenPharm (VP), acquired by Medarex; Origen (CEO), and Epalex (CEO). Some of these companies were involved in cutting-edge platform technologies in the therapeutic antibody space, including some of the first biologic drugs and the first transgenic animals to produce humanized antibodies. He has a broad experience base across multiple indication areas, from discovery to clinical trials, with a firm rooting in antibody discovery platform technologies.

Expertise: Executive, drug discovery and development

Dr. Beeley is a 30+ year veteran in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. His scientific background started in organic chemistry, but over his years grew into both small molecule and antibody drug development, with particular experience in oncology and in GPCRs. Most relevant to Abalone, he was VP and Chief Chemical Officer at Arena Pharmaceuticals, a GPCR drug company; VP of Discovery at Senomyx, finding GPCR and ion channel small molecule agonists; and as CSO and CEO of Ab-Vax, which developed therapeutic antibodies. His experiences in both small molecules and antibodies gives us insight into the relative advantages of each and gives us clarity into indications and drug profiles that are especially well-suited for our discovery platform (i.e., functional antibodies). Dr. Beeley has co-authored over 70 scientific publications and abstracts and is a co-inventor on over 90 patent applications, including over 40 issued US patents.

Expertise: Startup operations and growth, antibody drug development, and business development

Dr. Rabuka is a returning therapeutics biotech entrepreneur. Most relevant to Abalone Bio, his first company, Redwood Biosciences, developed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology that was acquired by Catalent (2014). Through his run at Redwood as CEO then CSO, then at Catalent, he saw development of multiple programs, including the development from discovery to clinical trials of an anti-CD22 ADC for lymphoma. He has an amazing perspective from growing Redwood in its early days during the last financial crisis, so he has a lot of insights into creating value quickly and inexpensively, leveraging select pharma partnerships and non-dilutive grant funding.

Expertise: Portfolio development, clinical and regulatory guidance.

Dr. Szwarcberg is a clinical researcher and biotech executive with an exceptionally rich set of experiences in clinical research and drug development. He has led more than 22 clinical trials, many successful ones, for a variety of drugs, including small molecules, peptides and biologics. While trained as a pulmonologistr, his work spans many fields, including lung fibrosis and infectious disease (HIV).  In recent years, Dr. Szwarcberg has worked in orphan diseases, and has directed and managed preclinical and clinical pipelines, comprising small molecules, antibody drugs, enzyme therapies and gene therapy approaches. Dr. Szwarcberg presented and defended results at the FDA multiple times, including four drug approvals, one for pirfenidone (Esbriet) for lung fibrosis.

Dr. Szwarcberg advises Abalone in pre-clinical and clinical drug development, and also in target and indication choices and program and portfolio strategies, including research of unmet needs, market adoption, competition and risk assessment. Through his extensive network, Dr. Szwarcberg has provided invaluable connections to discovery, development and clinical researchers and business development and other executives in biotech companies.