Atom Bioscience is a research-based pharmaceutical company engaged in new drug discovery and development on treatments for inflammatory and metabolic diseases.

Among our drugs now in development is ABP-671, a novel compound for gout treatment.  APB-671 has completed Phase 1 clinical trials in the United States and 2a clinical trials in Australia. Atom Bioscience is advancing ABP-671 to global Phase 3 trials and commercialization. 

Our novel compound ABP-6016 is currently under pre-clinical development for NASH and gastric cancer. Atom Bioscience expects ABP-6016 to enter clinical trials soon.

Atom Bioscience Management Team

William (Dongfang) Shi, Ph.D.

William (Dongfang) Shi, Ph.D.

Founder, CEO, President, & Chairman

Marc Gurwith, M.D. & J.D.

Marc Gurwith, M.D. & J.D.

Chief Medical Officer

Roy J. Wu, MBA

Roy J. Wu, MBA

Senior Vice President,
Global Business Development

Ullrich Schwertschlag

Ullrich Schwertschlag, M.D.,
Ph.D., FACP
Senior Vice President,
Clinical Research & Development

W. Jerry Liu, M.D.

W. Jerry Liu, M.D.

Senior Vice President,
Medical Development

Adam (Wenqing) Jin, M.S.

Adam (Wenqing) Jin, M.S.

Executive Vice President, China

Mike Li, M.S.

Mike Li, M.S.

Head of CMC & Regulatory

Steven Smith

Steve Smith

Head of Clinical DMPK

Key Advisors

Kenneth G. Saag

Kenneth G. Saag
M.D., M.Sc.
Rheumatology Advisor

N. Lawrence Edwards

N. Lawrence Edwards
M.D., MACP, MACR
Rheumatology Advisor

Vibeke Strand

Vibeke Strand
M.D.
Rheumatology Advisor

Robert Terkeltaub

Robert Terkeltaub
M.D.
Rheumatology Advisor

Matthew M. Loar

Matthew M. Loar
CPA
Financial Advisor

Atom Bioscience Investors

Since 2012, Dr. Shi and his experienced management team have raised about $87 million USD to advance ABP-671 and ABP-6016 along with other compounds in the company’s pipeline. The company closed its latest round of financing, a Series C, in December 2021 for $47 million USD led by Kingray Capital and GTJA Investment Group.

Atom Bioscience Investors

  • William (Dongfang) Shi, Ph.D.
    CEO, President, Chairman & Founder

    Dr. Shi started Atom Bioscience in March of 2012. He has served as Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman since January of 2015. Previously, he had served as our Chief Executive Officer and President since March of 2012. From 1999 to 2011, Dr. Shi served in various positions of increasing responsibility at Genelabs Technologies Inc. and Metabolex Inc. He has worked on the new drug discovery and development on the area of anti-cancer, HCV, diabetes, gout, and NASH for more than 28 years. He was leading the new drug design, organic synthesis, patent application, preclinical studies, clinical trials, financing, ect. Dr. Shi authored 43 patents and 26 of them were from Atom Bioscience. He published 13 peer reviewed papers from his Ph.D. and postdoctoral work. Dr. Shi received his Ph.D. in Medicinal and Organic Chemistry from the University of Nottingham in 1995, and was the Postdoctoral Fellow in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin from 1996 to 1998.

  • Marc Gurwith, M.D. & J.D.
    Chief Medical Officer

    Dr. Gurwith joined Atom Bioscience in August of 2018 as our Chief Medical Officer. Previously, he was Executive Vice President, Scientific Affairs at PaxVax Inc. in 2017. From 2007 to 2017, Dr. Gurwith served as Chief Medical Officer at PaxVax. From 2001 to 2007, he was Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs, and Chief Medical Officer at VaxGen, Inc. From 1997 to 2001, Dr, Gurwith served as Vice President of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer at Genelabs Technologies. Inc. In his previous career, Dr. Gurwith was an Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Kansas School of Medicine, UCLA, and Michigan State University. He was Vice President of Clinical Research at Sequus Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Gurwith obtained his M.D. from the Harvard University, Medical School and his B.A. from the Yale University. He did his Medical Resident at the Stanford University, School of Medicine. He also received his J.D. from the Temple University School of Law.

  • Roy J. Wu, MBA
    Sr. Vice President, Global Business Development
    Mr. Wu joined Atom Bioscience in August of 2019 as Senior Vice President, Global Business Development. Previously, he was our Senior Consultant in Business. From 2009 to 2016, Mr. Wu served as Senior Vice President, Business Development at Novabay Pharmaceuticals Inc. From 2001 to 2009, Mr. Wu was Vice President, Business Development at Genelabs Technologies Inc. From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Wu served as Vice President, Business Development at Kissei Pharma (USA) Inc. From 1989 to 1995, Mr. Wu served as Director, R&D Program Planning and Management Japan and Pacific Sector at Syntex Corporation. Mr. Wu had 35 years of successful experience of Business Development, Licensing, Distributor Management, International Marketing, Project Management, Clinical Development, Pacific Sector Regulatory and Pharmaceutical Development. Areas of expertise include Product licensing, technology collaboration and alliance management; Strategic Planning for Business Unit; International Marketing, New Product Planning; International Project Management and Clinical Development; U.S. and Japan drug development experience in GI, CV, analgesic, urology, immunology and metabolic disease; Regulatory experience with FDA (USA), PMDA (Japan), CFDA (China), TFDA (Taiwan), MFDA (S. Korea) for Drugs and Medical Device. Mr. Wu received his MBA, International Finance from the University of San Francisco, School of Business, and B.S. in Biology from the University of San Francisco.

  • Ullrich Schwertschlag, MD, PhD, FACP
    Sr. Vice President of Clinical Research and Development

    Dr. Ullrich Schwertschlag is an accomplished internist, pharmacologist and clinical pharmacologist with over thirty years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry including large pharmaceutical and small biotech companies. He has been a principal investigator in phase 1 studies, attending physician and basic researcher in academic settings and the VA.

    Dr. Schwertschlag has been decisive and successful in design, implementation and analysis of clinical development programs in the US and Europe from phase 1 – 3. Creative in translational research, as well as preclinical and clinical development of drugs/biologicals in major disease areas including oncology, immunology and neurology. Leading roles as author of over 40 INDs, 3 BLA/NDAs and interactions/presentations with the FDA. Leading author of many study reports, safety reviews, advisory board presentations and peer reviewed publications. Author/Principal Investigator of several small business grants.

    Specialties include clinical drug development, translational medicine and discovery medicine.

  • W. Jerry Liu, M.D.
    Senior Vice President, Medical Development

    Dr. W. Jerry Liu brings to Atom Bioscience more than 20 years of experience in industry clinical research and drug development. After obtaining his medical degree from Peking University, Health Sciences Center, Dr. Liu completed his residency training in surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. He then studied in the US and obtained MS degrees in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Mathematical Computer Science. Following his post-graduate training, he started his career in Clinical Research/Drug development. He has extensive working experience in early and late phase clinical development across several different therapeutic areas including autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, oncology and neurology. Prior to joining Atom Bioscience, Dr. Liu was Executive Medical Director at Horizon Therapeutics as the Clinical Lead for TEPEZZA for its post US approval activities. These efforts included  increasing global regulatory approval, expanding into new chronic TED sector, and developing new formulations and pipelines that enhance the value propositions of the TEPEZZA. Prior to Horizon, Dr. Liu was at Celgene and BMS. He also led the Phase 2/3 clinical studies for ozanimod for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and the successful NDA and approval of ozanimod for UC, and initiated its pediatric clinical programs in IBD. In his earlier career stage, Dr. Liu also led clinical development at SanBio for its cell therapy for stroke and brain injury, and development of botulinum toxin products for neurological and aesthetical indication at Ipsen and Allergan. Dr. Liu also led early development programs for Alzheimer’s disease and the PML risk characterization and management of Tysabri for MS patients and associated interactions with regulatory agencies, while at Elan Pharmaceuticals.

  • Adam (Wenqing) Jin, M.S.
    Executive Vice President

    Mr. Jin has served as Executive Vice President. Previously, he served as Vice President, China Business Development and Human Resources since July 2015. He is responsible for company operation, project collaboration, equity financing activities, and license agreements. Mr. Jin assisted in the completion of Series A, A+, B and C financing.  Prior to joining Atom Bioscience, he was Project Manager at Sterile Technology LLC, where he was responsible for process development, GMP validation and operation consulting. Mr. Jin obtained his M.S. degree in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing & Regulatory Affairs from Stevens Insititute of Technology.

  • Mike Li, M.S.
    Head of CMC & Regulatory

    • M.S. in Chemistry & Chemical Engineering

    • Former Sr Director of  US Pharmas

    • 35 years experience in CMC development

    • Preparation of CMC for US IND submission Tech transfer & GMP compliance

  • Steven Smith
    Head of Clinical DMPK

    •. Former Head of DMPK at Roche, CA

    •  Senior Director and Director of DMPK at UCB Pharma, Adolor and Syntex Research

    •  Over 30 years of experience in Clinical DMPK

    •. Contributed over 50 lead optimization projects.  More than 30 of these have proceeded to clinical testing and also contributed to four NDA approvals with successful drugs in clinical use.

  • Kenneth G. Saag, M.D., M.Sc.

    Jane Knight Lowe Professor

    President, American College of Rheumatology

    Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology

    University of Alabama at Birmingham

     

  • N. Lawrence Edwards, M.D., MACP, MACR

    Vice Chairman and Professor
    Department of Medicine
    University of Florida

     

  • Vibeke Strand, MD

    Adjunct Clinical Professor, Division of Immmunolog/Rheumatology
    Stanford University School of Medicine

     

  • Robert Terkeltaub, MD

    Professor of Medicine at University of California at San Diego
    Section Chief of Rheumatology at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in San Diego.

     

  • Matthew M. Loar

    Financial Advisor

    Matthew M. Loar is an independent financial consultant to smaller public and private companies in the health care industry. Prior to consulting, he has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Mateon Therapeutics, KineMed, Neurobiological Technologies, Virolab, Osteologix, and Genelabs Technologies. Mr. Loar received a B.A. in Legal Studies from the University of California, Berkeley and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in California.