Cerylid appoints expat high-flyer to advisory board

Melbourne-based Cerylid Biosciences has appointed another internationally experienced scientist to its advisory board.

Dr JJ Kim Wright is vice-president of medicinal chemistry and pre-clinical development at US drug discovery company ChemoCentryx, where he has worked since 2001. Before that, he spent 17 years at pharma Bristol-Myers Squibb, including a stint as vice-president in the company's chemistry division.

Wright is an expatriate Australian who completed his PhD in organic chemistry at the Australian National University in 1969. In a statement, he said his decision to accept the Cerylid position was not just because he had a favourable impression of the company's operation, but also because of "the desire to help an Australian company expand its potential on the world scene."

Cerylid's scientific advisory board now has four members, including Structural GenomiX CEO Dr Tim Harris, Bionomics director and Amgen advisor Dr George Morstyn, and biotechnology consultant Dr Paul Tolstoshev.

CEO Dr Jackie Fairley said Wright's impressive record in drug development fitted Cerylid's strategy to develop its own drugs from an internal screening program.