Cryptome lures expat home for advisory role

Melbourne-based proteomics researcher Cryptome Pharmaceuticals has lured Dr Paul Cossum, an Australian who for the last 20 years has worked in American biopharmas, to join the company. As a scientific consultant, Cossum will provide advice on drug development and regulatory affairs.

Both Cossum and recently-appointed Cryptome CEO Dr Jeffrey Travis moved to Australia from positions at early-stage privately-held biopharma NewBiotics Pharmaceuticals in San Diego.

Cossum was executive vice-president of drug development at NewBiotics. He has also worked in pre-clinical development at Arnoex Pharmaceuticals and Isis Pharmaceuticals. He began his career at Genentech, conducting research on recombinant human proteins.

Cryptome's technology uses proteolytic enzymes to break proteins into protein fragments, which are assayed for activity. Its first candidate drug is CR001, is an anti-coagulant compound.