Pfizer Exec Joining T.O. Biotech

A fairly low-profile pharmaceutical company in Thousand Oaks has brought on a longtime Pfizer executive and co-inventor of the drug Zoloft to be in a management position. Dyve Biosciences has announced that Dr. Chuck Harbert will be its chief scientific officer. Harbert has three decades of experience as a medicinal chemist and pharmaceutical industry leader, Dyve said in a statement. Harbert is credited with being the co-inventor of approximately 35 pharmaceutical patents, including Zoloft, and has authored about 20 scientific publications. He received the American Chemical Society’s award for team innovation alongside other Zoloft team members. Dyve, founded in 2014, is not as well known as some other biotechs, but it announced last month that it received FDA clearance to begin Phase 2 trials for its topically administered drug for gout – and that helped attract the attention of Harbert. “They have a breakthrough technology that changes the way drugs are delivered, ultimately improving drug safety and efficacy,” Harbert said in a statement. “Dyve’s scientists have been able to get a broad range of drugs and compounds through the skin with much higher bioavailability, at unprecedented levels, well beyond what I’ve seen in the pharmaceutical industry. I’m excited about the power of the underlying technology and the opportunity to join a very talented team.” “Chuck’s accomplished tenure at Pfizer is world-class with a stellar track record of translating scientific innovation into clinical and commercial success,” Dr. Ryan Beal, chief executive of Dyve, said in a statement. “He’s been integral to the development of numerous blockbuster drugs and it’s inspiring to be working alongside him. I look forward to working with Chuck, and the rest of the Dyve team, to continue to build this incredible company.”