Asana BioSciences

Dr. Sandeep Gupta is the Founder and Director of Asana BioSciences. From June 2014 to August 2022, he was the CEO and  President of the company. Under Dr. Gupta’s leadership, Asana filed seven successful INDs for NCEs and biologics, demonstrated clinical proof of concept for multiple programs in therapeutic areas of oncology (4) and immunology (2), held successful interactions with the FDA and advanced its lead asset, gusacitinib, to Phase 3 clinical development. Dr. Gupta raised >$250M in private financing for Asana and orchestrated multiple out-licensing transactions of Asana’s immunology and oncology assets creating significant value for its shareholders.
 

Dr. Gupta currently is the CEO of Libertas  Bio, a clinical stage biotech company focused on development of novel therapeutics for immuno-dermatology indications. From September 2019 - March 2021, Dr. Gupta was also the CEO of Prolong Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage company based in NJ, leading development of a novel blood product for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke and other hypoxic conditions.
 

Previously, Dr. Gupta was the Senior Vice-President of Discovery and Early Development, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Malvern, PA (2008-2014) and Head of Drug Discovery and Pharmacology at Forest Laboratories (now AbbVie), NY, USA (1998-2008). Dr. Gupta played a key role in the development and commercialization of several block buster drugs during his tenures at Forest and Endo (Celexa, Lexapro, Namenda, Benicar, Bystolic, Savella, Lidoderm, Fortesta, Aveed). He also held academic positions at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University Schools of Medicine (1992-1998).
 

Regarded as a pioneer of the Virtual Drug Discovery and Development model, Dr. Gupta has created several successful R&D collaborations across the globe. He played a key role in the identification, evaluation, and in-licensing of multiple assets while at Forest Laboratories including Vraylar (cariprazine) from Gedeon Richter (Hungary). He was the architect of a successful collaboration between Endo and Orion Pharmaceuticals (Finland) for Nubeqa (darolutamide for mCRPC), which was subsequently licensed and commercialized by Bayer Inc. after completion of Phase 2 development.
 

Dr. Gupta received his Bachelor and Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, India and Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Northeastern University, Boston. He is a co-inventor on >20 patents and has authored >50 scientific papers and book chapters.

Currently Dr. Gupta serves as a Director on the Board of Libertas Bio, Asana BioSciences, Scienture Inc. NY, and Curadev Pharma Pvt. Ltd. (India). He is a member of various professional organizations including ASCO, AACR and The CEO Roundtable on Cancer.