Andrew Young, MD, PhD

Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Andrew Young joined New Rhein as Executive in Residence in June 2021. Andrew worked as a medical doctor, basic scientist, and professor of physiology prior to his career in drug discovery and development. Medical training at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, was to Resident level, with hospital and private practice. Scientific training, also at the University of Auckland, was in physiology (MSc in thermoregulatory control; Ph.D. in sensory neurophysiology). Post-doc fellowships were with the National Institutes of Health (Fogarty Fellow), studying diabetes in the Pima Indians of Arizona, and with the Max-Planck Institute (Von Humboldt Fellow) in neurophysiology. Professorial level teaching included general physiology to science and medical students and respiratory physiology to surgeons.

​

Andrew joined Amylin Pharmaceuticals as the founding physiologist in 1989, describing the physiology of the new hormone in Amylin: Physiology and Pharmacology. He joined GlaxoSmithKline in 2008 as Head of Enteroendocrine Biology before co-founding Phoundry Pharmaceuticals Inc., specializing in the discovery of high-potency peptides suitable for convenient delivery systems such as the implanted minipump developed by Intarcia Therapeutics. After Phoundry merged with Intarcia in 2015, he served as its CSO until 2020. Additional entrepreneurial activity includes co-founding Satiogen Pharmaceuticals Inc. (San Diego), which spun off Lumena Pharmaceuticals Inc. (sold to Shire) while Satiogen persisted as a developer of medicinal foods.

​

Andrew’s 32 years of drug discovery leadership has focused upon peptide therapeutics for metabolic diseases, contributing to 6 NDA’s, 3 being first-in-class (including the first GLP-1 receptor agonist). Publications include 104 papers, 38 books/chapters, 76 patents/applications, and 244 abstracts/short communications.

​

Andrew lives with his wife Lynne and their son Oliver, the youngest of five children, in Chapel Hill, NC. He enjoys music, fixing and sailing boats, and designing and building things.