Odyssey Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has appointed Dennis Dean, Ph.D., as Executive Vice President and Head of Non-Clinical Development.

Dean will lead all preclinical research and development activities that support the progression of Odyssey’s drug candidates from discovery to clinical trials, including oversight of toxicology, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK), chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), and program management.

He will work closely with Discovery Research, Research Operations and Clinical Development to ensure Odyssey’s non-clinical programs are scientifically rigorous, regulatory compliant, and strategically aligned with the company’s advancing portfolio.

“Dennis joins Odyssey at a pivotal moment, as our lead programs advance toward later stages of development,” said Gary D. Glick, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Odyssey Therapeutics. “His deep expertise in toxicology, pharmacology and translational sciences will be invaluable as we generate the data required to support clinical development, inform patient safety monitoring and prepare high-quality regulatory submissions. With his proven track record of guiding programs from discovery through IND and into the clinic, Dennis is uniquely positioned to strengthen our non-clinical capabilities and help accelerate transformative medicines for patients.”

Experience

Dean brings more than 25 years of experience spanning biotechnology and large pharmaceutical companies. Prior to joining Odyssey, he served as Chief Non-Clinical Development Officer at Third Harmonic Bio, where he was responsible for leading the selection of high-quality development candidates, including toxicology, DMPK, and translation functions.

Previously, Dean was Chief Development Officer at IFM Therapeutics, where he oversaw preclinical and clinical development, as well as advanced multiple programs into early clinical trials, which contributed to three successful acquisitions by global pharmaceutical companies.

He was also Senior Vice President, Head of Preclinical Development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where he led translational groups including DMPK, preclinical safety assessment, clinical pharmacology, biomarkers, and modeling and simulation, working on the filings for approved medicines such as Telaprevir for Hepatitis C and Kalydeco and Orkambi for cystic fibrosis. Earlier in his career, he held positions of increasing responsibility in DMPK at Merck Research Laboratories.

Dean received his Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the State University of New York, Buffalo, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in synthetic organic chemistry at Emory University. He has co-authored more than 90 publications and served in leadership roles within scientific societies and industry consortia.

“I was drawn to Odyssey because of its bold scientific vision and the opportunity to help shape transformative therapies from the ground up—something truly rare at this stage of my career,” said Dean. “What excites me most is the caliber of the team and the chance to build a drug discovery and development platform that bridges cutting-edge science with real-world impact for patients.”