| Nathaniel David | |
| Birth Place: | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Nationality: | American |
| Alma Mater: | Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley |
| Known For: | Structural biology, Crystallography, Sustainable Energy |
| Awards: | MIT Technology Review Young Innovators Under 35 |
| Field: | Biotechnology, Sustainable Energy |
| Work Institution: | Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Sapphire Energy, Unity Biotechnology |
Nathaniel David is an American scientist and entrepreneur who co-founded a series of technology companies in the biotechnology and sustainable energy sectors, including Syrrx (acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company), Achaogen (NASDAQ: AKAO), Kythera Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KYTH, acquired by Allergan), Sapphire Energy and Unity Biotechnology.[1] [2] [3] These companies have collectively raised more than $1.5 billion in financing.
David earned an A.B. in Biology from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from University of California, Berkeley. He co-founded his first company, Syrrx, during the final year of his doctoral work at UC Berkeley.[4] Syrrx was the first company in the world to build a high-throughput structural biology ‘factory,’ using automation, nano-scale experiments, and crystallography to make the determination of atomic structures of proteins easier, faster, and cheaper.[5] [6]
In 2002, while at Syrrx, he was named to the MIT Technology Review TR35 as one of the top 35 innovators in the world under the age of 35.[7]
In 2005, Syrrx was acquired by Takeda, and the FDA-approved drug Nesina arose from Syrrx discovery efforts.[8] [9]
David left Syrrx to co-found Achaogen (NASDAQ: AKAO), an antibiotic company, and Kythera Biopharmaceticals (NASDAQ: KYTH).[10] He served as Chief Science Officer of Kythera while the company created a now-FDA-approved injectable drug Kybella that triggers the selective destruction of fat cells.[11] [12] Kythera went public in October 2012 on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol KYTH, and was acquired by Allergan in 2015 for $2.1 billion.[13] [14]
Achaogen's antibiotic plazomicin is effective against multidrug-resistant infections of Enterobacteriaceae.[15] In 2016, plazomicin demonstrated noninferiority for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in a pivotal phase III trial against colistin, and against meropenem for complicated UTIs and acute pyelonephritis.[16] [15] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved plazomicin for adults with complicated UTIs and limited or no alternative treatment options in 2018; it is now sold under the brand name Zemdri.[17] In April 2019, Achaogen declared bankrupt.[18]
In 2007, while still serving as Chief Science Officer at Kythera, David co-founded Sapphire Energy, a company with a mission to develop renewable, algae-derived transportation fuels that are 100% compliant with the existing energy infrastructure.[19] In 2010, the company began construction of the world's first commercial algal bio-refinery, a project that was awarded more than $100 million in federal funding.[20] [21]
In 2011, David co-founded Unity Biotechnology (NASDAQ: UBX),[22] a company dedicated to lengthening human healthspan by selectively clearing senescent cells from the body.[23] [24] [25] UNITY is creating medicines that target multiple diseases of aging. David is currently the President of Unity Biotechnology.[22] [26]