Primary Job Title President, CEO and Co-Founder Primary Organization Capienda Biotech
Location San Diego, California, United States Regions Greater San Diego Area, West Coast, Western US Gender Male
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Mark Bernard is the President, CEO, and Co-Founder at Capienda Biotech. Dr. Bernard is a leading research biochemist and enzymologist with 16 years of experience in the pharma/biotech industry. Areas of expertise include drug discovery, nucleotide metabolism, nucleic acids, and enzymology. In large pharma (Pfizer and Bayer Healthcare
Pharmaceuticals) and startups, Dr. Bernard’s research involved drug discovery and mechanism of action for biopharmaceuticals and small molecules in oncology, immunology, and hematology. At the Pfizer Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Unit, he invented and published an enzymatic platform to optimize therapeutic RNA interference molecules and provide mechanistic insight. Bringing his RNAi expertise to Harvard Medical School, he discovered that HIV encodes novel microRNAs that stimulate a pro-inflammatory response through an unconventional mechanism.
At Targeted Molecules Corp., Dr. Bernard initiated the program for anti-inflammatory Vatelizumab taking the program from proposal and drug discovery through humanization leading to IND. Vatelizumab completed four Phase 2 clinical trials (Sanofi/Glenmark, $613M deal).
In biotechnology, he led enzymology research at the startup Omniome to produce an enzymatic platform for label-free Next-Gen Sequencing (leading to $8.1M Series A1). At SmithKline Beckman/Beckman Instruments he produced 11 marketed in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products for drug and immunochemistry analysis while novel prototype Synchron CX3, CX4 and CX5 analyzers were being developed in parallel with chemistry.
Mark earned a B.S. Biochemistry degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. Biochemistry and Biophysics degree from Oregon State University. He conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Texas Medical School (Medical Genetics) and Harvard Medical School (HIV, host defense, and innate immunity). He has 10 peer-reviewed publications, 6 Patents issued/pending, and prior experience at 2 startups.
