• Hager Bio engineered and developed a first in class novel small molecule discovery platform that successfully enables modulations of pharmacological targets that are on complimentary central nervous system network signaling axis. Through simultaneous and rationale modulations of multiple signaling pathways that play critical functional roles in diseases, our molecules are designed to produce better efficacy with minimal side effects. First in class, our several diverse and highly efficacious novel molecules are at various stages of development including safety assessments, directed as therapeutics for currently unmet neuropsychiatric and neurological indications.
  

Hager Bio is led by experienced drug discovery scientists with a demonstrated track record of progressing novel therapeutics across multiple indications and stages of development. Bel Mekonnen, PhD, Founder, President & CEO. Bel is an entrepreneurial scientist with 29 years of therapeutic discovery experience in neuroscience, cardiovascular and oncology indication spaces. Before founding Hager, he was a Principal scientist at Pfizer discovery research. He received his PhD from UNSW, Sydney, Australia, and was a postdoctoral fellow at UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, in Department of Molecular Genetics & Pharmacology. He was also a visiting fellow at NIH/NIMH Neuroscience / Neurochemistry lab. In addition to providing business leadership, Bel is a productive scientist named leading inventor on several patents and patent applications including IP assets that are assigned and on clinical development tracks. John Butera, PhD, CSO & SVP of Research. John is a seasoned drug discovery leader with more than 40 years of experience advancing innovative therapeutics across pharmaceutical and biotechnology environments. During a distinguished 25-year career with Wyeth, he held senior scientific and leadership positions spanning Neuroscience, Cardiovascular, Metabolic, Women’s Health, Musculoskeletal, and Urological diseases, leading multidisciplinary teams through preclinical development. As Chief Scientific Officer at Hager Biosciences, he applies this extensive experience to developing novel small-molecule therapeutics towards clinical agent development. His expertise includes CNS and neuropsychiatric disorders, including panic, anxiety, substance use disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease. John combines deep medicinal chemistry expertise with scientific leadership, and effective management of collaborative resources and network functional execution to translating innovative science into high-value drug discovery opportunities. John received his PhD from State University of New York, Stony Brook. More Leadership team members profile coming soon