John Saunders, Ph.D.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals


Dr. Saunders is Vice President of Drug Innovation at Vertex Pharmaceuticals San Diego laboratories. He received his Ph.D. from Cambridge University where he was mentored by Professor Sir Alan Battersby. Previous to Vertex, Dr. Saunders held the positions of Senior Vice President of Research (Chemistry) at Neurocrine; Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry at CombiChem, San Diego; and Head of Medicinal Chemistry at GlaxoSmithKline. At this latter institution, he also held the position of Head of the Antiviral Research Management Committee from which the antivirals Lamivudine (HIV) and Relenza (influenza) emerged. Dr. Saunders has also authored many peer-reviewed publications and currently teaches at the University of California San Diego.