Alan P. Kozikowski

Alan P. Kozikowski is an American medicinal chemist, drug designer, and pharmaceutical entrepreneur, best known for his research on 5-HT receptors, and GSK-3 inhibitors. He is an author of a book Drug Design for Neuroscience.[1] He has over 100 patents, over 550 publications.

Alan P. Kozikowski, Ph.D.
Alma materUniversity of Michigan, University of California at Berkeley, Harvard University
Scientific career
Fieldsmedicinal chemistry, organic chemistry, drug discovery
InstitutionsUniversity of Pittsburgh, Mayo Clinic, Georgetown University Medical Center, University of Illinois
Thesis (1974)

Education and Postdoctoral research

Kozikowski received a PhD in organic chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. During his post-doctoral at Harvard University, he worked on organic synthesis under the supervision of Nobel laureate E.J. Corey.

Research career

Kozikowski began his career as an organic chemist at the University of Pittsburgh. Later, following his interest in the applications of chemistry to biological problems, he joined the Mayo Clinic, and drug discovery program at the Georgetown University Medical Center. During this period his team was the first to synthesize the naturally occurring alkaloid Huperzine A, an AChE inhibitor that has memory-enhancing properties, and may be useful for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.[2] His team also worked on various psychotropic agents such as cocaine analogs, like Nocaine, which can potentially be used to treat stimulant addiction,[3][4] and on Phencyclidine analogs to treat mental health disorders.[5]

After a decade at Georgetown, Kozikowski accepted a position at the University of Illinois, where his team researched activity of different GSK-3β inhibitors to treat bipolar disorder.[6] One of the compounds, 9-ING-41, is believed to be effective for multiple types of cancer, a discovery that was commercialized as Actuate Therapeutics Inc.[7][8]

He is also a founder of StarWise Therapeutics LLC, where new HDAC6 inhibitors were developed to treat Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.[9] Currently, Kozikowski is working in Bright Minds Biosciences to develop new psychedelic-based compounds to treat mental health disorders and cluster headaches.[10]

Kozikowski has been noted for his criticism of current drug discovery programs in psychiatry and potential overmedicalization.[11]

References
  1. Kozikowski, A.P. (1993). Drug Design for Neuroscience. New York, NY: Raven Press. ISBN 978-0781700610.
  2. Kozikowski, A. P.; Xia, Yan; Reddy, E.Rajarathnam; Tuckmantel, Werner; Hanin, Israel; Tang, X.C. (1991). "Synthesis of Huperzine A, its Analogs, and Their Anticholinesterase Activity". The Journal of Organic Chemistry. 56 (15): 4585–4816. doi:10.1021/jo00015a014. ISSN 0021-2148.
  3. "New drug may help recovering cocaine addicts, study shows". EurekaAlert!. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  4. US patent US5268480, Alan P. Kozikowski, "Cocaine analogs", issued 1993-12-07
  5. Chen, C.; Kozikowski, A.P.; Wood, P.L.; Reynoldsl, I.J.; Ball, R.G.; Pang, Y.P. (1992). "Synthesis and biological activity of 8a-phenyldecahydroquinolines as probes of PCP's binding conformation. A new PCP-like compound with increased in vivo potency". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 35 (9): 1634–1638. doi:10.1021/jm00087a020. PMID 1315871.
  6. "New candidate drug for bipolar disorder". Nature. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  7. "Actuate Therapeutics Completes $21.7 Million Series B Financing". BioSpace. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  8. "Actuate Therapeutics: About us". Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  9. "StarWise has a successful track record of drug development and licensing of this first generation of HDAC to leading pharmaceutical companies". Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  10. "This Drug Designer Is Creating a New Psychedelic to Treat Anxiety and Depression". VICE. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  11. "Alan Kozikowski". Chemical & Engineering News Archive. 90 (31): 47. 2012-07-30. doi:10.1021/cen-09031-scitech2. ISSN 0009-2347.
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