Concept Life Sciences Appoints Dr Adam Davenport As Chief Scientific Officer To Lead And Strengthen Its Integrated Drug Discovery Services

Concept Life Sciences, a global contract research organization known for its integrated drug discovery, development, and analytical services, has announced the appointment of Dr Adam Davenport as its new Chief Scientific Officer. In this role, he will focus on strengthening and leading the company’s integrated drug discovery offering for its biotech and pharmaceutical clients.

Dr Davenport brings more than 25 years of experience in life sciences, scientific leadership, and partnership management. Throughout his career, he has built a strong reputation for driving innovative research programs and has authored over 60 patents, scientific publications, and external presentations. His appointment reflects Concept Life Sciences’ continued commitment to providing top-tier scientific expertise and strong leadership to its partners.

Before joining Concept Life Sciences, Dr Davenport worked as Chief Discovery Officer at Proxygen, where he led the development of molecular glue degraders, a key area in targeted protein degradation. Prior to that, he served as Chief R&D Officer at Dalriada Drug Discovery, where he oversaw oncology-focused discovery collaborations. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly two decades at Evotec, eventually rising to the position of Executive Vice President and Head of Molecular Discovery. He holds a PhD in Organometallic Chemistry from the University of Leicester.

Over the years, Dr Davenport has earned recognition as a skilled drug hunter with a successful track record of guiding complex drug discovery programs from early-stage concepts through clinical evaluation. Some of the most notable assets he helped discover include the P2X3R antagonists Eliapixant and Filopixant, which reached Phase 2a proof-of-concept studies in persistent chronic cough. He also discovered Fulimetibant, a Bradykinin B1R antagonist that advanced into Phase 2a trials for diabetic neuropathic pain.

Jonathan Critchley, Interim CEO of Concept Life Sciences, said that the company is pleased to welcome Dr Davenport during a period of significant growth. He noted that Dr Davenport’s scientific passion, experience in delivering high-quality clinical candidates, and his ability to lead multidisciplinary discovery teams across the UK, Europe, and the US will be extremely valuable as the company continues to expand its integrated discovery capabilities and support global clients.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr Davenport said that Concept Life Sciences has built a strong reputation for scientific excellence and efficient project execution. He expressed his excitement about joining the team and shared that he looks forward to supporting customers in navigating the challenges of modern drug discovery across various modalities, with the goal of helping bring effective therapies to patients faster.

Dr Davenport is also widely recognised for his expertise in targeted protein degradation and covalent drug discovery. He has deep scientific knowledge across several important target classes, including GPCRs, ion channels, kinases, and protein-protein interactions. His experience spans multiple therapeutic areas such as pain, oncology, inflammation, women’s health, metabolic disorders, and neuroscience, further strengthening the capabilities he brings to his new role.