Manuel Sanchez-Felix, PhD, Halozyme Therapeutics, USA
Manuel Sanchez-Felix, PhD, occupies the role of Vice President at Halozyme Therapeutics, overseeing the Drug Delivery Search & Evaluation division. His current mandate involves identifying and implementing cutting-edge drug delivery technologies to foster the development of novel patient friendly therapeutics. His expertise was honed through a significant tenure at Novartis, where he served as Senior Fellow in Drug Delivery Technologies. There, he was responsible for a multidisciplinary team of scientists from both discovery and development sectors, successfully integrating new technologies into the discovery pipeline, with a focus on emerging modalities such as biologics, gene therapy, RNA, peptides, and protein degraders.
With a PhD in physical chemistry, Dr. Sanchez-Felix embarked on his career at Eli Lilly, later transitioning to Novartis. His roles spanned analytical sciences, CM&C project management, preformulation, and discovery, evidencing his versatility and depth of knowledge in the pharmaceutical domain. His leadership of preformulation groups at Eli Lilly and Novartis, spanning over 15 years, is notable for handling upwards of 30 discovery projects annually, and successfully transitioning 10 to 16 clinical candidates per year. This track record includes over 160 transitions to clinical programs and multiple launched products, one of which is Zyprexa Relprevv, a long-acting injectable which he co-invented. The accumulative knowledge across launched products to discovery, has consolidated his commitment to patient-centric care and the intricate balance of product design, molecular constraints, and formulation platforms.
Manuel’s entrepreneurial acumen is showcased in his co-founding of a pioneering nutritional genetic company, which notably launched the first direct-to-consumer products in this space, a full six years ahead of comparable products by companies like 23andMe.
Exemplifying his commitment to a people-centric approach, Manuel was one of the founding members of the Subcutaneous Drug Delivery and Development Consortium, a collaboration of over 100 experts from 17 innovative companies, united by the goal of enhancing patient-friendly subcutaneous delivery methods. This consortium epitomizes his dedication to advancing drug delivery science with a keen focus on patient well-being and collaboration.
Manuel’s academic contributions include numerous peer-reviewed articles, three book chapters, and 7 patents. He has delivered invited talks, keynotes, and plenaries, addressing patient-centric drug design, oral delivery of biologics/peptides, long-acting injections, and subcutaneous delivery of mAbs, among others. His academic contributions extend to his role as an adjunct professor at the University of Purdue's Department of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics.
As a dedicated and active member of the Controlled Release Society, Manuel is driven by a passion to harness scientific knowledge and extensive experience to enhance patient therapies and advance the frontiers of drug delivery science. His candidacy for the Board of Directors stems from a commitment to contribute to the Controlled Release Society's vision and to shape the future of medicine.
Please refer to the "Vision" section for insights into Manuel's past contributions and his anticipated future impact on the CRS vision.
