As drug discovery becomes more intricate and new therapeutic modalities gain traction, success increasingly depends on early, integrated decision-making. Concept Life Sciences has responded by strengthening its end-to-end discovery capabilities, most recently with the appointment of Adam Davenport as Chief Scientific Officer in January 2026.
With deep experience across modalities, therapeutic areas and development stages, Adam is helping shape a more predictive, partnership-led approach to discovery, fit for the next generation of medicines. We spoke to him about why he joined Concept Life Sciences, and how integrated science can reduce risk long before programs reach the clinic.
What attracted you to Concept Life Sciences?
I joined Concept Life Sciences as Chief Scientific Officer to help continue building a genuinely integrated discovery engine: one focused on scientific insight and early decision-making that reduces risk on the path to the clinic through true partnership rather than siloed execution.
What really stood out was the ambition to scale excellence, not just capacity. Concept Life Sciences has a strong foundation, but also a clear appetite to push further: connecting disciplines more tightly, making better use of data, and translating cutting-edge discovery science into better medicines for patients. That combination made the opportunity compelling.
What expertise do you bring that supports the company's growth?
My background is in end-to-end drug discovery leadership, guiding programs from early hit identification through preclinical development. My integrated, multdisciplinary approach connects chemistry, biology, DMPK, safety, and translational science to drive earlier, better decision-making and reduce risk.
I’ve also worked extensively with advanced modalities and complex targets, where success depends on close alignment across disciplines rather than sequential hand-offs. In parallel, I’ve built a strong track record of building and leading high-performing scientific teams, supporting Concept Life Sciences’ ambition to scale scientific excellence, innovation, and long-term partner value.
Which capabilities bring the most value to clients’ drug discovery and development programs?
Clinicians and translational biology experts increasingly point to spatial biology as an area of particular value, reflecting its ability to connect molecular signals with tissue architecture and disease biology in ways that align closely with real-world clinical observations. By integrating transcriptomic, proteomic, and cellular phenotyping data within intact tissue, spatial biology strengthens target validation, clarifies mechanism of action, and reveals disease-relevant micro-environmental heterogeneity. These insights support the development of translational biomarkers and help de-risk preclinical programs by benchmarking experimental models against the spatial architecture of human disease. Concept Life Sciences is building on established strengths in this area, as there remains further opportunity to expand spatial biology capabilities to address the growing translational challenges faced by drug discovery programs.
Neuroscience remains an area of profound unmet medical need and is experiencing a renewed wave of investment from both pharma and biotech, despite historically high clinical attrition rates. The central challenge is to move beyond traditional preclinical models that have limited predictive power for Phase II proof-of-concept. Concept Life Sciences continues to invest strategically in neuroscience capabilities, with programs underpinned by deep expertise in neuroinflammation, myelin biology, and neuronal function. By seamlessly integrating rodent primary cell systems and advanced 3D models with human iPSC-derived platforms, we generate robust, translational preclinical data that strengthens decision-making and de-risks neuroscience drug discovery. Importantly, this integrated, translational approach is representative of our capabilities and experience across all therapeutic areas.
More broadly, our track record across small molecules, peptides, and emerging modalities is underpinned by tightly integrated synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and structural biology, supported by deep expertise in ADMET, biophysics and cell biology. This integrated capability enables rapid learning, stronger structure–function insight, and earlier, higher-confidence decisions throughout drug discovery and development programs. Our PR&D and GMP manufacturing facilities offer a customized, phase-appropriate approach to API development, enabling seamless progression from candidate nomination through IND submission while reducing development risk and accelerating timelines for clients.
Where do you see the biggest opportunities for growth?
The biggest opportunities for growth emerge from a rapidly expanding and increasingly sophisticated drug discovery toolkit. We are seeing a renaissance in peptides, oligonucleotides, and antibody–drug conjugates, alongside the evolution of induced-proximity medicine, from protein removal approaches such as targeted protein degradation and PROTACs, toward protein reprogramming strategies including RIPTACs and PhosTACs. Together, these modalities allow scientists to control cellular function with potential for unprecedented molecular precision.
When combined with human-relevant new approach methodologies, spatial biology, and integrated multiomics, and powered by AI- and machine-learning-enabled data analysis, this approach enables deeper biological insight and more predictive discovery. Advanced data visualization further transforms complex, multi-modal datasets into clear, decision-ready insights that accelerate learning and alignment across disciplines.
Underpinned by high-quality, modality-aware CMC from the outset, and fully integrated across discovery, translational science, DMPK, safety, and CMC, this model supports earlier, higher-confidence decisions, improved capital efficiency, and a faster, more reliable path to better medicines for patients.
Where is Concept Life Sciences’ sweet spot?
Our sweet spot lies in integrated, development-ready drug discovery built for the next generation of medicines. By seamlessly linking medicinal chemistry, synthesis, and CADD with protein sciences, bioassays, translational biology, and ADME/DMPK, and embedding high-quality CMC thinking from the outset, Concept enables smarter, earlier decisions on complex programs across therapeutic areas including oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and liver disease.
This integrated approach is ideally suited to high-value modalities, from small molecules and peptides to oligonucleotides and ADCs, where controlling biology with molecular precision demands deep cross-disciplinary alignment. Combined with advanced spatial biology, multiplex phenotyping, new approach methodologies and AI-enabled data analysis, we help partners reduce risk, improve capital efficiency, and accelerate the path from concept to clinic.
With deep experience across modalities, therapeutic areas and development stages, Adam is helping shape a more predictive, partnership-led approach to discovery, fit for the next generation of medicines. We spoke to him about why he joined Concept Life Sciences, and how integrated science can reduce risk long before programs reach the clinic.
What attracted you to Concept Life Sciences?
I joined Concept Life Sciences as Chief Scientific Officer to help continue building a genuinely integrated discovery engine: one focused on scientific insight and early decision-making that reduces risk on the path to the clinic through true partnership rather than siloed execution.
What really stood out was the ambition to scale excellence, not just capacity. Concept Life Sciences has a strong foundation, but also a clear appetite to push further: connecting disciplines more tightly, making better use of data, and translating cutting-edge discovery science into better medicines for patients. That combination made the opportunity compelling.
What expertise do you bring that supports the company's growth?
My background is in end-to-end drug discovery leadership, guiding programs from early hit identification through preclinical development. My integrated, multdisciplinary approach connects chemistry, biology, DMPK, safety, and translational science to drive earlier, better decision-making and reduce risk.
I’ve also worked extensively with advanced modalities and complex targets, where success depends on close alignment across disciplines rather than sequential hand-offs. In parallel, I’ve built a strong track record of building and leading high-performing scientific teams, supporting Concept Life Sciences’ ambition to scale scientific excellence, innovation, and long-term partner value.
Which capabilities bring the most value to clients’ drug discovery and development programs?
Clinicians and translational biology experts increasingly point to spatial biology as an area of particular value, reflecting its ability to connect molecular signals with tissue architecture and disease biology in ways that align closely with real-world clinical observations. By integrating transcriptomic, proteomic, and cellular phenotyping data within intact tissue, spatial biology strengthens target validation, clarifies mechanism of action, and reveals disease-relevant micro-environmental heterogeneity. These insights support the development of translational biomarkers and help de-risk preclinical programs by benchmarking experimental models against the spatial architecture of human disease. Concept Life Sciences is building on established strengths in this area, as there remains further opportunity to expand spatial biology capabilities to address the growing translational challenges faced by drug discovery programs.
Neuroscience remains an area of profound unmet medical need and is experiencing a renewed wave of investment from both pharma and biotech, despite historically high clinical attrition rates. The central challenge is to move beyond traditional preclinical models that have limited predictive power for Phase II proof-of-concept. Concept Life Sciences continues to invest strategically in neuroscience capabilities, with programs underpinned by deep expertise in neuroinflammation, myelin biology, and neuronal function. By seamlessly integrating rodent primary cell systems and advanced 3D models with human iPSC-derived platforms, we generate robust, translational preclinical data that strengthens decision-making and de-risks neuroscience drug discovery. Importantly, this integrated, translational approach is representative of our capabilities and experience across all therapeutic areas.
More broadly, our track record across small molecules, peptides, and emerging modalities is underpinned by tightly integrated synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and structural biology, supported by deep expertise in ADMET, biophysics and cell biology. This integrated capability enables rapid learning, stronger structure–function insight, and earlier, higher-confidence decisions throughout drug discovery and development programs. Our PR&D and GMP manufacturing facilities offer a customized, phase-appropriate approach to API development, enabling seamless progression from candidate nomination through IND submission while reducing development risk and accelerating timelines for clients.
Where do you see the biggest opportunities for growth?
The biggest opportunities for growth emerge from a rapidly expanding and increasingly sophisticated drug discovery toolkit. We are seeing a renaissance in peptides, oligonucleotides, and antibody–drug conjugates, alongside the evolution of induced-proximity medicine, from protein removal approaches such as targeted protein degradation and PROTACs, toward protein reprogramming strategies including RIPTACs and PhosTACs. Together, these modalities allow scientists to control cellular function with potential for unprecedented molecular precision.
When combined with human-relevant new approach methodologies, spatial biology, and integrated multiomics, and powered by AI- and machine-learning-enabled data analysis, this approach enables deeper biological insight and more predictive discovery. Advanced data visualization further transforms complex, multi-modal datasets into clear, decision-ready insights that accelerate learning and alignment across disciplines.
Underpinned by high-quality, modality-aware CMC from the outset, and fully integrated across discovery, translational science, DMPK, safety, and CMC, this model supports earlier, higher-confidence decisions, improved capital efficiency, and a faster, more reliable path to better medicines for patients.
Where is Concept Life Sciences’ sweet spot?
Our sweet spot lies in integrated, development-ready drug discovery built for the next generation of medicines. By seamlessly linking medicinal chemistry, synthesis, and CADD with protein sciences, bioassays, translational biology, and ADME/DMPK, and embedding high-quality CMC thinking from the outset, Concept enables smarter, earlier decisions on complex programs across therapeutic areas including oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and liver disease.
This integrated approach is ideally suited to high-value modalities, from small molecules and peptides to oligonucleotides and ADCs, where controlling biology with molecular precision demands deep cross-disciplinary alignment. Combined with advanced spatial biology, multiplex phenotyping, new approach methodologies and AI-enabled data analysis, we help partners reduce risk, improve capital efficiency, and accelerate the path from concept to clinic.
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