We create transformative therapeutics using covalency to modulate proteins fate and function.
We create transformative therapeutics using covalency to modulate proteins fate and function.
Our Mission is to treat diseases with first and best-in-class covalent therapeutics for the most significant drug targets by leveraging our cutting-edge capabilities and expertise in chemistry, quantitative proteomics, translational sciences, and deep learning.
Our Science
Nature regulates protein localization, interactions, homeostasis, and function by imprinting post-translational modifications on specific amino acids. We emulate biology by targeting those specific sites with covalent small molecules.
Translational Focus
To translate our discoveries into drugs and maximize our probability of success, we focus on targeting protein sites demonstrated to be accessible and reactive in their native context, from immortalized cells to more disease-relevant models, such as organoids, primary cells, and biopsies.
Protein Focus
To expand the targetable protein and amino acid space, we have built an industry-leading proprietary Reactome Atlas with augmented sequence coverage for thousands of proteins in their native setting. Our state-of-the-art mass spectrometry platform, automation capabilities, and deep learning algorithms are enabling us to illuminate the dark proteome.
Molecular Focus
To advance our programs, we combine our proprietary covalent library, structural sciences, and computational workflows to covalently modify amino acid side chains with fragment-like and lead-like molecules bearing both clinically validated and novel reactive warheads.
Our People
Our people are the backbone of what we do. We have an ambitious, strong, creative, and diverse team of experienced scientists and entrepreneurs.
We are consummate team players. We know it takes a village to achieve our goals, and we partner with the best in each field to speed up and maximize our opportunities. We engage key opinion leaders in drug discovery, proteomics, and computational sciences as advisors, consultants, and collaborators.
We are relentless, creative, and curious. We know that patients can’t wait: we continuously strive to advance science at a fast pace, helping and supporting each other in the discovery of new medicines.
Meet Our Leadership
Vincent Hennemand, MBA
CEO
Vincent Hennemand, MBA
CEO
Vincent Hennemand is a seasoned executive with a distinguished career in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. With an exceptional track record of leadership, a passion for advancing healthcare, novel classes of therapeutics, and in-depth experience in immunology therapies, Vincent is poised to guide Covant Therapeutics into a new era of growth, innovation, and patient-centric excellence.
Vincent joins Covant Therapeutics from his previous role as COO at Intergalactic Therapeutics, where he played an instrumental role in driving growth from the inception of the company, overseeing all business operations, and enabling strategic partnerships. Prior to Intergalactic, he spent almost two decades in management consulting, large pharma and venture capital at Bain, Sanofi and Puretech Health. At Sanofi, he held various roles from manufacturing to program management in R&D immunology and became Chief of Staff of Dr. Elias Zerhouni, President Global R&D and former NIH Director. He then later advanced into the corporate venture group at Sanofi-Genzyme. At Puretech, he served as SVP of corporate strategy and business development while leading the immuno-inflammation effort.
Iván Cornella, PhD
CSO
Iván Cornella, PhD
CSO
Throughout his career, Iván has acted as a consultant on target and drug discovery for a number of start-ups and biotech firms. In previous roles, at Roivant Discovery, Cedilla Therapeutics, Merck, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, and Novartis, Iván established and managed translational chemical biology and proteomics teams, supporting target discovery and validation, and lead finding initiatives across disease areas, target classes, and modalities.
Iván holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Universidade da Coruña, Spain, and earned an Executive Certificate in innovation from MIT Sloan School of Management. He completed postdoctoral work at the Institute of Chemistry & Cell Biology of Harvard Medical School (now the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard), as National Cancer Institute Initiative for Chemical Genetics Research Fellow, and at the Boston College chemistry department.
Jason Imbriglio, PhD
Head of Chemistry and Pharmacology
Jason Imbriglio, PhD
Head of Chemistry and Pharmacology
Jason brings more than 17 years of drug discovery and medicinal chemistry expertise to Covant Therapeutics.
Before joining Covant, Jason was a recognized leader in Merck’s global discovery chemistry department, where he held positions of increasing responsibility, most recently as director of chemical biology, leading teams across all levels of discovery, including target identification, target validation, lead identification, and optimization. Jason was a founding member of Merck’s chemical biology group and a co-lead of Merck’s targeted protein degradation group. Jason contributed to the discovery of five development candidates, and three INDs and was a co-inventor in the discovery of the beta-lactamase inhibitor Relebactam.
Jason has authored over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and holds 12 patents spanning a diverse set of therapeutic areas. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in biology and a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., where he was a recognized Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Fellow, a doctor of philosophy degree in organic chemistry from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Az. and a National Institute of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellowship at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Ben Ruprecht, PhD
Head of Proteomics Platform & Co-Founder
Ben Ruprecht, PhD
Head of Proteomics Platform & Co-Founder
Ben Ruprecht was born and raised in Germany and studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich. He received his doctoral training in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Bernhard Kuster, where he used mass spectrometry-based proteomics to study how drugs interact with proteomes and modulate cellular signaling pathways and post-translational modifications.
Fascinated by the potential of proteomics in drug discovery, he joined the Chemical Biology team at Merck Research Laboratories in Boston. He served as the proteomics lead on multiple drug discovery programs across different phases, disease areas, and therapeutic modalities. After moving to Roivant as Director of Translational Biology in 2021, he is now heading the Proteomics Platform at Covant Therapeutics. Ben has authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications and brings over 10 years of mass spectrometry-based proteomics and chemoproteomics expertise to Covant Therapeutics.
