Nathaniel David

Nathaniel David is an American scientist and biotechnology entrepreneur who has co-founded several life sciences companies that together have raised more than $1.5 billion in financing and contributed to the development of multiple FDA-approved medicines, including alogliptin, trelagliptin, gemigliptin, plazomicin, and deoxycholic acid.

Nathaniel David
Born	San Francisco, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley
Known for	Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Kybella, Jupiter Bioventures
Awards	MIT Technology Review Young Innovators Under 35
Scientific career
Fields	Biotechnology
Institutions	Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Unity Biotechnology, Jupiter Bioventures

Education

David earned an A.B. in Biology from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from University of California, Berkeley.^[1]

Career

While completing his doctorate, he co-founded Syrrx in 1999. The company developed a high-throughput structural biology platform that used automation and miniaturization to accelerate protein structure determination.^[2][3] David was named to the MIT's list of Innovators Under 35, a list of top global innovators under the age of 35. Syrrx was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company in 2005, and its research contributed to the development of alogliptin, a diabetes drug approved by the FDA.^[4][5]

David later co-founded Achaogen, focused on developing treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections. Achaogen developed plazomicin, which was approved by the FDA for complicated urinary tract infections.

In 2005, David co-founded Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, where he served as Chief Science Officer. The company developed deoxycholic acid, the first FDA-approved injectable drug for reducing submental fat.^[6] Kythera went public in 2012 and was acquired by Allergan in 2015 for $2.1 billion.^[7][8]

In 2011, he also co-founded Unity Biotechnology.^{[9][10][11][12][13]}

In 2021, David co-founded Jupiter Bioventures with former National Cancer Institute director Ned Sharpless. Jupiter Bioventures is a venture foundry that supports the development of therapeutic companies based on emerging biological science. It launched with an initial fund of $70 million and focuses on areas such as oncology and immunology.