Valo Health Names Novo Nordisk Veteran Karin Conde-Knape as Chief Scientific Officer
Key Insights
Valo Health (search) appointed Karin Conde-Knape, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer, bringing over two decades of drug development expertise from Novo Nordisk to advance AI-enabled drug discovery.
Dr. Conde-Knape previously served as Senior Vice President of Early Development and Global Drug Discovery at Novo Nordisk, leading research across multiple therapeutic areas.
The appointment follows the planned retirement of current CSO Mike Graziano, Ph.D., who will transition to a Scientific Advisor role after advancing Valo's platform and partnerships.
Valo Health (search) has appointed Karin Conde-Knape, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer, bringing more than two decades of drug development and translational science expertise to the AI-enabled drug discovery company. The appointment positions Valo to further advance its human-centric approach to pharmaceutical research as the company scales its platform and partnerships.
Leadership Transition at AI Drug Discovery Pioneer
Dr. Conde-Knape joins Valo following an extensive career at Novo Nordisk, where she held multiple leadership roles including Senior Vice President of Early Development and Global Drug Discovery. In these positions, she led research and early development across multiple therapeutic areas through both internal and external innovation approaches.
"Dr. Conde-Knape's scientific leadership, passion for patient-centric innovation, and proven track record in drug discovery will be invaluable as we continue to scale our platform and deliver on our mission to transform drug discovery through AI-enabled human causal biology and predictive chemistry," said Brian Alexander, MD, MPH, CEO of Valo.
The appointment follows the planned retirement of Mike Graziano, Ph.D., Valo's current CSO, who will transition to the role of Scientific Advisor. Dr. Graziano has been instrumental in advancing Valo's science, platform and partnerships, leading the development and advancement of several internal and partnered programs.
Extensive Industry Experience Across Major Pharma
Dr. Conde-Knape holds a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of Connecticut and has authored numerous publications in cardiometabolic disease (search) biology and translational research. Her career spans multiple major pharmaceutical companies, including roles at Hoffmann-La Roche in Cardiovascular and Metabolism Discovery and early development areas, where she was responsible for pharmacology teams as well as discovery and biomarker teams.
She also led external innovation in Europe and Asia Pacific in Cardiovascular and Metabolism at Johnson & Johnson. Her contributions to the industry have been recognized through awards including being named one of the "Fiercest Women in Life Sciences" by Fierce Pharma and one of the top 20 women breaking new ground in biopharma R&D by Endpoints News.
Vision for AI-Driven Drug Discovery
At Valo, Dr. Conde-Knape will oversee scientific strategy and execution, advancing a diverse portfolio of internal programs and global collaborations aimed at delivering transformative therapies for patients. She expressed enthusiasm for Valo's approach to drug discovery, which begins with human data and applies advanced analytical tools.
"I have long admired Valo's vision, ways of working, and bold approach to reimagining drug discovery," said Dr. Conde-Knape. "By starting with human data and applying advanced analytical tools and techniques, we can better understand disease causality and design new drugs based on those learnings. I look forward to building on Valo's momentum and partnering with the team to deliver more therapeutic breakthroughs for patients."
Valo's AI-Enabled Platform Approach
Valo is redefining drug discovery and development through its AI-enabled human causal biology and closed loop chemistry platforms. The company uses AI to understand disease causality, identify patient subtypes across heterogeneous diseases, and pinpoint novel drug targets. Valo validates targets using proprietary 3D engineered human tissue models that mimic mature human physiology and structure.
The company's closed loop chemistry platform enables rapid development of potential molecules from trillions of starting points. Valo's approach aims to identify more impactful drug targets and small molecule therapeutics faster and with greater precision than traditional R&D methods. The company was founded by Flagship Pioneering (search) in 2019.