Bill Greenlee PhD

Bill Greenlee PhD

William Greenlee is a medicinal chemist with a record of success in over three decades of research in industry (Merck Research Laboratories, Schering-Plough Research Institute), with a focus in cardiovascular/metabolic and CNS therapy areas. He provided leadership to research groups that advanced 20 drug candidates into preclinical development and 11 into clinical studies. He contributed to medicinal chemistry programs that have led to marketed drugs (Vasotec™, Prinivil™), and directed programs that contributed drug candidates that have reached late-stage clinical trials, including the marketed antithrombotic drug vorapaxar (Zontivity™), the adenosine A2A antagonist preladenant (evaluated in Phase 2 studies in combination with Keytruda™) and verubecestat (BACE1 Inhibitor – evaluated in Phase 2/3 studies for Alzheimer’s disease). Bill received his B.S. degree in chemistry at The Ohio State University and his Ph.D. degree from Harvard University. He was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University before joining Merck Research Laboratories in Rahway, New Jersey where he served as Senior Director of Basic Chemistry Research.  In 1995, he joined Schering-Plough and was promoted to Vice President in 2002. Following the acquisition of Schering-Plough by Merck, he served as Chemistry Site Head in Kenilworth, New Jersey until 2010. He is now an independent medicinal chemistry consultant working with several large and small pharmaceutical companies and supports several academic investigators, including three through the Harrington Discovery Institute.  Bill has been active in the American Chemical Society (ACS) in a number of roles. He has made broad contributions to medicinal chemistry and to the medicinal chemistry community that have been recognized with local and national awards.  He was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a Fellow of ACS.  He is co-author of over 220 publications and co-inventor of over 100 granted U.S. Patents.