Leadership

Marcus F. Boehm co-founded Escient Pharmaceuticals in 2017 and served as the company’s Chief Scientific Officer from March 2018 to March 2023. Previously, he was a Co-Founder of Receptos Inc. where he served as Chief Technology Officer from 2009 to 2015 until its acquisition by Celgene Corporation. He was a member of the Receptos executive management team where he shared responsibility for the development of ozanimod for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, and RPC4046 for treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis. He also directed early discovery research and development programs, chemical manufacturing and controls, and supported corporate financing and partnering activities. In 2001, Dr. Boehm was a founding member of Conforma Therapeutics, which was acquired by Biogen Idec in 2006. As Vice President of Chemistry at Conforma, he led a team that discovered and developed CNF2024 for treatment of solid tumors. Dr. Boehm started his industry career with Ligand Pharmaceuticals in 1991 where he held various positions with progressing responsibility. He directed chemistry efforts on multiple intracellular receptor (IRs) programs resulting in the discovery and development of Targretin for T-cell lymphomas and Panretin for treatment of cutaneous lesions in patients with AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma. He is a co-author and inventor on over 100 patents and publications in the fields of oncology, autoimmune and metabolic diseases. Dr. Boehm received a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego, a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the State University of New York Stony Brook and completed a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship at Columbia University.