Vinayak Khairnar

Accomplished Sr. Scientist-2 and Project Team Lead at Aurigene Oncology Ltd, specializing in synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry. Proven leadership and organizational skills drive successful project outcomes, enhancing team efficiency and innovation. Expert in computational chemistry and documentation, consistently delivering high-quality results in a fast-paced environment.

Leadership and resource management skills

• Proven leadership in guiding teams of 3 to 15 chemists, fostering an environment conducive to project success and individual career development.
• Committed to training new chemists and enhancing leadership and managerial skills through specialized programs.

Organizational Skills:

• Strong verbal and written communication abilities, coupled with innovation, self-motivation, teamwork, flexibility, and a commitment to high standards

Synthetic Organic Chemistry

• Proficient in both classical and modern organic synthesis, with expertise in multistep synthesis, scaling from milligrams to multigrams
• Skilled in standard isolation/purification techniques and characterization using NMR, FTIR, LCMS, and HPLC
• Competent in handling sensitive reagents and intermediates, with experience in asymmetric synthesis, and chiral resolution

Medicinal Chemistry

• Adept at generating cheminformatics and identifying starting points for target validation and SAR exploration
• Experienced in hit identification, SAR/SPR generation, and lead optimization, with a solid understanding of biological assays and preclinical drug discovery protocols

Computational Chemistry and Informatics

• Possess practical experience with computational chemistry tools such as PyMOL, ICM Browser, Gold, Flair, SPARK, AlvaBuilder, and JChem
• Proficient in Cheminformatics: Adept at assembling databases and managing chemical libraries for virtual screening and AI-ML model integration
• Specialization in AI-guided identification of therapeutic targets, and crafting innovative target proposals

Process Chemistry

• Knowledgeable in API process optimization, including non-infringing process routes, and scale-up from lab to kilo-lab
• Familiar with regulatory guidelines and process documentation.

Documentation skills

• Diligent in maintaining IP-compliant laboratory records, preparing presentations, reports, patent drafts, and SOPs.
• Proficient in managing compound databases and literature archives.

Computer/Software Skills

• Proficient with Microsoft Office, SciFinder Scholar, Reaxys, PubMed, Thomson Cortellis, ChemDraw, ISIS Draw, Mestrenova, Data Warrior, and ChemFinder

.

• 2025, Recognized for submitting the Best Idea Proposals for Aurgene's I3 Project Platform for start-up projects.
• 2024, Awarded Patent Plaque as key inventor of clinical candidate (AUR-104).
• 2021, Key contributor award in Aurigene's IND candidate in collaboration with client.
• 2020, Individual Excellence Award -Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd. In TAPAS.
• 2020, Discovery Champion award for exceptional productivity and innovation recognized by client.
• 2015, Best Internal project-Team Award -Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd.
• 2013, Individual Excellence Award -Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd.
• 2013, Best Internal project-Team Award -Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd.
• 2013, Best Team Excellence Safety Award- Team award-Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd.
• 2009, Outstanding contribution to chemistry service project- Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd.
• 2007, Certificate of appreciation-Team Award -Indigene Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd.

• US11633394 - Substituted alkynylene compounds as anticancer agents. Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd.
• WO2016012958A1 - 4, 5-dihydroisoxazole derivatives as nampt inhibitors. Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd.
• WO2014141035A2 - Fused heterocyclic derivatives as nampt inhibitors. Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd.
• WO2014111871A1 - 4, 5-dihydroisoxazole derivatives as nampt inhibitors. Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd.
• WO2013084138A1 - Cyclic urea derivatives as androgen receptor antagonists. Assignees: Novartis Ag, Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd.
• US8420666B2 - Pyrazolo [3,4-B] pyridine derivatives as phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited.
• WO2008035316A3 - Phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited.
• WO2008035315A3 - Inhibitors of phosphodiesterase type-IV. Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited.
• EP1840123A1 - Isoxazolines and their use as inhibitors of phosphodiesterase type-IV. Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited.
• US20080009535A1 - Inhibitors of phosphodiesterase type-IV. Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited.
• WO2007031977A3 - Substituted Pyrazolo [3,4-b]pyridines as phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited.
• US7915286B2 - Substituted Pyrazolo [3,4-b]pyridines as phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited.
• WO2006085212A3 - Condensed Isoxazolines derivatives as inhibitors of phosphodiesterase type-IV. Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited.

• Discovery and preclinical evaluation of a novel covalent inhibitor of FABP5 for cancer therapy Cancer Res 2021 (81) (13_Supplement): 1266. ((AACR-2021)
• Potent small molecule compounds that selectively inhibit proliferation of ABC-DLBCL cell lines. Cancer Res July 1 2017 (77) (13 Supplement) 5108. (AACR-2017)
• Identification of novel covalent inhibitors of KRas G12C that is efficacious in a xenograft model of NSCLC. Cancer Res July 15 2016 (76) (14 Supplement) 339. (AACR-2016)
• Novel NAMPT inhibitors for the treatment of pancreatic cancer Mol Cancer Res 2016 (14) (1_Supplement): A72. (AACR-2016)
• Discovery of dihydro-isoxazole derivatives as novel inhibitors of NAMPT for the treatment of multiple myeloma-AACR-2015 Cancer Res 2015 (75) (15 Supplement) 5367. (AACR-2015)
• Novel inhibitors of nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase and their evaluation in combination with Bortezomib Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2014 (32) (15_suppl) e19566-e19566. (ASCO-2014)
• Novel inhibitors of nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase and their evaluation in combination with Bortezomib. Mol Cancer Ther, 2013 (12) (11 Supplement) B210 (AACR-2013)
• Novel inhibitors of nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (NAMPT) Cancer Res 2013 (73) (8 Supplement) 5389 (AACR-2013)

• Pharmacokinetics, 11/2024, Novartis
• Molecular Docking Principles and Application, 05/2024, Bioinfo.guru
• Data Science for Biologics powered by Python, 05/2024, Bioinfo.guru

• Safety training on Chemical labeling: Global Harmonizing system (GHS)
• Safety training on safe handling of cyanide reagent, diazonium salts carcinogens.
• Safety Training on waste handling and disposal, Safe handling of glassware in lab.
• Presentations at science forum: Natural product-Salinosporamide, PROTAC Degraders.

Will be pursued upon request.

• Molsoft users group Meeting, 12/2025
• Bruker Pharma Roadshow 2023: Various aspects of NMR spectroscopy, 04/2023, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• One day National Symposium: Fundamentals of Drug Discovery Process-Industrial Perspectives, 08/2016, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• Boston International Conference: Evolving Technologies and Emerging Challenges in Bioanalysis and Biotransformation in Drug Discovery, One day short course on DMPK., 02/2016, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• RSC International Conference: Overcoming the bottlenecks in drug discovery and development, 03/2014, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
• Two-day Medicinal Chemistry Short course by Mark P. Wentland., 04/2011, Bangalore, India
• Cultivating Leadership Abilities
• Enhancing Interview Techniques
• Strengthening Communication and Presentation Proficiencies
• Performance Evaluation of Team
• Fire safety training.

• Expert in classical and modern synthetic organic chemistry, including heterocyclic, aliphatic, PEGylation, and PROTAC chemistry.
• Skilled in multistep retro-synthetic design, synthesis, and characterization of target molecules, ensuring timely delivery of compounds.
• Proficient in medicinal chemistry, drug design, SAR analysis, and various NCE design strategies, contributing to the advancement of three preclinical and one clinical (AUR-104) drug candidates.
• Versatile experience with diverse drug targets in oncology, COPD, and CNS disorders, capable of proposing new drug targets for in-house programs.
• Documented success in medicinal chemistry research, evidenced by patent applications and abstract presented by senior scientific team at international conferences.
• Hands-on-experience in process chemistry, API research, scale-up operations, and pilot plant management.
• Hands-on- experience in computational chemistry modeling softwares, cheminformatics, data curation and analysis, employing public chemical libraries for virtual screening.
• AI-driven target ideation and the development of novel therapeutic target proposals.
• Employing docking and analysis methods to expedite medicinal chemistry initiatives, thereby extending the frontiers of existing scientific understanding.

team leader, lab leader, chemistry coordinator, project coordinator, safety captain, Chemistry Service Project, Mentoring and support team members in planning, execution & problem solving in daily work, Managed a team of 5 to 8 FTE's ensuring the timely delivery of final compounds from milligrams to grams, managing their shipment, in accordance with customer requirements., Deliver projects on time and within budget., Internal Drug Discovery Project, Leading a team of 8-10 FTE's, accountable for the design and synthesis of NCEs from milligrams to grams scale, compound registration, biology submission and database of the project in given time frame., Design cost effective and feasible synthesis route for the specified target molecule, leveraging literature research and existing expertise to guarantee prompt delivery., Expedite the delivery of NCE(s) by employing parallel synthesis routes and meticulously utilization of the internal chemical inventory.