News and Press Releases
01 April 2026
5 Prime Sciences welcomes new team member
Montreal, Canada — 5Prime is pleased to welcome Kevin Liang to the team.
5 Prime Sciences is pleased to welcome Kevin Liang, Ph.D., to the team as a Bioinformatics Specialist, strengthening the company’s capabilities in genetic epidemiology and scalable data infrastructure.
Kevin brings extensive experience integrating population-scale multi-omics datasets using advanced methods in genetic epidemiology to better understand disease pathophysiology. His research has focused on complex diseases including Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), with an emphasis on translating large-scale data into meaningful biological insights. Formally trained as a bioinformatician, Kevin has broad expertise in software development, database management, and the design of reproducible computational workflows.
At 5 Prime Sciences, Kevin will contribute to data engineering initiatives, pipeline optimization, and the integration of multi-omics datasets. His work will help enhance the scalability and robustness of 5 Prime’s computational infrastructure, supporting more efficient and reliable analyses for clients and partners.
Kevin’s addition to the team reflects 5 Prime Sciences’ continued investment in technical excellence and our mission to leverage human genetics and data science to improve decision-making in drug development.
19 February 2026
5 Prime Sciences welcomes new team member
Montreal, Canada — 5Prime is pleased to welcome Alec McKinlay to the team.
Alec joins us from the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, where he completed his PhD supported by a Cancer Research UK studentship. His work sits at the intersection of human genetics, the gut microbiome, and applied genetic epidemiology — with a focus on how biological signals translate into robust causal inference.
During his doctoral training, Alec gained experience across academia and industry, including within AstraZeneca’s Machine Learning and Data Science Oncology group.
At 5Prime, Alec contributes to the development and validation of new analytical methods and supports client programs focused on target evaluation and biological risk reduction. His expertise strengthens our ability to generate rigorous, decision-grade genetic evidence anchored in human biology.
We are glad to have him on the team.
03 February 2026
5 Prime Sciences Announces Strategic Collaboration with Dexoligo Therapeutics in Liver-Directed GalNAc-siRNA Therapeutics
Montreal, Canada — 5 Prime Sciences, a genomics-driven target discovery company focused on using human genetics and multi-omics to accelerate drug development, is announcing a strategic research collaboration with Dexoligo Therapeutics, dedicated to discovering genetically supported, liver-expressed targets for development using GalNAc-siRNA therapeutics.
For full press release follow this link.
24 November 2025
Welcoming Numab Therapeutics to Our Disclosed Partnerships
Montreal, Canada — We are pleased to welcome Numab Therapeutics AG to our disclosed partnerships.
Numab Therapeutics AG is a biotechnology company developing multi-specific antibody-based immunotherapies for inflammation and cancer. We’re proud to partner with a team whose mission aligns with ours, bringing complementary technologies to address historical drug-discovery barriers and advance important new medicines aimed to maximize patient benefits.
Learn how we collaborate as one team with our partners, and book a conversation with us here.
3 November 2025
5 Prime Sciences welcomes new team member
Montreal, Canada — We’re thrilled to welcome Peter Kruczkiewicz, MSc as our new Software Engineer (Bioinformatics)!
Peter brings over a decade of experience building bioinformatics tools and pipelines, most recently at the Public Health Agency of Canada | Agence de la santé publique du Canada (PHAC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), where he developed open-source workflows including the widely-used SISTR tool for Salmonella and Nextflow-based pipelines for SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A analyses.
At 5 Prime, Peter will focus on designing and integrating novel Nextflow pipelines, helping to translate cutting-edge genomic workflows into robust tools in support of our mission to enable better medicines through human genetics.
Please join us in welcoming him to the team! We’re excited to see the impact his expertise will have on our platform, partnerships and next-generation pipeline development!
8 October 2025
5 Prime Sciences at ASHG 2025: Platform Talk & Posters
Montreal, Canada — 5 Prime Sciences will participate in the ASHG Annual Meeting in Boston, October 14–18, presenting work that applies human genetics and multi-omics to accelerate target discovery and de-risk development.
Platform talk:
Session 56 — Genetic Insights Fueling Drug Discovery & Precision Health
Human genetics evidence supporting ANGPTL4 inhibition to reduce remnant cholesterol and triglycerides informs successful Phase 2a trial outcomes
Speaker: Sahir Bhatnagar
When/Where:
Thu Oct 16, 1:30–1:45 PM — Ballroom West (Level 3), Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center.
Posters:
Board 1052W — Wed Oct 15, 2:30–4:30 PM
Trajecta: A biobank-scale method to identify genetic determinants of autoimmune progression
Presenter: Matt Tudball
Board 2052T — Thur Oct 16, 2:30–4:30 PM
Effective communication of genetic evidence to support understanding and actionability for drug developers
Presenter: Zoe Schmilovich
Board 6011F — Fri Oct 17, 2:30–4:30 PM
DrugTargetSuccess: A model to predict successful and safe drug targets
Presenter: Marie Sadler
Board 1056F — Fri Oct 17, 2:30–4:30 PM
PRIMEx: A Machine Learning Approach for Enhanced Causal Gene Identification in Drug Target Discovery
Presenter: Vince Forgetta
We’re excited to connect in Boston! Please reach out to schedule a quick coffee or catch us at our talk and posters.
18 June 2025
5 Prime Sciences Proudly Supports Young Scientific Talent at the Canada-Wide Science Fair
Montreal, Canada — At 5 Prime Sciences, we are committed to championing the next generation of scientific minds. This year, we proudly served as a Gold Sponsor of the Toronto Science Fair, helping talented students secure funding to participate in the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) 2025 in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Among the students we supported was Arushi Nath, an outstanding Grade 10 finalist whose project “NEPTUNE: N-body Exoplanet Prediction using TTVs for UNseen Exoplanets” was recognized for its ingenuity and excellence in computational astrophysics. Her work earned a Gold Medal, the Aerospace Category Award, and the Excellence in Astronomy Award. Congratulations!
At 5 Prime, we use computational techniques to explore human biology and genetics for novel drug targets. Seeing Arushi apply advanced analytical methods to astronomy is not only inspiring, it reaffirms our belief in the transformative power of science across disciplines.
Supporting the next generation in STEM isn’t just philanthropy; it’s an investment in the future of discovery and innovation. We’re honoured to play a role in helping bright young minds pursue their passion for science. Here’s more information about Arushi’s work: LinkedIn ; Website
15 May 2025
Marea Therapeutics’ Phase 2a Results Stand Out at European Atherosclerosis Society Congress
Montreal, Canada — Marea Therapeutics, a San Francisco based company that 5Prime has supported in its earliest stages, has reported compelling Phase 2a data for MAR001 at the 93rd European Atherosclerosis Society Congress:
- ~53% placebo-adjusted reduction in remnant cholesterol and triglycerides at 12 weeks
- Up to 66% reduction in participants with higher baseline triglycerides (≥200 mg/dL)
- Excellent safety profile, no identified intra-abdominal lymph node disease, paving the way for Phase 2b in Q2 2025
Marea is a great example of how a human genetics–driven, data-centric approach can de-risk and accelerate the drug development journey. What factors contributed to MAR001’s rapid progress? Which early insights shaped its success? If you’re curious how similar strategies might advance your own programs, we invite you to get in touch.
With momentum like this, Marea remains a company well worth watching (Press release).
12 May 2025
Meet 5Prime at Roche’s Clinical Genomic Biomarkers Summit
Montreal, Canada — On June 24, 5Prime Sciences will join Roche’s Clinical Genomic Biomarkers Summit in Basel (CH) to discuss how a genetics- and multi-omics–driven approach de-risks and accelerates drug development.
Marie Sadler (LinkedIn Profile) will be on site to explore:
- Proteogenomic Mendelian randomization for identifying causal drug targets
- Causal metabolite and protein biomarkers as early read-outs of target engagement
- Data-guided patient stratification to sharpen trial design
If you’re curious how these methods can boost your program’s success, reach out to Marie to arrange a one-on-one discussion at the summit. See you there!
10 January 2025
5Prime Heads to JPM 2025
Montreal, Canada — The 43rd JP Morgan annual Healthcare Conference takes place next week in San Francisco, and we’ll be there! We’re ready to connect, engage, and share how we’re contributing to accelerating drug development.
Want to meet? Message us on LinkedIn.
16 December 2024
Proud Sponsor of the Toronto Science Fair 2025
Montreal, Canada — 5Prime Sciences is proud to announce our Gold-tier sponsorship of the Toronto Science Fair (TSF) 2025! This exciting event, taking place in March at the University of Toronto Scarborough, highlights the innovative ideas and scientific curiosity of students from Grades K-12.
As part of our commitment to supporting future scientists, we are excited to have Matt Tudball (LinkedIn, BlueSky) representing 5Prime as a judge. Matt will guide and encourage these young innovators as they share their projects.
At 5Prime Sciences, we believe that advancing science starts with nurturing curiosity in the next generation. Our sponsorship reflects our commitment to the 1% Pledge and our mission to make a meaningful impact through science.
We are proud to support initiatives like TSF 2025 and look forward to seeing the discoveries and ideas these students will bring to life.
13 December 2024
Welcoming Marea Therapeutics to Our Disclosed Partnerships
Montreal, Canada — We’re excited to share that Marea Therapeutics has joined our disclosed partnerships.
In just three years, Marea has made impressive progress, advancing to Phase II clinical trials. For context, drug development timelines often span 6-7 years to reach this stage and 10-15 years from discovery to approval. Their rapid advancement highlights the growing impact of human genetics in transforming drug development processes.
We’re proud to have contributed to Marea’s journey and look forward to their continued success in improving patient care. Explore our partnerships here or book a meeting.
04 December 2024
5 Prime Partner Lipigon Advances to Phase II with RNA Therapeutic
Montreal, Canada — We are excited that Lipigon Pharmaceuticals has achieved a significant milestone by dosing the first patient in their Phase II trial for Lipisense®, a novel RNA therapeutic targeting hypertriglyceridemia and cardio-metabolic disease by influencing ANGPTL4.
Earlier in their journey, 5 Prime Sciences provided genetic evidence to help validate ANGPTL4 and compared it to other triglyceride-lowering approaches. This work supported Lipigon’s strategy as they advanced towards their now launched Phase II program.
We’re proud to have contributed to this important development and look forward to seeing Lipigon continue to make strides in improving patient care.
28 October 2024
Join Us to Improve the Design of Stratified Clinical Trials: An EMBL-EBI Workshop
Montreal, Canada — Clinical trials can be faster and more efficient by focusing on participants likely to experience outcomes or respond to treatments. Advances in polygenic and polyprotein scores are helping to identify these participants, transforming trial design. However, as these technologies move toward clinical application, significant scientific, commercial, and regulatory challenges remain.
In support of enhancing clinical trial design, members of the 5Prime team are co-organizing the upcoming EMBL-EBI Industry Programme Workshop on “Genetic and Genomic Risk Stratification in Clinical Trial Design” to be held in San Francisco on November 13th and 14th, 2024.
With representatives from both academia and industry, the workshop aims to build consensus around solutions to these challenges and to advance the field.
Attendance is limited, so we encourage early registration. Online participation is also available. Register here.
16 May 2024
Innovation Through Collaboration: A Partnership with GSK.
Montreal, Canada — 5 Prime Sciences is pleased to announce an ongoing collaborative effort with GSK, aimed at enabling human genetics-informed drug discovery.
Robert Scott, VP Human Genetics at GSK, stated, “Working with 5 Prime Sciences helps us to develop and apply new tools to support genetically-informed drug development.”
Scientists at both teams are developing novel methodologies to accelerate drug development.
Brent Richards, CEO at 5 Prime, added, “5 Prime is excited to work with GSK, helping to invent new methods that could impact the way genetics is used in R&D”
09 May 2024
Montreal, Canada — 5 Prime Sciences, a biotechnology data analytics company focused on using human genetics to accelerate drug development, is announcing a strategic collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company dedicated to accelerating target discovery and early development in the field of cardio-metabolic diseases.
For full press release follow this link
06 May 2024
5Prime attends BIO Conference in San Diego
Montreal, Canada — We’re delighted to announce that 5Prime will be attending the upcoming BIO Conference in San Diego! This event is not just a conference; it’s an invitation to join us on a journey of discovery and innovation in drug development. We’re excited to connect with industry leaders, share insights, and explore exciting opportunities together. Stay tuned for updates from the conference!
01 May 2024
PRIMEx
Montreal, Canada — Advancements in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have significantly deepened our understanding of complex diseases and enabled drug targets prioritization through the detection of causal variants. In fact, over the past decade, such genetic evidence has doubled the likelihood of expedited FDA approvals (Rusina et al., 2023). However, the effect sizes observed in GWAS merely reflect the outcomes of natural experiments and do not necessarily predict the therapeutic impact of targeting these genes. A classical example is Statin, which can drop your cholesterol by 50% by targeting HMGCR with tiny GWAS effect size.
To search for “needles” of drug target in the “haystack” of GWAS signals, here at @5prime we developed a machine learning algorithm to prioritize genes at GWAS loci, by analyzing relevant GWAS associations and functional genomics annotations. Our latest PRIMEx version demonstrates superior performance with an AUROC of 0.75 and AUPRC of 0.93, predicting known ExWAS signals and Open Target gold-standard genes more effectively than Open Target L2G’s scores. Excited to share more in our upcoming white paper. Stay tuned!