Atomwise appoints Steve Worland as CEO

USA – Atomwise, a company at the forefront of using AI and machine learning to find new small-molecule drugs, has named Dr. Steve Worland as its new Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors.

This major leadership shift comes as the company continues to expand its AI-powered drug discovery platform, AtomNet.

With more than 30 years of experience in biotech and pharma, Dr. Worland brings deep knowledge in research, development, and strategic growth.

He will work closely with Atomwise’s management and Board to advance its growing drug pipeline and further strengthen the company’s position as a pioneer in tech-enabled drug discovery.

“I’m excited to join Atomwise at such a key moment,” said Dr. Worland. “I’ve always been passionate about finding real solutions to serious diseases. Atomwise shares that mission, and I’m looking forward to building on its incredible progress in using AI to make better medicines faster.”

Before joining Atomwise, Dr. Worland was the CEO and co-founder of eFFECTOR Therapeutics, a biotech firm that focuses on cancer treatment.

He successfully led eFFECTOR from early research stages to Phase 2 trials and helped raise more than US$ 250 million in funding. Under his leadership, the company also partnered with Pfizer on a major research initiative.

His earlier career includes roles at Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, and Agouron Pharmaceuticals, where he contributed to the development of several known drugs including Paxlovid and Inlyta.

In addition to naming a new CEO, Atomwise has also appointed Dr. Mike Varney as Lead Independent Director of the Board.

Dr. Varney is well known for his leadership in drug discovery, having served as Executive Vice President of Research and Early Development at Genentech and held R&D roles at Pfizer and Agouron. He currently advises and sits on the boards of several biotech companies.

“Steve is a proven leader with a strong background in drug discovery and company building,” said Dr. Robert Mittendorff, a member of Atomwise’s board.

“His appointment is a powerful step toward growing Atomwise’s AI drug discovery efforts and delivering meaningful results for patients.”

Atomwise is best known for its AtomNet platform, which uses deep learning to predict how small molecules interact with proteins.

This technology helps scientists quickly find new compounds that could lead to effective treatments, even for challenging or previously untreatable diseases.

The company has validated its approach across a wide range of targets and is building a proprietary pipeline of promising drug candidates.