About Us
Rigorous Science. Transformative Results.
At Draig, our mission is to develop transformative, best-in-class neuropsychiatric therapies through rigorous science and strong execution in partnership with patients and their care partners. Our pipeline of highly specific AMPA & GABAA receptor modulators are designed to enable safe, precise modulation of the major neurocircuits underlying neuropsychiatric disorders.
Our History
Draig was built upon the unique scientific expertise of Professors John Atack and Simon Ward in modulating the core Glutamate and GABA pathways, which play a critical role in neuropsychiatric diseases and are ideal targets to deliver transformative new therapies for patients. Both founders are Directors of the Medicines Discovery Institute (MDI) at Cardiff University and bring not only deep academic expertise but also decades of drug development experience from time at large pharmaceutical companies. Their deep knowledge of the interplay and balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission has led to novel insights that underpin Draig’s transformational pipeline.
Draig was co-founded in 2024 by Cardiff University and SV Health Investors, and is backed by other leading healthcare venture firms including ICG, Access Biotechnology, Canaan Partners, SR One, Sanofi Ventures and Schroders Capital. Draig is the Welsh word for ‘dragon’ and it reflects the company’s origins in Wales. Our name and logo were inspired by this heritage, reflecting our scientific roots stemming from Cardiff University.
Our Leadership
Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch
President & Chief Executive Officer
Simon Ward
Chief Scientific Officer & Founder
John Atack
Head of Biology & Founder
Inder Kaul
Chief Medical Officer
Weeteck Yeo
SVP, Business Operations & Chief of Staff
Joanne Palmer-Phillips
SVP, Program Leadership & Portfolio Management
Alicja Januszewicz
SVP, People and Culture
Natalie Sands
Senior Director, Finance
Maxim Smith
Director, Corporate Development
Board of Directors
Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch
CEO Draig Therapeutics
Douglas Williams
Independent
Chair of the Board
Ruth McKernan, CBE, FMedSci
Founder Draig Therapeutics
Operating Partner at SV Health Investors
Charles Dunn
SV Health Investors
Samantha Budd Haeberlein
ICG
Liam Ratcliffe
Access Biotechnology
Laetitia Schwab
SR One
Colleen Cuffaro
Canaan Partners
Jodie Morrison
Q32 Bio, Inc.
Megan Krench
Sanofi Ventures
Board Observer
Freya Easton
SV Health Investors
Board Observer
Irene Matucci
ICG
Board Observer
Scientific Advisory Board
Charlotte Allerton
Head of Early R&D
Pfizer
John Krystal
Professor and Chair of Psychiatry
Yale University
Charles Large
Founder and CEO
Autifony Therapeutics
Raymond Sanchez
Lifescience Advisor
Former CMO of Cerevel Therapeutics
Krish Singh
Professor and Head of Human Electrophysiology
Cardiff University
Our Investors
The Future of Brain Health Starts Here
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