our mission
To expand the reach of targeted protein degradation in cancer.
Our TriCore platform
TriCore is our proprietary modular platform for developing degrader-antibody conjugates. It combines antibody-directed delivery with targeted protein degradation to create new approaches to disease-driving proteins in cancer.
Our key differentiators
Flexible target reach
TriCore is designed to expand DAC development beyond targets with established small-molecule ligands.
Built for manufacturing
Proprietary conjugation chemistry supports a modular approach to DAC development and is designed for efficient, scalable manufacturing.
Proof of concept and intellectual property
Laboratory studies have demonstrated target engagement and protein degradation. A U.S. provisional patent application seeks protection for the TriCore platform and its applications.
Our Team
Meet the team
Our team brings together decades of expertise in drug development, company building, and scientific innovation.
Daniel Wattier
Co-Founder & CEO
Dan is a seasoned biotech executive with over two decades of experience in drug development, company formation, and global commercialization. He was the founding CEO of Valocor Therapeutics, the predecessor company to Dermira (NASDAQ: DERM), which Eli Lilly acquired for $1.1B. He also served as CEO of ImStar Therapeutics, an early-stage biotech company developing novel therapeutics for ALS. Earlier in his career, Dan led early commercialization efforts for Remicade® at Centocor (now part of Johnson & Johnson), a cornerstone in the development of J&J’s top-selling pharmaceutical product. He later held senior corporate development roles at QLT Inc., advancing global partnerships with Novartis, Astellas, and Sanofi. As CEO of 3C Therapeutics, Dan brings deep expertise in company building, venture financing, and strategic partnering to drive the advancement of the company’s novel DAC (Degrader-Antibody Conjugate) platform. He is also a Strategic Commercialization Advisor to Genome BC and has served on national and industry advisory boards supporting biotech innovation across Canada.
Tony Polverino
CSO & Scientific Advisor
Tony has been a leader in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector for more than 30 years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, a company developing innovative therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. He was formerly the Executive Vice President, Early Development and Chief Scientific Officer at Zymeworks Inc., where he oversaw the development of Zanidatamab, eventually out-licensed to Jazz Pharmaceuticals in a multi-billion-dollar deal. Prior to Zymeworks, Tony served as interim Chief Scientific Officer at Kite, which Gilead acquired for $11.9B. During his tenure, Kite developed axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta®), a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) cell immunotherapy approved in the United States for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. Before joining Kite, Tony spent 20 years at Amgen, holding various positions of increasing responsibility, including Director in the Oncology Department and Executive Director and Head of the Therapeutic Innovation Unit, where he led the discovery and development of multiple IND programs. Tony earned his PhD from Flinders University and a BSc from Adelaide University.
David Wood
Chief Financial Officer
David has over 30 years of experience in management of both early and late stage companies in North America and the U.K. and has over 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, where he has overseen several M&A transactions and numerous financings. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer of ESSA Pharma Inc. and as Head of Finance and Corporate Development, Secretary and Treasurer at Celator Pharmaceuticals Inc., now part of Jazz Pharmaceuticals. He received a B.Sc. in Biology from Queen’s University, an M.B.A. from University of Western Ontario and holds a CPA, CMA accounting designation.
Jason Crawford
EVP R&D
Jason leads drug discovery and development at 3C Therapeutics. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President of Discovery at Gandeeva, where he led efforts to develop molecular glues targeting K-Ras and other traditionally “undruggable” targets. Before Gandeeva, he held roles of increasing scientific responsibility and portfolio oversight at adMare BioInnovations (formerly CDRD), with the most senior role as Venture Partner. Prior to adMare, Jason was at AnorMED Inc. where he was a Manager of Development Chemistry and led the drug substance CMC efforts to enable pre-clinical and outsourced GMP production for mavorixafor (Xolremdi) for preclinical to Phase 2 clinical trials, and for plerixafor (Mozobil) for Phase 2 through to regulatory approval. Jason also held medicinal chemistry roles at AnorMED and Microcide Inc. Jason received his BSc and PhD from the University of Victoria and conducted postdoctoral research at Ohio State University.
Benjamin Noichl
Co-Founder & VP Chemistry
Benjamin was the first employee of 3C Therapeutics, joining after a joint research collaboration between David Perrin and iProgen, where he focused on the development and evaluation of DACs. His work successfully yielded the first prototype of an A-PROTAC through the synthesis of a degrader library. He received his PhD in organic chemistry from the Technical University Berlin in 2017, and subsequently worked at Cellbricks Inc., developing biocompatible polymers for printable 3D-Cell-Cultures and transplants. After moving to Canada, he worked as a PostDoc fellow under the supervision of Dr. Perrin, focusing on the development and evaluation of peptide toxins for Antibody-drug conjugates. His extensive experience in synthesizing, purifying, and evaluating PROTACs, A-PROTACs, and ADCs, coupled with his leadership in this project, is foundational to the advanced development of our platform.
Ranjani Vaidyanathan
VP Operations
Ranjani is a seasoned biotechnology professional with more than 16 years of industry experience in research and operational management. Her portfolio includes, but not limited to, leading internal research projects and external collaborations, patent contributions and managing and mentoring staff. Her scientific expertise includes cell line development and recombinant protein production (cGMP) and characterization, antibody and ADC assay development.
David Perrin
Co-Founder & Scientific Advisor
David has more than 20 years of experience in medicinal chemistry and more than 120 publications in the field. A Professor of Chemistry at UBC and a leading researcher in bio-organic chemistry, David's work bridges synthetic organic chemistry, molecular biology, physical organic chemistry, and radiochemistry to tackle long-standing challenges at the interface of chemistry and biology. His research has made significant fundamental impacts and contributed to several therapeutic applications. He was honored with the Teva and Bernard Belleau Awards of the Can. Chem. Soc. in 2015 and 2019, respectively. His discovery of one-step F-18 radiolabelling platform led to the founding of Alpha9Theranostics Inc (now Alpha-9 Oncology Inc. www.a9oncology.com), which raised $250 million to date. His collaboration with iProgen Biotech led to the development of TriCore Degrader Antibody Conjugate platform that led to the founding of 3C Therapeutics.
Mike Sun
Co-Founder & CMC Advisor
Mike brings over 25 years of experience in the Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) field, including in the chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) of clinical and commercial ADCs. He has held various leadership roles, including SVP of CMC for VelosBio (acquired by Merck for $2.75B), VP of Manufacturing at Silverback Therapeutics, and various leadership roles during his 17-year tenure at Seagen. Mike has participated in the development and submission of more than 30 antibody and ADC INDs and 4 BLAs, including serving as the CMC Lead of commercial ADCs ADCETRIS and PADCEV. Mike currently serves as technical advisor to multiple biotechnology companies developing ADCs. His extensive expertise in ADCs is indispensable for our DAC (Degrader-Antibody Conjugate) platform's advancement, including its inherent advantages for efficient and scalable manufacturing.
Jennifer Kaufman-Shaw
IP Advisor
Jennifer Kaufman-Shaw is a lawyer with over 30 years of experience in biotech specializing in intellectual property. Previously, she served as VP intellectual property and legal affairs at Zymeworks. Prior to joining Zymeworks Inc., she was a Co-Founder of ImStar Therapeutics Inc. and also served as its Vice President, Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs. She also served as a Vice President Intellectual Property at Sirius Genomics Inc. and held various senior roles at QLT Inc., where she was responsible for developing and executing intellectual property strategies. Dr. Kaufman-Shaw is admitted to both the Alberta and British Columbia Bars and holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and a doctorate in Biochemistry from the University of Alberta.
Ken Lee
Co-Founder & Director
Ken is a biotech entrepreneur with 24 years of industry experience. Ken’s journey has seen him navigate through discovery research at the BC Cancer Research Center, preclinical research at the Inimex Pharmaceuticals, to clinical research at BC Clinical Research, and business development roles at Helios Bioinformatics and iProgen Biotech. He held a certification from RAPS in U.S. Regulatory Affairs and is designated as a Clinical Research Professional by the Society of Clinical Research. Ken holds a B.Sc. from UBC and an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business.
Daniel Wattier
Co-Founder & CEO
Dan is a seasoned biotech executive with over two decades of experience in drug development, company formation, and global commercialization. He was the founding CEO of Valocor Therapeutics, the predecessor company to Dermira (NASDAQ: DERM), which Eli Lilly acquired for $1.1B. He also served as CEO of ImStar Therapeutics, an early-stage biotech company developing novel therapeutics for ALS. Earlier in his career, Dan led early commercialization efforts for Remicade® at Centocor (now part of Johnson & Johnson), a cornerstone in the development of J&J’s top-selling pharmaceutical product. He later held senior corporate development roles at QLT Inc., advancing global partnerships with Novartis, Astellas, and Sanofi. As CEO of 3C Therapeutics, Dan brings deep expertise in company building, venture financing, and strategic partnering to drive the advancement of the company’s novel DAC (Degrader-Antibody Conjugate) platform. He is also a Strategic Commercialization Advisor to Genome BC and has served on national and industry advisory boards supporting biotech innovation across Canada.
David Wood
Chief Financial Officer
David has over 30 years of experience in management of both early and late stage companies in North America and the U.K. and has over 18 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, where he has overseen several M&A transactions and numerous financings. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer of ESSA Pharma Inc. and as Head of Finance and Corporate Development, Secretary and Treasurer at Celator Pharmaceuticals Inc., now part of Jazz Pharmaceuticals. He received a B.Sc. in Biology from Queen’s University, an M.B.A. from University of Western Ontario and holds a CPA, CMA accounting designation.
Harlei Martin
Senior Scientist
Sana Faiyaz
Project Manager, Validation
Richard Alex
Project Manager, Conjugation
Haley Bonner
Project Manager
Arvind Soni
Post-Doctoral Fellow (UBC)
Get in touch
Contact 3C Therapeutics to discuss investment, partnering opportunities or scientific collaborations.