How is AI Designing Novel Drugs?

Feb. 27, 2025

Guests: David Reese, EVP & Chief Technology Officer, Amgen; Gevorg Grigoryan, Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer, Generate:Biomedicines; Mike Nally, CEO, Generate:Biomedicines

Host: Yaron Werber, Biotechnology Analyst, TD Cowen

Yaron Werber conducts interviews and onsite tours with Amgen and Generate:Biomedicines to explore how AI and automation are revolutionizing every step of drug development; from discovery, to validation, to clinical trial enrollment, to manufacturing.

Importantly, while AI is a powerful tool, it is meant to amplify, not replace, human capabilities. We interviewed David Reese of Amgen, and Gevorg Grigoryan and Mike Nally of Generate:Biomedicines to discuss how their companies are using AI and automation to develop novel biologics at unprecedented speed and scale.


This clip should not be copied, distributed, published or reproduced, in whole or in part. The information contained in this clip was obtained from publicly available sources, has not been independently verified by TD Securities, may not be current, and TD Securities has no obligation to provide any updates or changes. All price references and market forecasts are as of the date of clip. The views and opinions expressed in this clip are not necessarily those of TD Securities and may differ from the views and opinions of other departments or divisions of TD Securities and its affiliates. TD Securities is not providing any financial, economic, legal, accounting, or tax advice or recommendations in this clip. The information contained in this clip does not constitute investment advice or an offer to buy or sell securities or any other product and should not be relied upon to evaluate any potential transaction. Neither TD Securities nor any of its affiliates makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or any information contained in this clip and any liability therefore (including in respect of direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage) is expressly disclaimed.

Portrait of Yaron Werber, M.D., MBA

Managing Director, Health Care – Biotechnology Research Analyst, TD Cowen

Portrait of Yaron Werber, M.D., MBA

Yaron Werber, M.D., MBA
Managing Director, Health Care – Biotechnology Research Analyst, TD Cowen

Portrait of Yaron Werber, M.D., MBA

Yaron Werber, M.D., MBA
Managing Director, Health Care – Biotechnology Research Analyst, TD Cowen

Dr. Yaron Werber is a Managing Director and senior research analyst on TD Cowen’s biotechnology team. In this role, Dr. Werber is responsible for providing analysis on large-, mid-, and small-cap biotechnology stocks. Dr. Werber has 20+ years of experience as a research analyst in the financial services industry and has served as an executive in a public biotechnology company.

Prior to rejoining TD Cowen, Dr. Werber was a founding team member, chief business and financial officer, treasurer and secretary of Ovid Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on developing transformative drugs for orphan disorders of the brain. In this role, Dr. Werber established and was responsible for all financial planning and reporting, business development, strategy, operations/IT and investor and public relations and human resources functionality. Dr. Werber also led negotiations to secure several pipeline compounds including an innovative partnership with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, a deal that expanded Ovid’s pipeline and pioneered a novel approach for partnering the focused expertise of small biotech with big pharma.

This deal was chosen by Scrip as a finalist for the 2017 Best Partnership Alliance Award. In addition, Dr. Werber oversaw all financing activities and led a $75 million Series B round in 2015 and Ovid’s $75 million IPO in 2017. In that capacity, Dr. Werber was selected as an “Emerging Pharma Leader” by Pharmaceutical Executive magazine in 2017.

Prior to joining Ovid, Dr. Werber worked at Citi from 2004 to 2015, where he most recently served as a managing director and head of U.S. healthcare and biotech equity research. During his tenure at Citi, Dr. Werber led a team that conducted in-depth analyses of life science companies at all stages of development, ranging from successful, profitable companies to recently public and privately held companies. Previously, Dr. Werber was a senior biotech analyst and vice president at SG Cowen Securities Corporation from 2001- 2004.

Dr. Werber has been awarded several accolades for performance and stock picking, he has been highly ranked by Institutional Investor magazine, has received awards from Starmine and was voted among the top five analysts in biotech in the Wall Street Journal’s “Best on the Street” Greenwich survey. He has frequently been featured as a guest on CNBC, Fox News, Bloomberg News and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg thestreet.com and BioCentury.
Dr. Werber earned his B.S. in Biology from Tufts University, cum laude, and a combined M.D./MBA degree from Tufts University School of Medicine where he was a Terner Scholar.

Related Content