A DECADE OF ARVINAS

Ian Taylor’s journey with Arvinas began in 2016 when he joined the company as the Vice President of Pharmacology and Translational Medicine. The biology department was split into early and late stages, with Ian taking charge of the late-stage department.

When asked what initially drew him to Arvinas, Ian cites the potential of PROTAC technology to tackle the undruggable targets he had previously encountered during his tenure in pharma. He was intrigued by the prospect of being a part of a growing biotech and proving these goals could be achieved showing that this new technology could be turned into drugs. In addition, the challenge of developing PROTACs as oral drugs was especially attractive since so many people were skeptical it could be done.

Ian recalls how the early days at Arvinas were filled with the usual biotech staples such as happy hours and weekly town halls with pizza, but says his favorite memory was the day the company went public. On IPO Day, busloads of Arvinas employees and their significant others headed to NASDAQ to watch John Houston and Craig Crews ring the opening bell. He says it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to celebrate the culmination of everybody’s hard work and dedication together.

Ian previously served as the President of R&D of Arvinas – responsible for Research and Early Development – a role that combined all of the experience he gained prior to coming to the company. Ian shared that what excites him most about the future is the potential of PROTACs to change lives in a meaningful way.

“Arvinas’ goal is to enable patients to be able to live longer and reach milestones like graduations, weddings, and birthdays that they might not have reached otherwise. That’s what it’s all about in drug discovery and the biopharma industry. Arvinas being at the forefront of this new class of medicine is an incredible opportunity, and it’s amazing to see how the Company’s work is making a difference.”