Paragon Biosciences, a company founded by the entrepreneur Jeff Aronin, helps address unmet medical diseases by accelerating the development and approval of innovative medicines. By identifying the underlying cause of disease, acquiring breakthrough science, and attracting top talent, Paragon Biosciences creates focused businesses that bring important medicines to patients. The company’s strong track record — a leadership team with 13 new drug approvals — is a reflection of its strategic focus on patient needs.
Medical Treatments Require Technological Advances and Dedicated Experts
At Paragon Biosciences, Jeff Aronin brings together leading talent who come together for a common purpose: do more for people who need treatments for their medical conditions. The company has a strong network of clinical experts to help develop new drugs. Those leaders help the emerging biotech startups invested in and incubated by Paragon. Collectively, the team at Paragon and the leadership teams at the companies, help drive forward a drug development strategy that rivals the success rate at large biotech and pharma companies.
Identifying Patients Who Need New Treatments
Jeff Aronin is passionate about meeting the pressing needs of people who have diseases with no treatment, or suboptimal treatments (LinkedIn). In his career, Jeff Aronin has particularly helped support small patient populations who otherwise would have no options. Rare diseases, those affecting less than 200,000 people, are often overlooked by large biotech and pharma companies. But those specific areas of unmet need are ideal for Paragon and its focused, nimble strategy of getting important medicines approved in the most efficient way possible.
Building Dynamic Biotech Companies
Jeff Aronin understands time is critical for to developing new medicines that can help improve the lives of patients. Paragon Biosciences provides the financial and human resources to benefit its startup companies, ultimately helping its companies develop and commercialize novel medicines. Jeff Aronin’s companies support talented biotech leaders who want to break through traditional barriers to develop new ways to benefit patients. The team at Paragon Biosciences, and at its portfolio companies, believe in a scientific triad of creativity, enthusiasm, and tenacity.
Developing Breakthroughs for Patients in Need
The challenge for the healthcare industry, particularly those companies that develop medicines, is to take promising science from bench to bedside. Jeff Aronin and Paragon Biosciences continually identify and invest in opportunities to bring important medicines to patients more efficiently. This helps healthcare professionals have more options, provides additional resources for patients and their families, and addresses unmet needs in ways other companies have not done. Moving medicines through the clinical development process with scientific rigor is a critical skill that is a hallmark of the team at Paragon.
Powering Biotech Breakthroughs
Paragon is helping build companies that are focused on specific unmet medical needs, companies like Castle Creek Pharmaceuticals (CCP). They are focused on addressing rare genetic skin disorders. Castle Creek Pharmaceuticals recently received the Partners in Progress Award from Debra, a leading organization advocating for the needs of people who suffer from epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a devastating rare skin disease that leaves people with blisters resulting from the slightest abrasion. Debra recognized the team at CCP for its ongoing work to develop a treatment for epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS), a common form of EB.
Harmony Biosciences, another company powered by Paragon, focuses on central nervous system disorders, with its initial focus on narcolepsy and cataplexy. The team at Harmony is actively investigating the potential of the H3 receptor and its role in wakefulness and other central nervous system conditions.
Paragon is actively engaged in building new companies, either those who have a potential medicine and are looking for an experienced partner to help develop the treatment, or Paragon may build up companies on its own, following its strategy of understanding a patient’s underlying disease, identifying innovative science, and creating a focused company to bring a medicine to market.
Chairman and CEO Jeff Aronin has led Paragon Biosciences since 2010. His career has been marked by successful entrepreneurial ventures in biotech and healthcare, including serving as CEO of Ovation Pharmaceuticals Inc., Lundbeck Inc., and Marathon Pharmaceuticals. At each company, Jeff Aronin’s focus has been the same: bring important medicines to patients who have few or no treatment options available. Both his and his team’s expertise has been so valuable to the startup companies Paragon helps build.
With a deep understanding of science and medicine to complement expertise in creating and building innovative companies, Jeff Aronin’s background is well-suited for what the healthcare industry, and specifically the biotech industry, needs today: a focus on bringing important treatments to patients in the most efficient way possible.
Beyond business, Jeff Aronin has a passion for philanthropy. He and his companies give back in many ways, specifically focusing on advancing science, raising awareness of rare diseases, improving education, and supporting community development.
Given the focus of his career has been in healthcare and entrepreneurship, Aronin offers advice and mentorship to experienced leaders and startup companies alike. Delivering on the promise of medicine, and ensuring that patients in need have medicines available, means helping the next generation find its path forward, a role and responsibility that Aronin takes seriously.
