People

Mark D. McBriar, PhD

Counsel

McBriar Ph.D., Mark D.

Mark D. McBriar focuses his practice on drafting and prosecuting patent applications, due diligence evaluations, freedom to operate studies, patentability evaluations, re-examinations and litigation support, including Hatch-Waxman litigation. His primary areas of focus are pharmaceutical and life sciences including small molecule pharmaceutical compounds, synthetic methods, drug discovery and methods of treatment.

Selected Journal Publications and Patents

  • Xu, R.; Cole, D.; Asberom, T.; Bara, T.; Bennett, C.; Burnett, D.; Clader, J.; Domalski, M.; Greenlee, W.; Hyde, L.; Josien, H.; Li, H.; McBriar, M.; McKittrick, B.; McPhail, A.; Pissarnitski, D.; Qiang, L.; Rajagopalan, M.; Sasikumar, T.; Su, J.; Tang, H.; Wu, W.; Zhang, L.; Zhao, Z. "Design and Synthesis of Tricyclic Sulfones as g-Secretase Inhibitors with Greatly Reduced Notch Toxicity” Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 2010, 20, 2591
  • Smith, A. B., III; Lin, Q.; Doughty, V.; Zhuang, L.; McBriar, M. D.; Kerns, J.; Boldi, A.; Murase, N.; Moser, W.; Brook, C.; Bennett, C.; Nakayama, K.; Sobukawa, M.; Trout, R. "Spongipyran Synthetic Studies. Total Synthesis of (+)-Spongistatin 2" Tetrahedron 2009, 65, 6470
  • McBriar, M. D.; Clader, J. W.; Del Vecchio, R. A.; Greenlee, W. J.; Hyde, L.; Nomeir, A.; Parker, E. M.; Pissarnitski, D. A.; Song, L.; Zhang, L.; Zhao, Z. "Discovery of Amide and Heteroaryl Isosteres as Carbamate Replacements in a Series of Orally Active Gamma-Secretase Inhibitors” Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 2008, 18, 215
  • McBriar, M. D. "Melanin Concentrating Hormone Receptor Antagonists as Antiobesity Agents: From M2 to MCHR-1” Curr. Top. Med. Chem. 2007, 7, 1440 (invited review)
  • McBriar, M. D.; Guzik, H.; Shapiro, S.; Xu, R.; Paruchova, J.; Clader, J. W.; O'Neill, K.; Hawes, B.; Sorota, S.; Margulis, M.; Tucker, K.; Weston, D. J.; Cox, K. "Bicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl Urea Melanin Concentrating Hormone (MCH) Receptor-1 Antagonists: Impacting hERG Liability via Aryl Modifications” Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2006, 16, 4262
  • McBriar, M. D. "Recent Advances in the Discovery of Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Receptor Antagonists” Curr. Opin. Drug Disc. Dev. 2006, 9, 496
  • Kowalski, T. J.; Spar, B. D.; Weig, B.; Farley, C.; Cook, J.; Ghibaudi, L.; Fried, S.; O'Neill, K.; Del Vecchio, R. A.; McBriar, M. D.; Guzik, H.; Clader, J.; Hawes, B. E.; Hwa, J. "Effects of a Selective Melanin-Concentrating Hormone 1 Receptor Antagonist on Food Intake and Energy Homeostasis in Diet-Induced Obese Mice” Eur. J. Pharm. 2006, 535, 182
  • McBriar, M. D.; Guzik, H.; Shapiro, S.; Paruchova, J.; Xu, R.; Palani, A.; Clader, J. W.; Cox, K.; Greenlee, W. J.; Hawes, B. E.; Kowalski, T. J.; O'Neill, K.; Spar, B. D.; Weig, B.; Weston, D. J.; Ferley, C.; Cook, J. "Discovery of Orally Efficacious Melanin Concentrating Hormone Receptor-1 Antagonists as Antiobesity Agents. Synthesis, SAR and Biological Evaluation of Bicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl Ureas” J. Med. Chem. 2006, 49, 2294
  • McBriar, M. D.; Kowalski, T. J. "Melanin-Concentrating Hormone as a Therapeutic Target” Ann. Rep. Med. Chem. 2005, 40, 119 (invited review)
  • Smith, A. B., III; Lin, Q.; Doughty, V.; Zhuang, L.; McBriar, M. D.; Kerns, J.; Brook, C.; Murase, N.; Nakayama, K. "The Spongistatins: Architecturally Complex Natural Products. Part Two: Synthesis of the C(29-51) Subunit, Fragment Assembly and Final Elaboration to (+)- Spongistatin 2" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2001, 40, 196
  • Palani, A.; Qin, J.; Zhu, Z.; Aslanian, R. G.; McBriar, M. D. "Gamma secretase modulators” USSN 12/671,782
  • Zhu, Z.; Greenlee, W. J.; Sun, Z.; Gallo, G.; Asberom, T.; Huang, X.; Zhu, X.; McBriar, M. D.; Pissarnitski, D. A.; Zhao, Z.; Xu, R.; Li, H.; Palani, A.; Mazzola, R. D.; Clader, J. W.; Josien, H. B.; Qin, J. "Gamma secretase modulators” USSN 12/598,704
  • Asberom, T.; Bara, T.; Bennett, C. E.; Burnett, D. A.; Caplen, M. A.; Clader, J. W.; Cole, D. J.; Domalski, M. S.; Josien, H. B.; Knutson, C. E.; Li, H.; McBriar, M. D.; Pissarnitski, D. A.; Qiang, L.; Rajagopalan, M.; Sasikumar, T. K.; Su, J.; Tang, H.; Wu, W.-L.; Xu, R.; Zhao, Z. "Preparation of benzenesulfonyl-chromane, thiochromane, tetrahydronaphthalene and related gamma secretase inhibitors” U.S. Patent 8,067,621
  • Palani, A.; Shapiro, S. A.; Josien, H. B.; Bara, T. A.; Clader, J. W.; Pushpavanam, P. B.; Li, S.; McBriar, M. D. "MCH antagonists for the treatment of obesity” U.S. Patent 7,345,042
  • Clader, J. W.; Palani, A.; Xu, R.; McBriar, M. D. ; Su, J.; Tang, H. "MCH antagonists for the treatment of obesity” U.S. Patent 7,348,328
  • Palani, A.; Shapiro, S.; McBriar, M. D.; Su, J. "MCH antagonists for the treatment of obesity” U.S. Patent 7,045,636

Experience

Prior to joining WilmerHale, Dr. McBriar spent two years as a scientific advisor at another law firm in New York. There, he drafted and prosecuted US patent applications, and directed foreign patent prosecution relating to various pharmaceutical and biotechnology matters. He also conducted freedom to operate, invalidity, non-infringement and patentability studies for clients, as well as due diligence portfolio evaluations. Within the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology area, Dr. McBriar focused on small molecule anti-tumor, cardiovascular and central nervous system pharmaceuticals, radiolabeled imaging agents, and veterinary and agricultural pesticides. He also handled IP matters related to innovations in the fields of organic chemistry, including small molecule discovery scale and process scale synthesis, and medical devices, including cardiovascular valve repair devices and stents.

Previously, Dr. McBriar was with Cardiovascular/Central Nervous System Discovery Chemical Research at the Schering-Plough Research Institute as an Associate Principal Scientist (2002–2008) and, before that, as a Senior Research Scientist (1999–2002). There, he designed, synthesized and optimized central nervous system preclinical drug candidates for Alzheimer’s and anti-obesity therapeutics.

Dr. McBriar's doctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania focused on asymmetric total synthesis of Spongistatin 1, a potent anti-tumor marine marcolide natural product.

From 1992 to 1994, prior to obtaining his MS and Ph.D. in organic chemistry, Dr. McBriar worked as an assistant scientist within Cardiovascular Discovery Research at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (now Sanofi-Aventis), where he synthesized peptidomimetics and non-peptide enzyme platelet aggregation inhibitors for cardiovascular therapies.

Professional Activities

Dr. McBriar is admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the American Chemical Society.

Dr. McBriar has presented at major scientific conferences and published extensively in leading medicinal chemistry journals, including writing invited reviews. Dr. McBriar served as a manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters. While with Schering-Plough, Dr. McBriar also served in the Schering-Plough Research Institute School Outreach Program, providing hands-on laboratory instruction for elementary and middle-school students. From 1997 to 2003, Dr. McBriar was a test item writer with the American Institutes for Research.

Practices

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Education

JD, Fordham University School of Law, 2013

PhD, Organic Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 1999

MS, Organic Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 1995

BS, Chemistry, cum laude, Dickinson College, 1992

Bar Admissions

New York

New Jersey

United States Patent and Trademark Office

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