Full-Time
Senior Director
Analytical Development CMC
Updated on 9/8/2026
Centessa Pharmaceuticals
51-200 employees
Clinical-stage pharma with asset-centric model
Compensation Overview
$165k - $250k/yr
Boston, MA, USA
In Person
Based in the US with occasional domestic and international travel.
Master's, PhD
 Biology & Biotech (1) |
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- An advanced degree in chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related field is required, with a PhD strongly preferred.
- At least 10 years of small molecule pharmaceutical industry experience is required.
- Extensive experience in early-phase analytical development of small molecule oral solid dosage forms is required.
- Deep expertise in current Good Manufacturing Practice and ex-US regulatory requirements for pharmaceutical products is required.
- A strong technical background in chemical and physical characterization is required, including polymorphism, particle size, residual solvents, process impurities such as genotoxic impurities and nitrosamines, and forced degradation mechanisms.
- Significant experience in analytical method development and Good Manufacturing Practice qualification and validation is required, including assay, related substances, and dissolution methods.
- Proven ability to manage and direct outsourced analytical activities at contract development and manufacturing organizations, including assay development, stability, and quality control, is required.
- Hands-on experience designing, managing, and interpreting real-time, accelerated, and forced-degradation stability programs is required.
- A strong understanding of product quality attributes and control strategies for small molecule synthetic processes is required.
- Demonstrated leadership coordinating analytical and broader chemistry, manufacturing, and controls activities supporting development and commercialization is required.
- Strong analytical planning, resource management, and budget oversight skills across global contract development and manufacturing organization networks are required.
- The ability to make effective decisions and communicate while working independently and collaborating across functions and organizational levels is required.
- Lead analytical strategy for phase-appropriate method development, validation, and product characterization across multiple programs.
- Lead drug substance and drug product analytical development activities at third-party vendors, including method implementation, qualification and validation, and transfer supporting pre-investigational new drug through registrational programs.
- Review method validation protocols and reports and test data for release, stability, and characterization.
- Save and store documentation, generate stability result tables, and file stability data for expiry and shelf-life assignments.
- Lead specification setting based on batch history and supporting analytical data.
- Serve as the analytical chemistry, manufacturing, and controls representative on program development teams.
- Serve as a role model and subject-matter expert for junior analytical scientists.
- Contribute to chemistry, manufacturing, and controls analytical content in regulatory filings, including regulatory starting material justifications, specification justifications, discriminatory and quality-control dissolution method development, and structural elucidations.
- Review and draft internal technical reports and analytical sections of global submission documents and modules, including investigational new drug, investigational medicinal product dossier, new drug application, and marketing authorization application documents, as well as responses to regulatory requests for information.
- Work cross-functionally with Quality as a technical expert on analytical out-of-expectation, out-of-trend, and out-of-specification investigations, deviations, and troubleshooting.
- Participate actively in batch record review.
- Travel to domestic and international vendors as required.
- A PhD in chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related field is strongly preferred.
- Experience with analytical development of small molecule oral solid dosage forms in early-phase development is preferred.
Centessa Pharmaceuticals uses an asset-centric hub-and-spoke model formed from ten subsidiary companies to advance multiple therapies. Its lead program ORX750 is an oral orexin receptor 2 agonist for sleep-wake disorders and is in Phase 2a with Phase 2 data expected in 2025. It also develops an early-stage immuno-oncology program based on the LockBody technology, which engineers antibodies to improve cancer treatment. The company funds development through equity, debt, and partnerships and aims to move ORX750 toward regulatory approval while expanding its oncology portfolio.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Boston, Massachusetts
Founded
2021
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Nxera announced an $8.6 million milestone from Centessa on September 3, 2026.
- Lilly completed the acquisition on June 24, 2026, providing global resources.
- Takeda’s oveporexton FDA review in Q3 2026 expands orexin market credibility.
What critics are saying
- Takeda’s oveporexton leads Centessa in Phase 3 and FDA review, compressing first-mover advantage.
- Centessa generated zero product revenue in Q1 2026; commercialization remains unproven.
- Lilly can deprioritize ORX142 and ORX489 post-close, shrinking Centessa’s standalone identity.
What makes Centessa Pharmaceuticals unique
- Lilly’s June 24, 2026 acquisition validates Centessa’s orexin portfolio and science.
- Cleminorexton/ORX750 targets OX2R directly, a mechanistic sleep-wake switch.
- Nxera-originated ORX142 and ORX489 extend the platform beyond narcolepsy.
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Benefits
Remote Work Options
Flexible Work Hours
Wellness Program
Mental Health Support
Stock Options
Company Equity
Conference Attendance Budget
Professional Development Budget
Telework isn't listed but Remote Work Options covers it
Phone/Internet Stipend
Home Office Stipend
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -2%1 year growth
↓ -1%2 year growth
↓ -5%Nxera Pharma will receive an $8.6 million milestone payment from Centessa Pharmaceuticals following late-stage development progress on Centessa's selective orexin receptor 2 agonist portfolio. The payment stems from Nxera's research collaboration with Centessa and will be recognised as revenue in Q3 2026. Centessa, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly following Lilly's acquisition completed in June 2026, achieved the development milestone with its clinical-stage molecules designed to treat diseases associated with sleep-wake regulation and neurological disorders. Nxera retains rights to future development and commercialisation milestones, as well as royalties, related to the programmes. Christopher Cargill, president and CEO of Nxera Pharma, said the portfolio has great potential to address major unmet needs across a broad range of disorders.
Talking sleep | live from SLEEP 2026. Season 8 | episode 12. In this special live episode recorded from the SLEEP 2026 annual meeting in Baltimore, host Dr. Seema Khosla welcomes Dr. Sanjay Patel, director of the clinical sleep program at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, to discuss groundbreaking medications for sleep disorders poised for FDA approval in 2026 and 2027. The pharmaceutical landscape for sleep medicine is undergoing unprecedented transformation. Dr. Patel surveys the emerging drug pipeline that will fundamentally change how clinicians treat obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and idiopathic hypersomnia. For obstructive sleep apnea, Dr. Patel discusses AD-109 (atomoxetine and R-oxybutynin), explaining the mechanistic rationale and practical considerations including use with tirzepatide. The Incannex drug combining dronabinol and acetazolamide receives analysis for different patient populations, and sultiame is discussed as a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor option. A critical framework emerges: Should treatment be symptom-based or airway-focused when PAP-intolerant patients present? Tirzepatide, the GLP-1 agonist FDA-approved for moderate-to-severe OSA, receives comprehensive coverage including muscle loss concerns, long-term use, and emerging oral GLP-1 options. Retatrutide, the triple-hormone agent combining GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon, is also discussed. The episode's most exciting segment focuses on orexin agonists for narcolepsy. Three pharmaceutical companies - Alkemeres, Centessa (purchased by Lilly), and Takeda - are developing these mechanistically novel agents. Dr. Patel clarifies how these medications differ, discusses why one medication disrupted nocturnal sleep (suggesting continued roles for oxybates), and addresses how clinicians will choose between similar medications. Dr. Patel emphasizes a fundamental question: Should the field prioritize symptom management versus airway patency for OSA, and mechanistic approaches versus symptom management for narcolepsy? Whether you're interested in emerging OSA treatments, narcolepsy innovations, or the future of pharmacological sleep medicine, this live episode provides essential updates on medications that will soon reshape clinical practice. Join American Academy of Sleep Medicine for this exciting conversation about how sleep medicine will transform in the coming years. Dr. Sanjay R. Patel, an expert in sleep health, is certified in pulmonary disease and sleep medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Patel is a professor of medicine and epidemiology at University of Pittsburgh, and medical director of UPMC Comprehensive Sleep Disorders program. He earned a master's degree in epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health and a medical degree from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He completed a residency at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and a fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Patel's research focuses on the health implications of poor sleep with particular interest on the relationships between sleep and cardiometabolic disease. He directs the Center for Sleep and Cardiovascular Outcomes Research at the University of Pittsburgh. He has published extensively on the subject of obesity management and glucose metabolism with sleep apnea, as well as the association between curtailed sleep and long-term health effects.
Drugs from a text prompt, Wegovy pill competition dampens Lilly's surge. April 10, 2026 From designing drugs with a simple text prompt to running experiments guided by extended reality, a new wave of agentic AI is transforming the modern lab. Its editors discuss the latest autonomous systems accelerating biological discovery. In business deals, Gilead Sciences has acquired Tubulis in a transaction worth up to $5 billion, strengthening the buyer's position in antibody-drug conjugates for cancer. Correspondingly, Eli Lilly and Biogen are each making billion-dollar-plus bets, acquiring Centessa, a sleep disorder drug developer, and Apellis, known for its work in immunology and rare diseases. Its episode rounds out by unpacking the dynamic obesity drug market, where intensifying competition from Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill is prompting Lilly to temper the 2026 sales outlook for its oral obesity drug, Foundayo. Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base:
Lilly wakes up sleep market with $6.3B Centessa buy to challenge Takeda. March 31, 2026 | In the buyout, Eli Lilly picks up Centessa Pharmaceuticals' lead asset cleminorexton, which could go toe-to-toe with Takeda's oveporexton, currently under FDA review with a decision expected in the third quarter. Looking to further expand its expertise beyond the cardiometabolic and neurology arenas, Eli Lilly is taking over Centessa Pharmaceuticals and its pipeline of sleep disorder drugs - a move that could put the pharma in direct competition with Takeda. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, announced Tuesday morning, Lilly will snap up Centessa for $38 per share or $6.3 billion upfront. The pharma has also offered a contingent value right that entitles stockholders to $9 more per share if the deal hits certain milestones, including one of two FDA approvals before a certain period of time lapses. This contingent offer could add $1.5 billion more to the total buyout value. Lilly and Centessa expect to close the transaction in the third quarter of 2026. The boards of directors of both companies have approved the deal. At the heart of the acquisition agreement is Centessa's lead asset cleminorexton, an oral orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonist being trialed for narcolepsy type 1, narcolepsy type 2 and idiopathic hypersomnia. Orexin is a key neuropeptide that regulates the sleep-wake cycle, according to the biotech's website, in turn promoting wakefulness. Drugs that activate this pathway could help address excessive daytime sleepiness as well as improve attention, cognition and fatigue. In April 2025, Centessa released Phase 1 data showing that a 5-mg oral dose of cleminorexton delayed sleep by an average of 37.9 minutes compared to 15.3 minutes in placebo recipients, resulting in a "statistically significant" treatment effect of 22.6 minutes, the biotech said at the time. This readout "reinforces ORX750 as a potentially best-in-class OX2R agonist relative to competitors," Leerink analysts wrote an April 7, 2025 note. Analysts at BMO Capital Markets said Centessa's orexin receptor agonist has "best-in-class" potential for narcolepsy, putting the company in a strong position in the $15 billion market. April 7, 2025 With the Centessa pickup, Lilly will go toe-to-toe with Takeda, which is far ahead in the narcolepsy race with its late-stage oveporexton, also an OX2R agonist. In July 2025, Takeda announced that oveporexton significantly improved excessive daytime sleepiness, attention, quality of life, functioning and cataplexy in two Phase 3 studies. The FDA accepted Takeda's approval submission for the candidate last month, with a decision out in the third quarter of this year. Also in the narcolepsy game is Alkermes, which in November last year announced that its own OX2R agonist alixorexton aced Phase 2 and would move into late-stage development. The drug improved wakefulness and eased daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy type 2, according to results presented at the time. Alixorexton's Phase II performance sets it up for late-stage success, according to analysts at Truist Securities. Alkermes expects to launch a global late-stage program early next year for narcolepsy type 2. November 13, 2025 Aside from cleminorexton, Lilly will also come into possession of Centessa's broader pipeline of OX2R agonists, which includes additional preclinical assets with therapeutic potential "across a broader range of neurological, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric conditions," the pharma said Tuesday. Tristan is BioSpace 's senior staff writer. Based in Metro Manila, Tristan has more than eight years of experience writing about medicine, biotech and science. He can be reached at [email protected], [email protected] or on LinkedIn.
Eli Lilly has agreed to acquire Centessa Pharmaceuticals for $38.00 per share in cash plus contingent value rights worth up to $9.00 per share, valuing the deal at approximately $6.3 billion upfront with potential additional payments of $1.5 billion. The upfront consideration represents a 40.5% premium to Centessa's 30-day volume-weighted average share price. Centessa is developing orexin receptor 2 agonists for sleep-wake disorders, with lead candidate cleminorexton showing promising results in Phase 2a studies across narcolepsy type 1, narcolepsy type 2 and idiopathic hypersomnia. The acquisition expands Lilly's neuroscience portfolio into sleep medicine. Contingent payments are tied to FDA approvals of cleminorexton or ORX142 by 2030. The transaction, structured as a scheme of arrangement, requires shareholder approval and is expected to close in the third quarter.