Dr. Robert Jones is an accomplished medicinal chemist and veteran small-molecule drug hunter with over 30 years of industry experience. Trained at University College London and as a NIDA Fellow at the University of Minnesota, he has built a distinguished career across biopharma, contributing to multiple first-in-class and best-in-class programs.

A prolific innovator, Dr. Jones is the inventor on more than 100 PCTs and issued patents spanning work at both private and public biotechnology companies. His discovery leadership has directly contributed to several advanced clinical candidates and approved or late-stage assets, including Velsipity, olorinab, LP659, LTGO-001, navacaprant, NMRA-511, and numerous other NCEs currently in late-stage development.

He previously led the seminal GPR119 agonist discovery campaign at Janssen’s Spring House site while at Arena Pharmaceuticals, advancing key molecules such as APD597 and APD668—expertise now central to Pramana’s next-generation GPR119 platform. Dr. Jones has held senior leadership roles including Vice President of Chemistry at Arena Pharmaceuticals, Blackthorn Therapeutics, and Latigo Biotherapeutics.