He was the co-founder of Amicus Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing pharmacologic chaperone therapies (Galafold approved 2018[4]), and served as the Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committees (SAC) of Synageva BioPharma [5] and Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals. The enzyme therapy developed in his laboratory and licensed to Genzyme as Fabrazyme, along with Cerazyme for Gaucher disease, helped build the rare disease company Genzyme, which has spawned more CEOs than any other company in history following its 2011 sale to Sanofi for $20.1 billion.[6]
Desnick is the Dean for Genetics and Genomic Medicine, and Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Genetics & Genomic Sciences at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Additionally, he is Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Oncological Sciences, and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at The Mount Sinai Hospital.
Desnick is the author of more than 590 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals, 250 book chapters and is the editor of 10 books. He holds 26 US issued and licensed patents[7] and is included in Castle Connelly's lists of Best Doctors in America and Best Doctors in New York and New York Magazine’s list of the Best Doctors every year since the inception of the rating.[8][9] He was elected to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in 2004.[10]
Part of his genetics laboratory at Mount Sinai was spun out into Sema4 (NASDAQ: SMFR), which IPO’d in 2021 for $3 billion.
Biography
Desnick received his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota in 1965. He earned a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of Minnesota Graduate School in 1970 and his M.D. from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1971. He completed an internship and a residency in pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Hospitals and joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota, where he rose to the rank of associate professor of Cell Biology and Genetics and Pediatrics.
Desnick joined the staff at Mount Sinai Medical Center in 1977, as the Arthur J. and Nellie Z. Cohen Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics and Chief of the Division of Medical and Molecular Genetics. He was the first chairman of the newly created Department of Human Genetics in 1993, which was renamed the Department of Genetics & Genomic Sciences in 2006. In 2009, he became Dean for Genetics & Genomic Medicine and Interim Director of the newly established Genomics Institute at Mount Sinai. He is currently Professor of Pediatrics, Oncological Sciences, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Gene and Cell Medicine and Professor and Chairman Emeritus of Genetics & Genomic Sciences.[11]
Desnick is a past director of the American Board of Medical Genetics, a Founding Diplomat of the American College of Medical Genetics, a past member of the board of directors of the American College of Medical Genetics Foundation, and a founder and past president of the Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics.[13][14] He is past chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), past member of the AAMC Board of Directors and past chair of the AAMC Council of Academic Societies. He is currently the President of the American Porphyrias Expert Collaborative.
Personal life
He lives in New York City and Palm Beach with his wife, Julie Herzig Desnick, and son, Jonathan Desnick. Julie is an Abstract Expressionist painter and a LEED-certified, Registered Architect.
Compositions and methods for inhibiting expression of the ALAS1 gene, (2015).[37]
Method and kits for detecting a polymorphism in δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase gene which is associated with an altered susceptibility to lead poisoning, (2017).[38]
Compositions and methods for inhibiting expression of the ALAS1 gene, (2021).[46]
Books
Desnick, R. J., Bernlohr, R. W. and Krivit, W., eds.: Enzyme Therapy in Genetic Diseases, Birth Defects Original Article Series. Vol. IX, No. 2. The National Foundation, New York, pp.236, 1973. ISBN0-683-06367-7
Rubenstein, I., Phillips, R. L., Green, C. E. and Desnick, R. J., eds.: Molecular Genetic Modification of Eucaryotes, Academic Press, New York, pp.171, 1977. ASIN B000N5X2F2
Desnick, R. J., ed.: Enzyme Therapy in Genetic Diseases: 2, Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York, pp.544, 1980. ISBN0-8451-1035-7
Desnick, R. J., Patterson, D. F. and Scarpelli, D. F., eds.: Animal Models of Inherited Metabolic Diseases. Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York, pp.519, 1982. ASIN B0028IQ4KC
Desnick, R. J., Gatt, S. and Grabowski, G. A., eds.: Gaucher Disease: A Century of Delineation and Research, Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York, pp.740, 1982. ISBN0-8451-0095-5
Bishop, D. F. and Desnick, R. J., eds.: Assays of the Heme Biosynthetic Enzymes. Enzyme 28:1–232, 1982. ISBN978-3-8055-3573-1
Tada, K., Colombo, J. P. and Desnick, R. J., eds.: Recent Advances in Inborn Errors of Metabolism. Karger, Basel, pp.332, 1987. ISBN3-8055-4772-2
Desnick, R. J., ed.: Treatment of Genetic Diseases, Churchill Livingstone, Inc., New York, pp.331, 1991. ISBN0-443-08773-3
Scott SA, Edelmann L, Kornreich R, Erazo M, Desnick RJ (2007). "CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP2D6 allele frequencies in the Ashkenazi Jewish population". Pharmacogenomics. 8 (7): 721–730. doi:10.2217/14622416.8.7.721. PMID18240905.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Yasuda M, Domaradzki M, Bishop DF, Desnick RJ (2007). "Acute intermittent porphyria: Vector optimization for gene therapy". J. Gene Med. 9 (9): 806–911. doi:10.1002/jgm.1074. PMID17654633.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Cunha L, Kuti M, Bishop DF, Mezei M, Zeng L, Zhou MM, Desnick RJ (2008). "Human uroporphyrinogen III synthase: NMR-based mapping of the active site". Proteins. 71 (2): 855–873. doi:10.1002/prot.21755. PMID18004775.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ US 8349319,Schuchman, Edward H.; Desnick, Robert J.& Cox, Gerald F.et al.,"Dose escalation enzyme replacement therapy for treating acid sphingomyelinase deficiency",published 2013-01-08, assigned to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Genzyme Corp.
↑ US 8658162,Schuchman, Edward H.; Desnick, Robert J.& Cox, Gerald F.et al.,"Dose escalation enzyme replacement therapy for treating acid sphingomyelinase deficiency",published 2014-02-25, assigned to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Genzyme Corp.
↑ US 8709408,Schuchman, Edward H.; Desnick, Robert J.& Cox, Gerald F.et al.,"Dose escalation enzyme replacement therapy for treating acid sphingomyelinase deficiency",published 2014-04-29, assigned to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Genzyme Corp.
↑ US 5639607,Desnick, Robert J.&Wetmur, James G.,"Method and kits for detecting a polymorphism in δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase gene which is associated with an altered susceptibility to lead poisoning",published 1997-06-17, assigned to Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University
↑ US 9655954,Schuchman, Edward H.; Desnick, Robert J.& Cox, Gerald F.et al.,"Dose escalation enzyme replacement therapy for treating acid sphingomyelinase deficiency",published 2017-05-23, assigned to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Genzyme Corp.
↑ US 9655954,Schuchman, Edward H.; Desnick, Robert J.& Cox, Gerald F.et al.,"Dose escalation enzyme replacement therapy for treating acid sphingomyelinase deficiency",published 2017-05-23, assigned to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Genzyme Corp.
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