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Science Made Me… leveraging genetic medicine to help patients.
Tricky technical questions were thrown around the dinner table in Keith Phillips’ childhood home. His grandparents were engineers and planners, with a passion for biology and the natural world. His mother was a university lecturer and plant biologist, teaching and researching biology at university. His father was an ecologist, fascinated by modelling the interactions of complex ecosystems and systems. Almost inevitably, Keith developed a deep passion for science that propelled him through university and into roles within the pharmaceutical industry – where he now leads Grünenthal’s research into genetic medicine.
Real-world impact on patients
“I grew up fascinated by science,” Keith says. “But I was equally driven by a passion for helping people. At Grünenthal, what excites me most is the direct link between my daily work and its real-world impact on patients’ lives. That’s why the concept of genetic medicine is so inspiring: once we can reliably deliver precise RNA sequences into specific cell types – such as neurons – we can directly correct or silence the faulty signals that drive disease. Because the delivery vehicle can be reapplied to many different sequences, the same platform could unlock treatments that go beyond symptom relief to address root causes – with the potential to transform the lives of millions worldwide.”
“At Grünenthal, we are pioneering RNA therapeutics for pain management.”
Genetic medicine is a relatively new approach that uses genetic information to better understand diseases and develop more effective treatments. “When designing molecules, we start by looking at the genetic code of our target and searching for sequences that are unique within this code,” Keith explains. “This way, we can create incredibly targeted investigational medicines that bind to the exact RNA molecules responsible for triggering production of a disease-relevant protein. By doing so, we can stop a single harmful process in the body without disturbing any others.”
“And there is another important difference with our genetic medicine approach,” says Keith. “Traditional small-molecule drugs need to reach and block a given protein wherever it appears in the body. We, however, go further upstream and silence the protein factory itself, stopping production at the source. Although this process is reversible, the benefit for patients tends to last longer, with a single treatment potentially providing relief for months. This is especially powerful in pain and sensory biology, where the neurons involved are among the largest cells in the human body. By shutting down the production of disease-driving proteins at the RNA level, we can create effects that extend across the entire neuronal axis – offering a precise and durable way to reshape the biology of disease.
Exciting progress at rapid speed
Right now, Keith is guiding collaborative research into genetic medicine by Grünenthal teams in Aachen and Boston. “We are focusing on cells that play a key role in pain, as they trigger the transmission of pain signals to begin with. There is already a lot of research into them, but no effective way to address these targets yet. Our amazing scientists and their AI tools are making exciting progress at rapid speed.”
The latest updates on Keith’s team’s research now zip across the dinner table in his own family home. “My wife is a medical doctor and sees people in chronic pain every day,” he says. “She tells me about patients who can no longer work, who struggle to care for the people they love, or who feel their lives shrinking because of the constant burden of pain. The unmet need is enormous. If we can create a medicine that truly changes that reality, it will be huge – and that inspires my work every single day.”
Inspired by Keith’s story?
Feel free to explore the Science Made Me episodes of Sevil, Maria, Sarthak, Sebastian, Dalena, Chanchal and Florian and don't hesitate to explore our open positions.