Alexander Hillisch is Head of Global Chemistry at UCB, overseeing teams in Brussels, London, and Boston. His organization focuses on hit finding, computational design, synthesis, and optimization of small molecules, macrocyclic peptides, and targeted protein degraders.

Between 2023 and 2026, he led UCB’s global Digital Molecule Discovery function, developing and applying computational approaches across small molecules and antibody drug discovery in areas such as inflammation and neurology. Prior to this, he headed Computational Molecular Design at Bayer AG (2019–2022) and, from 2003 to 2019, led Computational Chemistry within Medicinal Chemistry in Wuppertal, contributing to computer-aided drug design in cardiology, oncology, and ophthalmology.

Earlier in his career, he led a research group at EnTec GmbH in Jena, a subsidiary of Schering AG, from 1998 to 2003. He completed his Ph.D. in Biochemistry under Prof. Peter Schuster at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMB) in Jena, focusing on biophysics (NMR, FRET) and molecular modeling, after receiving a diploma in Pharmacy from the University of Vienna in 1995.

He is co-author of ~60 research papers, two books, and ~65 pharmaceutical patents. His work contributed to one marketed product (Finerenone, Kerendia®) and seven clinical candidates, including Asundexian, an oral FXIa inhibitor (Phase III clinical trialssuccessfully concluded, in preparation for the submission of marketing authorization). He also co-founded open science initiatives such as the “CACHE challenges” and has been an honorary professor at the University of Cologne since 2010.