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Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines

Scripps Research’s drug discovery engine powers life-changing therapies.

The Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines is a nonprofit drug discovery engine built to accelerate the development of transformative medicines. As the translational research arm of Scripps Research, Calibr-Skaggs is akin to a biotech embedded within the nonprofit research ecosystem—a unique model among academic institutes. The Calibr-Skaggs team shrinks the gap between scientific discovery and clinical application to bring the boldest ideas in biomedicine to those who need them most.
Learn more about our approach

People

The Calibr-Skaggs team is fluent in both foundational research and therapeutic development, allowing us to merge groundbreaking science with experienced drug development. This multi-disciplinary group fuels a more agile, effective and patient-centered approach to drug invention. 
  • Pete Schultz, PhD

    Pete Schultz, PhD

    Chief Executive Officer
  • Professional headshot of Arnab Chatterjee, Scripps Research faculty and SRTI Executive Committee member, outdoors in front of a glass building.

    Arnab Chatterjee, PhD

    Executive Vice President
  • Amy Lightner, MD

    Amy Lightner, MD

    Chief Medical Officer

  • Isy Goldwasser

    Isy Goldwasser

    Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Meet the rest of the Calibr-Skaggs team

Disease Areas and Platforms

Calibr-Skaggs researcher in a white lab coat and purple gloves loading samples into a plate-reading instrument in a darkened laboratory.

Calibr-Skaggs combines cutting-edge science with robust drug discovery methodology to develop paradigm-shifting medicines. This includes developing technologies and tools for aging-related diseases, inflammatory and metabolic diseases, global health conditions, neurological disorders and cancer.

Discover our technologies

Pipeline

Calibr-Skaggs scientist in a white lab coat using a multichannel pipette to dispense samples into a microplate in a well-stocked lab.

Calibr-Skaggs pursues novel approaches to not just treat, but cure. The institute’s diverse portfolio reflects a daring mission of tackling global health challenges, efficiently and at scale. Several therapies are in the clinic, and many more are progressing rapidly behind them, fueled by integrated platforms and translational infrastructure. 

Learn more about our pipeline
News, Events & Media See all news, events & media
Calibr-Skaggs awarded $5.1M by NIH to develop long-acting hepatitis B virus therapy
News

Calibr-Skaggs awarded $5.1M by NIH to develop long-acting hepatitis B virus therapy

A new program aims to replace a daily HBV drug with once-monthly—or even quarterly—injections for people managing both HIV and HBV.

Chemistry Calibr-Skaggs
scripps research science changing life podcast episode 57
Podcast

What’s next for IBD care: Insights from a surgeon-scientist

The data is clear: inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s are on the rise worldwide. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Amy Lightner—VP of Clinical Development at Calibr-Skaggs and colorectal surgeon at Scripps Clinic—to explore what drives these diseases, an upcoming phase 2 clinical trial for a new regenerative medicine, and how she balances life between the operating room and the research lab.

Translational Medicine Calibr-Skaggs Drug Discovery Crohn’s disease Inflammatory bowel disease
Helping the body heal itself
Magazine

Helping the body heal itself

Scientists are developing regenerative medicines that go beyond managing disease by activating the body's power to repair itself.

Calibr-Skaggs
Calibr-Skaggs and Kainomyx launch collaboration to pioneer novel malaria treatments
News

Calibr-Skaggs and Kainomyx launch collaboration to pioneer novel malaria treatments

Partnering to speed up the discovery of new malaria drugs that target parasite cytoskeletal pathways, with a focus on global access and affordability.

Calibr-Skaggs
Reprogramming the immune system: Precision immunotherapy for cancer and autoimmune disease
Video

Reprogramming the immune system: Precision immunotherapy for cancer and autoimmune disease

Your immune system is your body’s natural defense, capable of identifying what belongs and what doesn’t. But when it falters, it can let cancer grow unchecked or mistakenly attack your own healthy tissues, leading to autoimmune diseases. What if we could reprogram the immune system to tip the balance in our favor, gaining an advantage over both cancers and autoimmune disorders? In this Front Row lecture, Calibr-Skaggs’ vice president of biologics, Travis Young, shared how Scripps Research is using genetic engineering to reprogram patients’ own immune cells to create personalized “switchable” CAR-T cell therapies. This approach represents a new class of precision immunotherapy designed to induce deep and durable remissions in patients with a wide range of cancers, from lymphoma to breast cancer, as well as in chronic autoimmune conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis. Young explained how this breakthrough strategy works and what it could mean for the future of medicine.

Calibr-Skaggs Autoimmune Diseases Cancer Drug Discovery Front Row Lecture Series
Calibr-Skaggs advances CLF065, a regenerative GLP-2 therapy, into two Phase 2 IBD studies
News

Calibr-Skaggs advances CLF065, a regenerative GLP-2 therapy, into two Phase 2 IBD studies

CLF065, a long-acting, once-weekly GLP-2 receptor agonist, advances in two inflammatory bowel disease indications. The studies aim to bring a regenerative treatment option to patients living with IBD, who currently have few therapies that repair the damaged intestinal lining at the root of their disease.

Immunology & Microbiology Calibr-Skaggs
Groundbreaking Science.
Life-changing Medicine.