Ken Bartizal joined Pfizer Central Research in Antibiotic Drug Discovery in 1986. Two years later he accepted a position at Merck Research Laboratories, in the Department of Antibiotic Discovery, Evaluation and Development. With over twenty years at Merck he held positions of increasing levels of responsibility in drug discovery and development with successful registration of infectious disease (ID) products (both internal discovery and license-in) for human and animal health. In 1997 he was appointed Director of Drug Discovery and Evaluation in Animal Health and then was promoted to Senior Director in 2001 with responsibility for Human and Animal Health Discovery, along with Clinical Microbiology and Pharmacology. Key accomplishments include efforts that led to identification and eventual Regulatory approval of the first marketed echinocandin antifungal, caspofungin acetate (CANCIDAS). He led all preclinical developmental work and associated Regulatory requisites (authored IND, NDA, sNDAs, Investigator Brochures and represented Merck at FDA and EMEA and associated advisory committee meetings) that successfully brought CANCIDAS to license approval for treatment of serious, life-threatening fungal infections due to Candida and Aspergillus. Similarly, he also oversaw all preclinical developmental studies for approval of ertapenem (INVANZ), Merck’s carbapenem antibiotic for use in patients with life-threatening, antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections and participated in both IND and NDA filings. At Merck he also brought to Clinical Development an azalide antibiotic ZACTRAN® (gamithromycin) for treatment of Bovine Respiratory Disease, and a semisynthetic insecticide for oral treatment of fleas and ticks in companion animals. In addition, he played a key role in development of a unique lethal factor protease inhibitor for treatment of acute anthrax infections and as Head of the Infectious Diseases Department he lead a team that brought a novel oral antimalarial drug to Safety Assessment. In early 2005 he was appointed Executive Director and Head of ID Research with overall scientific, managerial, and administrative responsibilities for lead discovery, optimization and development of Merck’s ID products. Responsibilities encompassed all cross-functional activities in Merck's ID Franchise portfolio, including lead discovery and development of small molecules, natural products, monoclonal antibodies, biologics, diagnostics and biomarkers, while overseeing ID laboratories in Rahway, NJ (70 FTEs), Madrid, Spain (40 FTEs) and Montreal, Canada (25 FTEs). He created and developed Target Product Profiles, Research Strategies and Objectives, and presented program updates that aligned with ID Franchise goals. Ken joined Trius Therapeutics in 2007 as Chief Development Officer reporting to the CEO, and participated as an active member of the Trius Executive Management Committee and Chief Officer of the Company responsible for strategic, managerial and scientific leadership in the Company’s drug development activities including, without limitation, Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Microbiology, as well as all nonclinical activities and translational research and development. Ken was also an integral member of the “Trius Road Show Team” along with the CEO and CFO that successfully led to an IPO for TSRX on NASDAQ in August, 2010. More recently, he served as the Stage 3 PI nonclinical leader for 2 NIAID sponsored contracts ($27 and $29 MM) for development of novel broad spectrum antibacterials targeting DNA Gyrase, while overseeing the IND enabling studies of the lead development compounds. He also was responsible for Trius’ Medical Writing, Publications Planning and Medical Affairs projects for tedizolid, overseeing Project Management (PM) related to the NDA, MAA and NDS filings for tedizolid, as well as the PM for the DNA Gyrase Programs. Importantly, recently Ken holds a patent that was non-obvious to prior art, that was granted in 2013 for IP related to the tedizolid + daptomycin combination for a combination that leads to mutant prevention for daptomycin-resistance observed frequently in the clinic, that was prior to the Cubist acquisition of Trius. Ken joined K2 Therapeutics in January 2014 as their Chief Development Officer. K2 Therapeutics, Inc. is a new biotechnology company that is re-locating to San Diego, CA from Waltham, MA. K2 is focused primarily on discovery and development of small molecule antifungal prophylactic and therapeutic agents to fulfill current unmet medical needs for serious, life-threatening fungal infections. K2 has discovered novel and unique antifungal agents, and has recently selected candidate compounds to advance into IND-enabling nonclinical studies.