Mrinalkanti Kundu, PhD

About

Mrinal is a passionate, innovative Medicinal & Organic Chemist. He carries over twenty years of professional experience in chemistry services and in small molecule therapeutics via orthosteric / allosteric modulation of GPCR, ion channels and enzymes with a proven track record in delivering candidates for IND enabling studies for metabolic disorders, pain-inflammation and Lead compounds for neurological disorders, oncology and anti-infective programs through ligand/structure-based design, executing synthesis and multi-parametric compound optimization via leadership & management of projects carried out either in-house or in collaboration with global pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

He also has significant experience in supervising and mentoring students for their PhD and Master's thesis.

Mrinal completed his MSc and PhD from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and Bombay respectively, in Organic & Bio-organic Chemistry and received post-Doctoral Fellowships in the field interfacing chemistry & biology from University of Uppsala, National Institute on Aging, NIH in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and University of Basel.

To his credit, he is co-inventor of 11 issued patents, star/co-author of 1 book chapter, 30 high impact publications and review article, several invited lectures and poster presentations.

Specialization / Skills / Attributes: Drug Discovery, Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Design, SAR / SPR, Hit-Lead-LO-PCC-IND, Organic Synthesis & Characterization of Compounds, Heterocyclic Chemistry, C-H Activation, Organocatalysis, Deuterium Labelling, Nucleic Acids Chemistry, Peptides, Inspiring, Project & Team Leadership, Creative Thinking & Problem Solving, Knowledge Sharing, Detail Oriented & Organized, Accountability, Integrity, Respectfulness, Flexible, CRO Management, Chemistry Outsourcing, Collaboration.

Employment

• TCG Lifesciences (India) Associate Vice President
  2026 - Present
• TCG Lifesciences (India) Senior Director
  2023 - 2026
• TCG Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd. Scientific Fellow (Director)
  2015 - 2023
• TCG Lifesciences Private Limited Associate Director
  2009 - 2015
• Orchid Research Laboratories Ltd Associate Director
  2007 - 2009
• Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd Principal Scientist
  2005 - 2007
• Ranbaxy Research Laboratories Ltd. Senior Scientist
  2003 - 2005

Education

• University of Basel
  2001 - 2003
• National Institute on Aging Visiting Fellow
  2000 - 2001
• Uppsala University
  1998 - 2000
• Indian Institute of Technology Bombay PhD
  1993 - 1998

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (58)

• Nickel-Catalyzed 8-Aminoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-Assisted C(sp2)–H Alkynylation of (Hetero)arenes via an Inverse Sonogashira Strategy Suitable for Late-Stage Modification
  Synthesis 2026 DOI: 10.1055/a-2776-4466
  +Save
• Synthesis of 1,2,3-Triazole and Tetrazole Appended Glycoconjugates Based on 3,6-Anhydroglucofuranose via Click Reaction
  ACS Omega 2025 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c02564
  +Save
• Site-selective C(sp3)–H amination of (het)aryl acetic acid derivatives under copper(ii) catalysis
  Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 2025 DOI: 10.1039/D5OB00787A
  +Save
• Effect of an Autotaxin Inhibitor, 2-(4-Chlorophenyl)-7-methyl-8-pentylimidazo[1,2-a] Pyrimidin-5(8H)-one (CBT-295), on Bile Duct Ligation-Induced Chronic Liver Disease and Associated Hepatic Encephalopathy in Rats
  ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science 2024 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.4c00066
  +Save
• 2-Pyridone-Directed CuII–Catalyzed General Method of C(sp2)-H Activation for C–S, C–Se, and C–N Cross-Coupling: Easy Access to Aryl Thioethers, Selenide Ethers, and Sulfonamides and DFT Study
  The Journal of Organic Chemistry 2024 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.4c00120
  +Save
• Copper(ii)-catalyzed, site-selective C(sp)2–H amination using 8-aminoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine (8-AIP) as a directing group
  Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 2024 DOI: 10.1039/D4OB01008F
  +Save
• Copper(II)-Mediated, Site-Selective C(sp2)–H Sulfonamidation of 1-Naphthylamines
  The Journal of Organic Chemistry 2023 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.3c01852
  +Save
• Identification of 5-(3-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl)-3-(4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl)-3 H -imidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine as novel orally bioavailable and metabolically stable antimalarial compound for further exploration
  Chemical Biology & Drug Design 2022 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14170
  +Save
• Structure-Based Discovery of (S)-2-Amino-6-(4-fluorobenzyl)-5,6,11,11a-tetrahydro-1H-imidazo[1’,5’:1,6]pyrido[3,4-b]indole-1,3(2H)-dione as Low Nanomolar, Orally Bioavailable Autotaxin Inhibitor
  Chemical Biology & Drug Design 2022 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14017
  +Save
• Organocatalytic synthesis of (Het)biaryl scaffolds via photoinduced intra/intermolecular C(sp2)–H arylation by 2-pyridone derivatives
  Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 2022 DOI: 10.1039/D1OB01798E
  +Save