Hepion leadership brings deep experience in the development and commercialization of targeted antiviral therapies for indications of important unmet need.
Gary S. Jacob, Ph.D.
Chairman and Director
Gary S. Jacob, Ph.D., has served as our Chairman of the Board of Directors since March 19, 2014, and earlier served as our Chief Executive Officer from May 15, 2013 until March 19, 2014. Since January 2021, Dr. Jacob has been Chief Executive Officer and a director of OKYO Pharma Limited, a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel molecules to treat inflammatory dry eye diseases and ocular neuropathic pain. From November 2018 to March 2020, Dr. Jacob was the Chief Executive Officer of Immuron Limited, an Australian microbiome biopharmaceutical company. Previously, Dr. Jacob was Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, where he held various positions from July 2008 to November 2018. Dr. Jacob has over twenty-five years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries across multiple disciplines. Learn More >>
John P. Brancaccio
Director
John P. Brancaccio, a retired CPA, has served as a director of our company since May 15, 2013. From April 2004 until May 2017, Mr. Brancaccio was the Chief Financial Officer of Accelerated Technologies, Inc., an incubator for medical device companies. From May 2002 until March 2004, Mr. Brancaccio was the Chief Financial Officer of Memory Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biotechnology company. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Brancaccio was the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer of Eline Group, an entertainment and media company. Mr. Brancaccio is currently a director of Cardiff Oncology (formerly Trovagene) and Rasna Therapeutics, Inc. Learn more >>
Timothy M. Block, Ph.D.
Director
Timothy M. Block, Ph.D., has served as a Director of our company since October 2013. Dr. Block currently serves as Co-founder and President of the Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) and its Baruch S. Blumberg Institute (formerly called the Institute for Hepatitis and Virus Research), the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the lives of those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. He also serves as President and CEO of the Pennsylvania (PA) Biotechnology Center. Learn More >>
Kaouthar Lbiati, M.D.
Director
Dr. Lbiati is a multi-functional executive with a combination of scientific, business, finance, global health policy, and health economics skills. She is currently Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Development at Cytovia Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in immuno-oncology and cell therapies. Dr. Lbiati previously served in global and regional leadership roles at Amgen, Glaxo Smith Kline, and Sanofi, where she supported the registration, launch and/or indication extension and reimbursement of innovative cancer drugs including Blincyto®, Jevtana® and Votrient®. Learn more >>
Arnold Lippa, Ph.D.
Director
Dr. Lippa has been Executive Chairman of the Board of Cortex Pharmaceuticals Inc., since March 2013, and was appointed Chief Scientific Officer in August 2015. Previously, he served as Chief Executive Officer and President. He is also Chairman of the Board of Xintria Pharmaceutical Corporation, which he co-founded in 2006. Dr. Lippa is a Managing Member and founder of T Morgen Capital LLC, which is an investment and management company specializing in the creation and management of biomedical companies. Learn More >>
Anand Reddi
Director
Mr. Reddi has an accomplished history, spanning a variety of activities including corporate strategy, strategic partnerships, R&D strategy, investor relations, corporate affairs, medical affairs, international commercial operations, global marketing, market access and patient advocacy during his time in the global biopharmaceutical industry. He is currently Vice President of Corporate Strategy and External Affairs & Engagement, as well as Chief of Staff at Adverum Biotechnologies, a clinical-stage gene therapy company targeting unmet medical needs in ocular and rare diseases. Learn more >>
Peter LJ Wijngaard, Ph.D.
Director
Peter LJ Wijngaard, Ph.D., has served as a Director of our company since June 2020. Dr. Wijngaard is currently the Chief Development Officer at The Medicines Company which was acquired by Novartis in January 2020 for $9.7B USD. He has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry working for Sandoz, Pharmacia, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Viropharma and The Medicines Company in various roles in Product Development, Medical Affairs and Business Development. Dr Wijngaard has a Ph.D. in Transplantation Immunology from Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Learn More >>
Robert Foster, B.Sc. (Pharm), Pharm.D., Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Foster first began working on cyclophilin drug development in 1988, and brings more than 30 years of pharmaceutical and biotech experience to Hepion. Prior to Hepion, he was CEO and Founder of Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals Inc., which merged with Hepion in 2016. Before that, he founded Isotechnika Pharma Inc. (TSX:ISA) in 1993, and was its Chairman and CEO for approximately 21 years. During his tenure at Isotechnika, Dr. Foster discovered voclosporin, an immunosuppressive drug to treat autoimmune diseases. Learn More >>