James Mervis

James Mervis – Former Chairman and Director Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Co-founder Cardiokine, Inc.

Mr. Mervis has been a catalyst for success in technology-based companies in life sciences and communications. He has an extensive background in securities and commercial transactions, defining and establishing strategic alliances, and securing the financial and human resources for corporate growth. Mr. Mervis was formerly Chairman of the Board of Directors at Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Co-Founder/Senior Vice President, Corporate Development at Cardiokine, Inc. He was also a co-founder of Barrier Therapeutics, Inc. (BTRX), the successful spin-out of Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) dermatology development portfolio. Before Barrier, Mr. Mervis was Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Apple Tree Partners, L.L.C. and Co-Founder & Executive Vice President of MedicinePlanet Inc., a developer of healthcare services for the mobile world. He was also a Founder & Managing Director of Crunch Media Corporation, a multimedia production company where he was producer/co-creator of A Brief History of Time with Stephen Hawking: An Interactive Adventure. Mr. Mervis received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and his B.S. from Cornell University.

 

Bradford J. Duft

Co-Founder, President, CEO and Director

Before co-founding CoDa, Mr. Duft was a partner in the Duane Morris law firm. His 30 year legal practice focused on biotechnology company strategy and growth, with an emphasis on intellectual property (including litigation, licensing and strategic patent prosecution). In addition to his experience in crafting and building U.S. and worldwide patent portfolios for his biotechnology clients, Mr. Duft has drafted and negotiated numerous agreements, including local and worldwide joint research agreements, joint development agreements and corporate partnership agreements, manufacturing agreements, supply agreements, clinical and clinical trial-related agreements, as well as licenses with companies, institutions, universities and individuals. From 1990 through 1998, Mr. Duft was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Amylin Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Duft is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School, where he received a Masters in Patent and Trade Regulation, (LL.M., with highest honors), the California Western School of Law (J.D., cum laude), and the University of Colorado where he received his degree in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology.

 

James Blair

Managing Partner
Domain Associates

Mr. Blair has been a Partner of Domain since its founding in 1985. Present board memberships include Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Cell Biosciences, Five Prime Therapeutics, GenVault, NeuroPace, Novacea, NuVasive, Pharmion and Volcano. Mr. Blair has over thirty-five years experience with venture and emerging growth companies. In the course of this experience, he has been involved in the creation and successful development at the Board level of over forty life sciences ventures, including Amgen, Aurora Biosciences, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Applied Biosystems, Dura Pharmaceuticals, GeneOhm Sciences and Molecular Dynamics. A former managing director of Rothschild Inc., Mr. Blair was directly involved at a senior level with Rothschild/New Court venture capital activities from 1978 to 1985. From 1969 to 1978, he was associated with F.S. Smithers and Co. and White, Weld and Co., two investment banking firms actively involved with new ventures and emerging growth companies. From 1961 to 1969, Mr. Blair was an engineering manager with RCA Corporation, during which time he received a David Sarnoff Fellowship. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and he is on the Advisory Boards of the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Blair graduated from U. of Pennsylvania with his M.S.E. and Ph.D. in 1969 and from Princeton University with his B.S.E. in 1961.

 

Geoff Brooke

Managing Partner
GBS Ventures Partners

Dr Geoff Brooke joined GBS in 1996 and has more than 15 years venture capital experience. He was formerly President of Medvest Inc., a US-based early-stage venture capital group he co-founded with Johnson & Johnson. Geoff's experience includes company formation and acquisitions, as well as public listings on both NASDAQ and ASX. He has been an investor, executive and director of private and public companies and has an extensive network of international contacts. Geoff is on the board of GBS portfolio companies Cerylid Biosciences, CogState, Phenomix, Portland Orthopaedics, Promics and Sunshine Heart.

Geoff is licensed in clinical medicine by the Medical Board of Victoria, Australia and his post-graduate studies were in anaesthesiology/intensive care. He earned his Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery from the University of Melbourne, Australia and a Masters of Business Administration from IMEDE (now IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

 

Howard E. (“Ted”) Greene

Co-Founder
Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Howard E. Greene Co-Founder and former Director - Mr. Greene is a co-founder of Amylin Pharmaceuticals and formerly served as a Director at Amylin since its inception in 1987. Mr. Greene serves on the Audit Committee and the Finance Committee. Mr. Greene is an entrepreneur who has participated in the founding and/or management of eleven medical technology companies over two decades, including three companies for which he served as chief executive officer. From 1987 to 1996, Mr. Greene served as Amylin’s Chief Executive Officer. From 1986 until 1993, Mr. Greene was a founding general partner of Biovest Partners, a seed venture capital firm. He was Chief Executive Officer of Hybritech from 1979 until its acquisition by Eli Lilly and Company in 1986, and he was co-inventor of Hybritech’s patented monoclonal antibody assay technology. Prior to joining Hybritech, he was an executive with the medical diagnostics division of Baxter Healthcare Corporation from 1974 to 1979 and a consultant with McKinsey & Company from 1967 to 1974. Mr. Greene received an M.B.A. from Harvard University.

 

Dr. Mikhail Getman

Vice-President, R&D and Regulatory Affairs
NovaMedica

Dr. Getman is also Vice-President, R&D and Regulatory Affairs at NovaMedica and a Member of the Board of ReVision Optics Inc.

He held managerial positions both at Russian and other pharmaceutical companies from 1991 to 2012. From 2004 to 2007, he was an advisor to the Head of the Federal Service for supervision in the areas of health and social development. He administered issues concerning the launch of the DLO (the first Russian drug reimbursement system), as well as the reform and improvement of administrative practices. He developed amendments to some Federal Laws and a number of administrative Russian regulations related to pharmaceuticals, medical devices and medical practices.

Dr. Getman holds a Ph.D. and a Pharm.D. from St. Petersburg Chemical and Pharmaceutical Academy.