Decision Makers
Board of Directors
Dr. Franz F. Hefti has held the position of Chief Development Officer at Intranasal Therapeutics since 2006. From 2003 to 2006 he led the drug development efforts at Rinat Neuroscience Corporation as Executive Vice President of Drug Development. During this time, three antibody drug candidates advanced from the discovery stage to preclinical and clinical development. The success of these programs led to the acquisition of Rinat Neuroscience by Pfizer Inc. in 2006. Before joining Rinat, Dr. Hefti was Senior Vice President of Neuroscience Research at Merck & Co. for eight years, where he coordinated the company's neuroscience research worldwide, serving as site head for the neuroscience research centers in the U.K. an d S an Diego . During his tenure, small molecule drug candidates covering six drug targets in the neuroscience area were taken into development. Prior to Merck & Co., Dr. Hefti was Director of the Neuroscience Research Department at Genentech for three years. Prior to Genentech, he spent more than a decade in academia as a Professor at the University of Southern California and Associate Professor at the University of Miami where he carried out seminal research on therapeutic applications of neurotrophic factors. He published over 250 papers on neurotrophic factors and topics in neuropharmacology, as well as a recent textbook "Drug Discovery for Nervous System Diseases" (John Wiley & Sons). Dr. Hefti received his Ph.D. from the U niversity of Z urich and did his postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Max Planck Institute in Munich
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer |
Current |
| Satoris, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| University of Miami |
Associate Professor |
Former |
| University of Zurich |
Ph.D. |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer |
Current |
| Therion Biologics Corporation |
|
Former |
Richard Fisher joined ITI in November 2006 after leading research groups in several successful biotechnology companies. He most recently served as Senior Vice President, Research & Product Development for GlycoFi, a yeast technology-based biotherapeutics company acquired by Merck in June 2006. Prior to GlycoFi, Rich served from 1998 to 2005 as Vice President, Research & Discovery for UCB Research, a subsidiary of UCB Pharma, where he led small molecule discovery through early development efforts and aided in the $2.5 billion acquisition of Celltech by UCB in 2004. Prior to joining UCB, Rich led research from 1994 to 1998 at CytoMed, a small molecule-based company, which was acquired by Millennium Pharmaceuticals (Leukosite) in 1998. Prior to CytoMed, Rich served in various senior scientific positions at Biogen (currently BiogenIdec), including Director of Molecular Biology, Program Executive, and Director of Science and Technology. Rich earned both a Ph.D. in Microbiology and a B.A. in Zoology from the University of Iowa.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer |
Current |
| Glycofi, Inc. |
Senior Vice President, Research & Product Development |
Former |
| UCB Pharma Inc. |
Vice President, Research |
Former |
| The University of Iowa |
B.A. In Zoology |
Former |
Mr. Plucinski has served as Assistant Vice President of Manufacturing Operations since February of 2002. He has over 19 years of experience in plant design, start-up, validation and operation. He has led development and validation efforts for a wide range of pharmaceutical processes including aseptic and non-aseptic filling of nasal spray and inhalation drug products and aseptic filling of sterile injectables. Prior to joining ITI, Mr. Plucinski directed manufacturing operations functions at development stage and high-growth pharmaceutical organizations including Northfield Laboratories, Inc. and Dey, L.P. He has extensive experience in managing day-to-day pharmaceutical plant operations to consistently manufacture high quality drug products. Mr. Plucinski holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and an MBA from the University of Kentucky.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Vice President of Pharmaceutical Development |
Current |
| The University of St Andrews |
Ph.D. In Applied Physics |
Former |
Ms. Mason has over 17 years of experience in clinical drug development including 12 years in management. Ms. Mason held positions as Senior Manager, Clinical Project Management and Planning, and Associate Director, Clinical Data Management for a publicly-held contract research organization. Ms. Mason also served as the Director of Clinical Operations for a start-up privately-held contract research organization and was responsible for overall administrative, financial and operational management of multiple departments. Prior to joining ITI, Ms. Mason was the Assistant Director of the University of Kentucky's principal clinical pharmacology research program and primarily managed ITI's clinical research program within the University as well as with external vendors.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Coldstream Laboratories Inc. |
Vice President Quality and Regulatory Compliance |
Current |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Vice President Quality and Regulatory Affairs |
Current |
| Lifenet, Inc. |
Vice President, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs |
Former |
| Eastman Chemical Company |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Purdue University |
B.S. Degree In Genetic Biology |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Advanced Medical Reviews |
Medical Director |
Current |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board |
Current |
| Mercy Hospital and Medical Center |
Chief Resident |
Former |
| University of California, Irvine |
Assistant |
Former |
| University of Kentucky |
Dean |
Former |
| University of California, Los Angeles |
Doctorate |
Former |
| University of California, Irvine |
Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences and graduated Summa Cum Laude |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aeron Wine Cellars |
General Partner, Schroder Ventures Life Sciences |
Current |
| Cell-Free Technology |
Managing Partner, Sv Life Sciences |
Current |
| SV Life Sciences |
General Partner |
Current |
| Sv Life Sciences Advisers Llp |
Managing Partner |
Current |
| Fundamental Applied Biology, Inc. |
Managing Partner, Sv Life Sciences |
Current |
| Rinat Neuroscience Corporation |
|
Current |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Chairman |
Current |
| Archemix Corp |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Fundamental Applied Biology, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Cell-Free Technology |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Alinea Pharmaceuticals, Inc |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Thayer School of Engineering |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Alinea LLC. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Aderis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Axys Pharmaceuticals |
CEO |
Former |
| CyThera Inc. |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| Exsar Corporation |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| Actimmune |
Vice President of Development |
Former |
| Nutropin |
Vice President of Development |
Former |
| Genentech, Inc. |
Vice President of Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry |
Former |
| Pulmozyme |
Vice President of Development |
Former |
| Genentech, Inc. |
Team Member |
Former |
| Exelixis, Inc. |
|
Former |
| Glycofi, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Epimmune, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Genencor |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| CyThera Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| California Institute of Technology |
Ph.D. |
Former |
| Harvard University |
Doctorate In Molecular Biology |
Former |
| Dartmouth College |
Ab |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Alba Therapeutics Corp |
Chief Executive Officer |
Current |
| Pharmacopeia Drug Discovery Inc. |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
Current |
| Alba Therapeutics Corp |
President |
Current |
| Sv Life Sciences Advisers Llp |
Venture Partner |
Current |
| SV Life Sciences |
Venture Partner |
Current |
| Alba Therapeutics Corp |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Cell-Free Technology |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Sapphire Therapeutics, Inc |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Othera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Pharmacopeia Drug Discovery Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Centocor, Inc. |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| Cephalon, Inc. |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| Adolor Corporation |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| The Little Clinic LLC |
CEO |
Former |
| Orthovita, Inc. |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| Othera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| Orthovita, Inc. |
President |
Former |
| Adolor Corporation |
President |
Former |
| Orthovita, Inc. |
Chief Operating Officer |
Former |
| Cephalon, Inc. |
Chief Operating Officer |
Former |
| Centocor, Inc. |
Cfo |
Former |
| Centocor, Inc. |
Executive Vice President |
Former |
| Cephalon, Inc. |
Executive Vice President |
Former |
| Centocor, Inc. |
Senior Vice President |
Former |
| Pharmacopeia Drug Discovery Inc. |
Venture Partner |
Former |
| Adolor Corporation |
Executive Officer |
Former |
| Cephalon, Inc. |
senior management positions |
Former |
| Johnson & Johnson |
|
Former |
| The Little Clinic LLC |
Director |
Former |
| Centocor, Inc. |
Director |
Former |
| Orthovita, Inc. |
Director |
Former |
| Cephalon, Inc. |
Director |
Former |
| Adolor Corporation |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Villanova University |
Bachelor's Degree In Business Administration |
Former |
| Villanova University |
Business Administration |
Former |
| Adolor Corporation |
member |
Former |
Dr. Wermeling has more than 15 years of experience in clinical drug development and is responsible for directing ITI's science and technology activities. He served as a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky's College of Pharmacy and was director of its Drug Product Evaluation Unit, a clinical pharmacology program, between 1990 and July 2001, when he chose to devote more time to ITI's development. He served as ITI's Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from July 2001 until August 2004, when he returned to his full-time position at the University. Dr. Wermeling continues to serve ITI as Chief Scientific Officer and is the primary inventor of patented technologies to which ITI holds exclusive licensing rights. Dr. Wermeling has published nearly 60 research articles and also has served as a consultant to companies, government and academic institutions. He recently became a member of the National Institutes of Health's Gene and Drug Delivery Systems grant review committee. He also is a founding member of the recently created Kentucky Life Science Organization, which advises the Governor on economic development policy related to life sciences.
G. Steven Burrill has been involved in the growth and prosperity of the biotechnology industry for over 40 years. An early pioneer, Mr. Burrill is one of the original architects of the industry and one of its most avid and sustained developers. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Pharmasset (NASDAQ: VRUS) and is a member of the Boards of Directors of Catalyst Biosciences, DepoMed (NASDAQ: DEPO), Intranasal, Phytomedics, Proteogenix, Proventys, Targacept (NASDAQ: TRGT) and XDx. Prior to founding Burrill & Company in 1994, he spent 28 years with Ernst & Young, directing and coordinating the firm's services to clients in the biotechnology/life sciences/high technology/manufacturing industries worldwide. In 2002, Mr. Burrill was recognized as the biotech investment visionary by the prestigious Scientific American magazine (The Scientific American 50). Mr. Burrill is a founder and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for the National Medals of Science and Technology. Additionally, he serves as Chairman of the Board on Campaign for Medical Research as well as Chairman of the San Francisco Mayor?s Biotech Advisory Committee (MAYBAC). Other not-for-profit activities include serving on the Boards of Directors for the Bay Area Science Infrastructure Consortium, BayBio, California Healthcare Institute, The Exploratorium, Genetics Policy Institute, The Kellogg Center for Biotechnology, Kramden Institute, The National Health Museum, and Research!America. He also serves as an advisor on the MIT Center for Biomedical Innovation.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Burrill & Company |
CEO |
Current |
| National Medals |
President, Chairman of the Board |
Current |
| National Medals |
Founder |
Current |
| University of California |
adjunct professor |
Current |
| University of California, San Francisco |
Adjunct Professor |
Current |
| Pjb Publications, Ltd. |
|
Current |
| Pyxis Genomics, Inc. |
Chairman of the Boards |
Current |
| Pharmasset, Inc. |
Chairman of the Boards |
Current |
| Icoria Inc. |
Chairman of the Boards |
Current |
| Andrx Corporation |
Chairman |
Current |
| Bioimagene, Inc. |
Chairman |
Current |
| Newbridge |
Chairman of The Boards |
Current |
| Proventys, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| BayBio |
Director |
Current |
| Bioexec Ventures, LLC |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Crosscart, Inc |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Pharmasset, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Clinical Data Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Kramden Institute |
Board Member |
Current |
| Depomed, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Third Wave Technologies, Inc. |
Director |
Current |
| University of California |
Director |
Current |
| California Healthcare Institute, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| The National Health Museum, Inc |
Treasurer |
Current |
| Catalyst Biosciences, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Proteogenix, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| The Center for Policy On Emerging Technologies, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Phytomedics, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Depomed, Inc. |
Chief Executive Officer, Burrill & Company |
Former |
| Burrill & Company |
Founder |
Current |
| The Center for Policy On Emerging Technologies, Inc. |
CEO, Burrill and Company, San Francisco |
Former |
| Pharmasset, Inc. |
President and CEO of Pharmasset, Inc. |
Former |
| Craves |
Founder |
Former |
| Icoria Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Ernst & Young |
Director |
Former |
Dr. French is a highly regarded expert on epilepsy and clinical trials for new seizure treatments. She serves as Professor in the Department of Neurology and as Assistant Dean for Clinical Trials at the University of Pennsylvania, and she is the Director of the Penn Epilepsy Center. Her research efforts are specifically focused on new antiepileptic drug development, and she has directed numerous clinical drug trials in the area of epilepsy therapy. In addition to having written and edited more than 100 articles and books on antiepileptic drugs she currently is the Epilepsy Section Editor of Clinical Neuropharmacology Dr. French has taken on several leadership roles within the American Epilepsy Society, in the areas of therapeutics, practice parameters and multicenter trial implementation. She is currently coordinating 14 epilepsy centers' evaluation of post-marketing experiences with new drugs. Dr. French received her medical degree from Brown University Medical School, completed her residency and an epilepsy fellowship at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, and an additional epilepsy fellowship at Yale University.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Tullis Health Investors |
Chief Executive Officer |
Current |
| Tullis-Dickerson & Co., Inc. |
Chief Executive Officer |
Current |
| Tullis-Dickerson & Co., Inc. |
Founder |
Current |
| Tullis Health Investors |
Founder |
Current |
| Crane Co. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Myocor, Inc. |
Director |
Current |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| ViaCell, Inc. |
Director |
Current |
| Tullis-Dickerson & Co., Inc. |
Owner |
Former |
| Morgan Stanley |
Led Health Care Investment Research |
Former |
| Harvard Business School |
MBA |
Former |
| Stanford University |
Bachelor's Degree |
Former |
| Stanford University |
Graduate |
Former |
Dr. Ashton has served as the Managing Director of the Company since January 2007 and was its Executive Director of Strategy from December 2005 to January 2007. From 1996 until its acquisition by the Company in December 2005, Dr. Ashton was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Control Delivery Systems, Inc. ( CDS ), a drug delivery company that he co-founded in 1991. Dr. Ashton was previously a joint faculty member in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Surgery at the University of Kentucky, served on the faculty of Tufts University and worked as a pharmaceutical scientist at Hoffman-La-Roche.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Envivo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
Partner, Fidelity Biosciences |
Current |
| Fidelity Biosciences |
Partner |
Current |
| Transave, Inc. |
Partner at Fidelity Biosciences Group |
Current |
| Envivo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Fidelity Biosciences |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Intranasal Technology, Inc |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Harvard Medical School |
Associate Professor |
Former |
| Massachusetts, Inc. |
PH.D. In Physics |
Former |
| Columbia University |
M.B.A. |
Former |
| Harvard University |
A.B. Degree In Physics |
Former |
| Phi Beta Kappa |
A.B. Degree In Physics |
Former |
Dr. Gizurarson has extensive research and business experience in the development of nasal drug and vaccine delivery systems, from preformulation to the clinical trial stages. In 1991, Dr Gizurarson founded Lyfjathroun Biopharmaceuticals, a nasal drug delivery company that initially focused on the safe and non-invasive nasal delivery of antigens and later on optimizing the delivery of rapid-onset nasal products. Lyfjathroun received 11 international patents for the vaccines and drugs it developed, entering licensing and other collaborative agreements with pharmaceutical companies as well as developing its own products. Dr Gizurarson served as Lyfjathroun's CEO between 1999 and 2005. He is currently Professor of Pharmacy and Clinical Therapeutics at the University of Iceland, where he has served on the faculty since 1991 after receiving his Ph.D. from The Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr Gizurarson's research has been widely published, and he has served on journal editorial boards as well as on national and international government and academic bodies handling issues related to research and life sciences.
Executive News