| Name | Title | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|
Kathleen Zarsky |
Sr. Director, Information Security | Profile |
Kezar co-founder Christopher Kirk, Ph.D. began his work on the unique function of the immunoproteasome at Proteolix in 2005, while working on the compound that would become the successful multiple myeloma drug KYPROLIS™ (carfilzomib). As VP of Research at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, which acquired Proteolix in 2009, Christopher led the efforts to develop the first selective inhibitors of the immunoproteasome and designed multiple studies demonstrating their profound immunomodulatory effects. In parallel with this work, Christopher and Kezar co-founder Jack Taunton, Ph.D. collaborated on several research projects involving protein secretion. This collaboration inspired a belief in the strong synergies between protein degradation and protein secretion, two fertile areas for drug discovery with platform potential. In 2014, Christopher and Kezar co-founder John Fowler began developing the business plan for Kezar, acting on a longstanding desire to work together and build a world-class company. In 2015, John and Christopher raised $23M and negotiated a worldwide, exclusive license agreement with Amgen for the Onyx immunoproteasome inhibitor patent estate. Now underway, John and Christopher are excited to leverage their complementary skill sets to build Kezar into a leader in small molecule drug development.
Rapid Micro Biosystems accelerates the detection of microbial contamination in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices, and personal care products. The company`s Growth Direct™ Platform—the first and only growth-based platform to fully automate traditional microbial testing—detects contamination more quickly, delivering compelling economic benefits while improving quality control processes. The Growth Direct platform replaces slow, error-prone, manual processes, allowing manufacturers to accelerate timelines, maximize capacity, and reduce operational risk and downtime, all while maintaining the highest standards of data integrity. Rapid Micro Biosystems is dedicated to providing groundbreaking technology and products to support biomanufacturing companies in their mission to deliver the highest possible quality products for improved patient outcomes. Rapid Micro Biosystems is headquartered and has U.S. manufacturing in Lowell, Massachusetts, and global locations in Germany and the Netherlands.
Biohaven is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company engaged in the identification and development of clinical stage compounds targeting the glutamatergic system and other neurological pathways. Biohaven has licensed intellectual property from Yale University, Catalent, ALS Biopharma LLC and Massachusetts General Hospital. Biohaven is owned by a group of investors including Portage Biotech Inc.
Armune BioScience, Inc. develops and commercializes molecular diagnostic and prognostic tests for prostate, lung, and breast cancers that will allow physicians and patients to make more personalized treatment decisions. The company was founded by members of the Apjohn Group, LLC, a business accelerator that brings together valuable resources of management talent and angel/seed financing. The company’s corporate headquarters are in Kalamazoo, MI and the laboratory is in Ann Arbor, MI.
Provista Life Sciences is a Phoenix, AZ-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.