Oxeia Biopharma

Served as President and CEO of Arena Pharmaceuticals from 2016 until its $6.7 billion acquisition by Pfizer in 2022. At Arena, he advanced multiple drug candidates through clinical development, including etrasimod (now Velsipity) for ulcerative colitis. Previously held leadership roles at Amgen, Kythera Biopharmaceuticals (acquired by Allergan for $2.1 billion), and Percivia (acquired by Johnson & Johnson). Brings 25+ years of experience in clinical development and portfolio management.

Co-founded Oxeia and negotiated the licensing agreement that secured access to over $100+ million in completed preclinical, manufacturing, and clinical development data generated by Daiichi Sankyo. Led Oxeia's fundraising and operations, overseeing strategy, licensing, and intellectual property. Previously held commercial strategy roles at Atara Biotherapeutics and corporate strategy and post-merger positions at Amgen. He currently serves as Chief Business Officer at Tactile Therapeutics, a discovery stage neuroscience company.

Led drug development programs at Epirus, BioAssets, and Therion Biologics, where he advanced Prostvac through Phase 2 clinical development. Brings 30 years of experience navigating FDA regulatory pathways and positioning biotech companies for strategic exits. His expertise spans early clinical trials through commercialization across multiple therapeutic areas.

Trauma surgeon at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego and inventor of OXE103. His research at UCSD, the American Association of Trauma (AAST), and the American Surgical Association (ASA) discovered that ghrelin, a naturally occurring peptide hormone, reduces oxidative stress, prevents blood-brain barrier breakdown, and restores neural function following traumatic brain injury. Published in Journal of Neurotrauma, Brain Research, Inflammation, and Journal of Surgical Research, with clinical studies published in Neurotrauma Reports.

16-year NFL career. 3× Pro Bowl. 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. ESPN analyst. Suffered a career-altering concussion in 2012 that cost him his starting position with the San Francisco 49ers. After witnessing teammates struggle with persistent post-concussion symptoms for months and years—with no treatment options available—he joined Oxeia as both investor and board member to help bring potentially the first FDA-approved therapy to market.

Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Duke University School of Medicine. NIH-funded investigator with active research programs in brain tumors, focused ultrasound, and concussion. Previously served as chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Stanford and as U.S. Air Force combat neurosurgeon deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Author of over 300 peer-reviewed publications.

Associate Professor of Neurology at University of Kansas Medical Center and Medical Director of the Center for Concussion Management at The University of Kansas Health System. Principal Investigator for Oxeia's Phase 2a study, which demonstrated an 85% responder rate in persistently symptomatic concussion patients. Sports neurologist specializing in concussion treatment and long-term brain health optimization in athletes. Research focuses on novel treatments, sleep disturbances following concussion, and interdisciplinary care approaches.

Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Family & Preventive Medicine at University of California San Diego (UCSD) and Vice Chair for Clinical Research in Psychiatry. Staff Psychiatrist at VA San Diego Healthcare System and Director of the Anxiety & Traumatic Stress Disorders Program. Principal Investigator and Director of the Department of Defense-funded INTRuST Consortium, which conducts research on treatments for PTSD and traumatic brain injury in veterans. Published over 800 peer-reviewed articles in journals including NEJM, Lancet, and JAMA. Member of the FDA Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee.