A new approach to treating life-threatening envenomation

Ophirex is a Public Benefit Corporation developing the first oral treatment for snakebite. Ophirex is committed to addressing the medical needs associated with life-threatening envenomation by developing treatments that can be administered when and where they are needed most.

Ophirex's investigational candidate varespladib is a first-of-its-kind oral rescue treatment for snakebite. Varespladib works by binding to and inactivating a key toxin present in the venom of more than 95% of snake species, meaning it will have broad applicability. Varespladib is being developed as an oral, portable capsule that can be taken immediately after a snakebite.

“The unifying characteristic of the people at Ophirex is our commitment to the mission—we are united by the urgent unmet need in snakebite treatment.”

— Rebecca Carter, PhD, Chief Operating Officer, Ophirex

A Mission-Oriented Team

Creating the first breakthrough in snakebite treatment in more than 100 years takes dedication and commitment. Ophirex is comprised of passionate professionals with diverse expertise, all focused on reducing lethality and disability from snakebite worldwide.

Ophirex team members have backgrounds in drug development, toxinology, emergency medicine, clinical research, regulatory affairs and commercialization. Together, they form a powerful team to transform snakebite treatment.

Scientific Breakthrough for
Snakebite Treatment

Ophirex was founded by Matthew R. Lewin, MD, PhD, an emergency physician and experienced expedition doctor with a PhD in neurophysiology, in collaboration with Jerry Harrison, a musician, producer and investor.

Dr. Lewin began to think about new ways to treat snakebite following the death of a researcher from snakebite while on expedition to Southeast Asia. The challenge is that the current standard of care – antivenom – needs to be administered intravenously in a hospital setting. In addition, the antivenom administered needs to match the snake species that caused the bite.

Dr. Lewin hypothesized that the right small molecule could neutralize the effects of a key snake venom toxin, reversing paralysis and resolving other toxicities. He worked on various solutions but knew he needed help bringing his ideas to fruition. Upon meeting Harrison, who asked a group of physician-scientists including Lewin if anyone had “any great ideas lying fallow,” Ophirex was born.

After conducting experiments in 2014 and 2015, Dr. Lewin published the first article describing the potential for varespladib as a field treatment for snakebite in 2016. He recognized then that a small-molecule approach that could be administered orally has the potential to address a significant need: the critical gap between the time when envenomation takes place and the hospital administration of antivenom.

“We are transforming the paradigm of snakebite treatment and challenging a century-old approach to saving lives.”

— Matthew Lewin, M.D., Ph.D., Founder and Board Member, Ophirex

Leadership

Jeremy Gowler

Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Gowler is a biotech and pharmaceutical industry executive with 20+ years of experience, with a focus on commercial, business operations, strategy, and business development. He held executive roles at Invivyd, PaxVax, Emergent BioSolutions, and Novartis, and currently sits on the board of directors of VIDO. He earned his BSc in biology and environmental studies from the University of Victoria and a diploma in marketing from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

Rebecca Carter, PhD

Chief Operating Officer

Dr. Carter is an expert in developing drugs and devices for use in austere environments. She joined Ophirex after retiring from the U.S. military as a Lieutenant Colonel. Previously she held roles as the Director of Medical Modernization for the Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command and Lead Representative to the U.S. FDA and the U.S. Special Operations Command Biomedical Research Group. She earned her PhD at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and her undergraduate degree at the United States Air Force Academy.

Timothy Platts-Mills, MD, MSc

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Platts-Mills is an emergency physician and clinical researcher with extensive experience designing and leading the conduct of clinical trials. His research has been funded by the U.S. Office of Research Integrity, the National Institute of Justice, and the National Institutes of Health. He is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and a Senior Associate Editor for Annals of Emergency Medicine. He earned his MD at the University of California, Los Angeles, his MSc in Clinical Research at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, and his BA at Harvard University.

Leslie Boyer, MD

Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Boyer is a medical toxinologist and pediatrician with extensive experience studying and treating snake and scorpion venom injury, including design, conduct and analysis of pivotal trials of antivenom for pit viper, elapid and scorpion envenoming. Her research has been funded by the U.S. FDA’s Office of Orphan Products Development, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, the State of Arizona, Therapeutic Antibodies Inc., Instituto Bioclon SA de CV, Rare Disease Therapeutics, Inc, and the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission. Dr. Boyer earned her MD from Harvard Medical School and her BS from the University of Arizona.

Kathleen Dotson, CPA

SVP, Finance; Controller

Ms. Dotson is a seasoned finance leader with extensive experience in the biotech and technology industries. Before joining Ophirex, she held roles as Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller at Aqua Metals, Inc. (AQMS) and Corporate Controller at Diadexus (DDXS) and Transcept Pharmaceuticals (TSPT). She began her career at KPMG, serving in both U.S. and international offices over the course of a decade with the firm. Ms. Dotson earned her BS at the University of California, Berkeley.

Mark Petersen, JD

SVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Mr. Petersen is an experienced litigator and mediator specializing in handling legal matters in the pharmaceutical and energy industries. He was a partner at Farella Braun + Martel LLP in San Francisco, where he worked for more than 40 years. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he was a nuclear engineer on submarines in the U.S. Navy. He received his JD from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, and his BS from the U.S. Naval Academy.

Board of Directors

Timothy Garnett, MBBS, FRCOG, FFPM

Chair

Dr. Timothy Garnett is a UK-trained physician who spent 13 years serving as Chief Medical Officer of Eli Lilly and Company. Dr. Garnett’s 30-year pharma career focused on clinical development and included leading Lilly’s Global Patient Safety prior to becoming the company’s Chief Medical Officer. He also practiced obstetrics and gynecology for eight years, along with conducting clinical research, before joining the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Garnett also serves on the Board of Directors of Maplight Therapeutics and Cardiol. He holds a MBBS from St George’s, University of London.

Hans Bishop

Director

Mr. Bishop has more than 30 years of experience in the biotech industry and is the president, founder, and board co-chair of Altos Labs. He previously served as CEO of GRAIL, later acquired by Illumina, and as co-founder and CEO of Juno Therapeutics until its $11 billion acquisition by Celgene. He holds a BA in chemistry from Brunel University in London.