Executives and Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Kirk Hammond, MD, Co-Founder and Director
Dr. H. Kirk Hammond, M.D. serves as principal scientific advisor to the Company and is a cardiologist. Dr. Hammond has devoted his career to the study of heart diseases. Dr. Hammond co-founded Collateral Therapeutics and subsequently co-founded Renova Therapeutics based on data from his laboratory indicating the promise of AC6 gene transfer for Heart Failure (HF). He is currently a Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Diego and a cardiologist at VA San Diego. He received training in cardiovascular research and clinical cardiology at the University of California San Diego and joined the School of Medicine faculty in 1987. Dr. Hammond’s research focuses on mechanisms and treatments of human cardiovascular diseases using gene transfer. His laboratory employs molecular and cellular biology and integrative physiological techniques in translational studies designed to have an impact on the treatment of chronic heart disease. His pioneering work led to the first Phase 2 clinical trial of gene transfer for patients with heart disease. He is a past chairman of the Cardiovascular Section of the American Society of Gene and Gene Therapy. Dr. Hammond’s research laboratory at the University of California, San Diego, and VA San Diego is currently funded by the NIH and Veterans Administration for basic and translational research. Hammond was a 2017 recipient of the Veterans Affairs William S. Middleton Award for Outstanding Achievement in Biomedical Research. In 2020, Hammond received the VA Biomedical Research & Development Senior Clinician Scientist Investigator Award.
Pierre Lecocq, Chairman
Pierre Lecocq served for 20 years as CEO of a multibillion-dollar global industrial group with a manufacturing presence in 20 different countries. After the sale of the company, he created FINALEC SAS, a family holding company investing in scaling up start-ups in Europe and the US focusing on data management and life science.
He serves as a director in private companies in Europe and the US.
He chaired the UNIAPAC global network of more than 30,000 CEOs promoting CSR deployment and is the Vice-Chairman of the Board of one of the largest French foundations helping more than 30,000 young people and families in distress.
He holds master’s degrees in engineering and Macroeconomics from Paris University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Roy Cosan, Vice Chairman
Mr. Cosan spent 32 years at J&J’s Pharma group, at Ortho Pharmaceuticals, Ortho Derm, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and The Johnson Development Corporation, the venture capital arm of J&J, where he invested in 19 companies and was a director on 11 boards. As Vice President of New Product Development at J&J, he launched a $billion+ product for schizophrenia, as well as a leading treatment for dementia. His responsibilities have ranged from sales and marketing to new product development to venture investing. He went on to form a medical device, diagnostic, and pharma accelerator with Olav Bergheim Fjord Ventures. At CPRIT, Mr. Cosan helped form the Product Development and Research Committee and reviewed companies for funding focused on oncology. He joined Renova as a board member, later served as President, and subsequently as acting CEO and President. He is now the Vice Chairman of the Board.
Dr. William Davidson, Director
William Davidson has served as a director of six public companies and more than ten private companies. He has served as chairman for one public and multiple private companies. He has been a partner in several venture capital funds and participated at varying degrees in more than 50 start-up and early-stage companies. He founded and ran MESA Research Group, a consulting firm which served many of the Fortune 100 firms, including IBM, GE, ATT, ExxonMobil and more. He was a tenured professor of management at the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, from 1986-1998. He left USC to serve as a senior partner with Deloitte and Touche as a Practice Leader for their Telecom and Media Group. He is the author of nine books, including The Amazing Race, 2020 Vision, and Breakthrough. He has another book in the works entitled Great China. He was a member of the White House China Task Force in the 1980s, worked with senior Chinese leaders in the transformation and modernization of the Chinese economy, and remains active in China. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard College, an MBA, and a doctorate in international management from Harvard Business School.
Michael Torres, Director
Michael A. Torres is the Chief Executive Officer of Adelante Capital Management, an employee and minority-owned SEC-registered Investment Advisor. Adelante manages publicly traded real estate securities strategies for public and private pension funds as well as high net worth individuals. In 2004, Mr. Torres led the management buyout of the company (www.adelante.com). He has over 30 years of real estate and securities research experience.
Previously, Mr. Torres was a portfolio manager for Wilshire Asset Management. At Wilshire, he created the Wilshire Real Estate Securities Index, widely recognized performance benchmark.
Mr. Torres serves on the Board of Directors of Colovore LLC and Renova Therapeutics, the Investment Committee for the Stern Grove Festival Foundation, and the BEE Partners LP Advisory Board. He has also served has a UC Berkeley Foundation Trustee. Mr. Torres is an active member of the NorCal YPOG Chapter. Mr. Torres received a B.A. in Architecture and an M.B.A. from University of California, Berkeley.
Morgan Xu, Director
Mr. Morgan Xu is the former Chairman and CEO of Vistage China. Vistage is the world’s leading CEO leadership development organization, which entered the Chinese market in 2007. Mr. Xu took over Vistage China in 2013, saving it from bankruptcy, and developed it to be the most prestigious CEO development organization for Chinese entrepreneurs. Mr. Xu is the Chairman of Huicheng Trade & Investment Co., Ltd, an entrepot trade agent company based in Hong Kong with close partnerships with many Fortune 500 enterprises and large Chinese state-owned corporations. Mr. Xi is also the Chairman of Shanghai Xingpu International Trade Co., Ltd and Shanghai Xingpu Logistics Co., Ltd. He holds an engineering degree from the University of Fudan.
Scientific Advisory Board
Dr. Vijay Mahant, Chief Scientific Officer
Vijay Mahant (MS, PhD) is a visionary and a pioneer scientist in the healthcare industry with entrepreneurship qualities that span more than three decades in genetic diseases, infectious diseases, and precision medicine (oncology, cardiovascular diseases, neuropsychiatry & pain management). Vijay Mahant’s focus over the last decade has been on therapeutics (small drugs, including biopharmaceuticals and cellular), drug delivery, and therapeutic devices. His pioneering work in diagnostics, as exemplified by ultra-sensitive tests in thyroid endocrinology and prostate cancer, has been a “game changer” in thyroid endocrinology and diseases of the prostate, such as cancer and their treatments. The products developed under his leadership have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. He is a passionate and decisive leader who has inspired several young entrepreneurs in the biotech industry. Vijay Mahant brings vast experience and a wealth of knowledge, including skills ranging from research and development, including numerous FDA cleared & CE Marked products, fundraising, IPOs, acquisitions, licensing with conglomerates and major institutes, manufacturing, clinical trials, and intellectual property management.
He is a former CEO of Renova Therapeutics, and he has held senior positions at Nicholas Institute/ Quest and executive positions at Qualigen and AGI. He is a founder and/or co-founder of diagnostic companies, including MediLite Diagnostika, and a former executive at an oncology company. He serves on the SAB/MAB of young oncology companies such as Trutino Biosciences and an oncology hospital. Vijay Mahant is on the Board of Directors of Renova Therapeutics and serves as the CEO. Vijay Mahant has authored and/or co-authored publications in peer-reviewed science and/or medical journals, including books. He has 32 issued international patents in health care. He launched a section entitled “The Eco-system of Translational Medicine” as the Section Editor of the Journal of Translational Medicine.
Scott Flamm, MD, MBA
Dr. Flamm is an accomplished clinician-scientist and the former Head of Cardiovascular Imaging (17 years) at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He was formerly the President of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and an internationally recognized expert in Cardiac MRI. He has 30 years in cardiovascular physiology and imaging, multicenter trials, and translational impact on cardiovascular care. Dr. Flamm earned an MBA from Kellogg School of Management.
David Horwitz, MD, PhD
Dr. Horowitz is a seasoned biotech and pharmaceutical executive. He is the former Global Chief Medical Officer at Johnson & Johnson and a former member of the FDA advisory panel in clinical chemistry and toxicology. Dr. Horowitz’s experience with prior clinical trials related to cardiac and other matters are pertinent to Renova’s clinical path.
Executives
Alan Horsager, PhD, CEO (Interim)
Dr. Horsager is a seasoned life science executive with a strong foundation in developing genetic medicines and a proven track record of leading biotech companies from early-stage discovery to commercialization and acquisition. His expertise extends to initiating and managing strategic partnerships across industry and academia, intellectual property licensing, negotiating transactions, and raising dilutive and nondilutive capital.
In addition to his role as a Managing Partner of Concept Bio, Dr. Horsager served as the President, CEO, and Director of Duet BioTherapeutics and the President, Immuno-Oncology of Scopus BioPharma. Prior to his roles at Duet and Scopus, he was a Consultant at L.E.K. Consulting, a premier strategy consulting firm serving the life sciences sector, where he focused on oncology diagnostics and provided strategic insights to top biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Prior to L.E.K., Dr. Horsager served as President, CEO, and Co-Founder of Episona, where he led a team in developing a pioneering epigenetic-based molecular diagnostic test for infertility and other human diseases. Through multi-center trials, his team validated the clinical utility of the test, secured substantial private investment, and cultivated strategic relationships that facilitated the test’s international distribution to in-vitro fertility clinics and direct-to-consumer.
Dr. Horsager previously served as a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California. In this role, he led a gene therapy and vision science laboratory, where he focused on developing optogenetic-based gene therapies for blindness and advancing our understanding of retinal degeneration. His collaborative work with investigators at the University of Florida and MIT yielded patents, scientific publications, and recognition through career awards, including the Coulter Foundation Translational Research Award and The Burroughs Wellcome Fund CASI Award.
Dr. Horsager earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Washington. His Ph.D. research centered around developing computational models of visual processing in blind patients, leading to patented technologies and the creation of a market-approved device for treating retinitis pigmentosa.
Cyrus Arman, PhD, MBA, Chief Development Officer (Interim)
Dr. Arman’s experience spans from early-stage preclinical development through clinical development and commercialization.
In addition to his role as a Managing Partner of Concept Bio, he is the Senior Vice President, formerly President, at CytoDyn, Inc., where he directs corporate strategy development, works to secure intellectual property and establishes partnerships. He has navigated legal issues and regulatory compliance while securing approximately $39 million in funding since the middle of 2022. As Chief Business Officer at Nimble Therapeutics, Inc., he partnered with prominent pharmaceutical companies, expanding the company’s portfolio and securing additional funding and milestones. His strategic advisory role at NEUVOGEN, Inc., and as VP of Corporate Development & Strategy further showcased his ability to lead operations, deal-making, and establish strategic partnerships.
Dr. Arman has an MBA in Finance and Strategy from UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the USC Keck School of Medicine.
Shawn Swaney, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer
Shawn is a CPA and has over 29 years of senior financial and executive management experience at both public and private high-growth companies in the technology, life science, and clean tech industries. Shawn is currently providing strategic advice and financial support. Previously, Shawn was Brain Corp’s CFO and was responsible for the finance, human resources, and facilities organizations. Prior to Brain Corp, Shawn was CFO of SmartDrive Systems, a high-growth technology business focused on video-based safety and transportation intelligence. He has held management positions at Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Gateway, Inc. and served as an audit manager at KPMG. Shawn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from San Diego State.