With decades of leadership experience in the life science industry, our team fosters an ethos of innovation to develop regenerative medicine therapies aimed at treating a range of serious liver diseases.
Keith Murphy
Executive Chairman
Keith Murphy is currently CEO and Chairman of Viscient Bio, Inc., and a serial entrepreneur and investor in biotech. Prior to co-founding Viscient Biosciences, Mr. Murphy founded Organovoin 2007 and led all company operations until 2017. He co-invented the NovoGen MMX bioprinter platform and grew Organovo through early investments and pharma corporate partnerships Prior to Organovo, Mr. Murphy spent ten years at Amgen in roles of increasing responsibility, including four years as the Global Operations Leader of denosumab, now marketed as Prolia & Xgeva ($4B+ annual sales). Prior to Amgen, he played a key role at Alkermes (NASDAQ:ALKS) in the successful development of once-monthly human growth hormone (hGH) in partnership with Genentech. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is an alumnus of the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Mr. Murphy serves as co-chair of the Board of No Patient Left Behind, and on the Board of Directors of the California Life Sciences Association, the state’s life science industry public policy, advocacy and business leadership organization.
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Thomas P. Hess
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Hess, is currently under agreement with Danforth and he is a seasoned executive with significant experience in managing and leading teams as well as overseeing the financial and operational responsibilities of private and publicly traded life sciences companies. He has over twenty years of experience and has been a with Danforth since September 2021. Mr. Hess recently served as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance of Genomind, Inc., until his retirement in May 2021. From September 2011 until its sale in April 2014, Mr. Hess served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Finance of The Keane Organization. Mr. Hess also previously served in various other capacities including, but not limited to, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Yaupon Therapeutics, Inc.; Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Finance of Adolor Corporation; Corporate Controller of Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and Senior Manager, Accounting and Audit of KPMG. Mr. Hess received his B.S. in accounting from The Pennsylvania State University and his MBA from Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Pennsylvania. He currently serves on the Alumni Council of Penn State and is the Chairman of the Nittany Lion Club Annual Fund.
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Curtis Tyree, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development
Curtis Tyree is Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, at Organovo. He is responsible for corporate partnerships, acquisitions, and R&D strategy. Prior to Organovo, Dr. Tyree held senior positions at HUYABIO, where he helped develop the immunomodulator HIYASTA™ through approval in Japan. At TorreyPines Therapeutics he presented on the first gamma secretase modulators for Alzheimer’s Disease, and at Ligand Pharmaceuticals helped discover the thrombopoietin mimic Promacta®. He holds a BSc in Microbiology & Immunology from McGill University and a PhD in Biology from UC San Diego. Dr. Tyree served as a founding member of the Advisory Board and as Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the KGI School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He has served as an instructor and faculty member at the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies.
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