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AQR-008

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Meet the visionaries behind Aqur

We are pioneering the future of bioscience with a world-class team dedicated to revolutionizing cholesterol management. Our visionary inventors, leading doctors, accomplished scientists, and groundbreaking researchers are driving innovation at the forefront of this critical field.

Our team brings deep expertise in biotechnology and a profound understanding of cholesterol metabolism, blending cutting-edge scientific knowledge with real-world experience.

Many of our experts have held leadership roles in top pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, research labs, and multinational organizations, driving the development of transformative healthcare solutions.

Proven track record of innovation & success.

Our team’s credentials include advanced degrees from prestigious institutions, a proven track record of successfully bringing pharmaceuticals to market, and an unwavering commitment to improving human health. Complementing this scientific excellence is our leadership’s strategic managerial acumen, honed through years of guiding high-impact initiatives in the industry.

A singular mission: transforming cholesterol management.

We are united by a bold mission—to develop a groundbreaking drug that redefines cholesterol management. Committed to improving patient outcomes, we push the boundaries of cardiovascular health to shape a healthier future for millions.

Our team brings deep expertise in biotechnology and a profound understanding of cholesterol metabolism, blending cutting-edge scientific knowledge with real-world experience.

Many of our experts have held leadership roles in top pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, research labs, and multinational organizations, driving the development of transformative healthcare solutions.

Proven track record of innovation & success.

Our team’s credentials include advanced degrees from prestigious institutions, a proven track record of successfully bringing pharmaceuticals to market, and an unwavering commitment to improving human health. Complementing this scientific excellence is our leadership’s strategic managerial acumen, honed through years of guiding high-impact initiatives in the industry.

A singular mission: transforming cholesterol management.

We are united by a bold mission—to develop a groundbreaking drug that redefines cholesterol management. Committed to improving patient outcomes, we push the boundaries of cardiovascular health to shape a healthier future for millions.

Michael A. Fole, MD, MBA

Chief Executive Officer

  • 25+ years in wealth & family office management, banking, trading and investments
  • MD – Carol Davila University of Medicine & Pharmacy (Bucharest, Romania)
  • MBA – University of La Verne, California

Jeffrey B. Wolin

President

  • 25+ years investment banking, corporate transactions, M&A, public filings and financings
  • BS – Biomedical & Chemical Engineering – Columbia University

James Hess Leach​

Chief Financial Officer

  • 40+ years family office venture capital
  • Chairman & Senior Managing Director, National Trust, LLC
  • Chair Emeritus, Rhode Island PBS Foundation & Inductee, Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame

Tomi Sawyer, PhD

Chief Scientist & Advisor

  • Inventor of MCR1 agonist NDP-MSH (Scenesse® by Clinuvel) recently approved by the FDA
  • Invented ALRN-6924 (Aileron) and Iclusig® (Ariad/Takeda)
  • Former titles: Distinguished Scientist (Merck), CSO (Aileron), SVP (Ariad) & Sr. Director (Pfizer)
  • Past President of the American Peptide Society
  • BS – Chemistry, Minnesota State University–Moorhead
  • PhD – Organic Chemistry, University of Arizona

Michel F. Denarie, MBA

Chief Operating Officer

  • 37+ years veteran of the pharmaceutical industry
  • 21 years with IQVIA – Senior Principal, Strategic Drug Development – Global COE Lead, Patient Insights – Senior Principal, Commercial Effectiveness
  • BS – Kogod School of Business – American University
  • MBA – Darden School of Business – University of Virgina

Michael A. Fole, MD, MBA

Chairman of the Board Designee

  • 25+ years in wealth & family office management, banking, trading and investments
  • MD – Carol Davila University of Medicine & Pharmacy (Bucharest)
  • MBA – University of La Verne, California

Jeffrey B. Wolin

Director

  • 25+ years investment banking, corporate transactions, M&A, public filings and financings
  • BS – Biomedical & Chemical Engineering – Columbia University

Madison F. Richardson, MD

Board Designee

  • 40+ years board-certified surgeon
  • Officer, Medical Board of California (1987-1993)
  • Former Asst. Professor of Surgery, USC & UCLA   Medical Schools
  • Lt. Col., Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (1968-1979)
  • BS – Zoology & Philosophy – Howard University
  • MD – Howard University Medical School

Jessica Fieldman

Board Designee

  • 10+ years auditor
  • Certified Public Accountant California (inactive)
  • Formerly auditor at Deloitte
  • Transitioned to psychotherapy completing a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy
  • BS – Haas School of Business at University of California at Berkeley
  • Master of Business Taxation – University of Southern California

David M. Filsoof, MD

Board Designee

  • Medical Director of Beverly Hills Cardiovascular
  • Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease at Mayo Clinic
  • 10+ years at Cedars Sinai Medical Center
  • BA – Emory University
  • MD – New York Medical College

Roland Wandeler, PhD

  • 15+ years of commercial leadership and general management experience in the pharmaceutical & biotechnology industry
  • Former Amgen General Manager Germany in Spain & Portugal, and Corporate Vice President & General Manager of Amgen’s US Bone Health & Cardiology Business Unit
  • MSc & PhD – Chemical Engineering – ETH Zurich

Wayne Paterson

  • Vice-Chairman & CEO, Anteris Technologies Ltd
  • Former Head of Pharmaceuticals (South Korea) and Head of Commercial Operations (China), Roche Pharmaceuticals
  • President, Merck KGaA Europe, Canada and Australia 
  • Global Head of Cardiovascular Medicine, Merck KGaA (2010-2012)

Jay Horton, MD

  • Dr. Horton’s characterization of PCSK9 & the protein’s interactions with LDL-R provided the foundation for the development of PCSK9i
  • Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Genetics, Chief of the Division of Digestive & Liver Diseases
  • Holds the Robert C. & Veronica Atkin Chair in Obesity & Diabetes Research – University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

George M. Tsoukas, MD, FRCPC

  • Associate Professor of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre
  • Seasoned expert in endocrinology and cardiovascular disease, and has authored numerous scientific papers
  • Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada and an active member of several professional societies, including the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research and the American Heart Association

Nabil Seidah, MC, PhD, OQ, PRSC

  • Discovered and cloned seven (PC1, PC2, PC4, PC5, PC7, SKI-1 and PCSK9) of the nine known enzymes belonging to the convertase family
  • Author of over 720 peer-reviewed articles & manuscripts
  • Recipient of Medical Research Council Scientist Award, McLaughlin Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, the Parizeau Prize of the Association Canadienne-Française, the Pfizer Distinguished Cardiovascular-Metabolic Research Jean-Davignon Award, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the “Jacques Genest” Lecturer Award

Michael D. Shapiro, DO

  • Professor of Cardiology and Molecular Medicine at Wake Forest University
  • Published extensively in the areas of atherosclerosis imaging, lipid disorders, and preventive cardiology with research focuses on PCSK9 physiology and its impact on lipoprotein metabolism
  • DO – Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Nicola Ferri, PhD

  • Professor in Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Italy
  • Author of >190 peer-reviewed articles & manuscripts, including “Emerging oral therapeutic strategies for inhibiting PCSK9” published in Atherosclerosis Plus
  • PhD in “Experimental Pharmacology”
  • PhD in “Toxicology of  Environment and Nutrition” – University of Milan, Italy

Ajoy Basak, MSc, PhD, FIC

  • Inventor of AQR-008
  • 25+ years of discovery and development of PCSK9, cholesterol regulation & CVD
  • Adjunct Professor, University of Ottawa
  • Affiliate Investigator, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
  • Published 150+ peer-reviewed articles on PCSK9 enzymes

David M. Lubman, PhD

  • Professor Emeritus – University of Michigan Medical School
  • Director, The Lubman Lab (University of Michigan Medical School) investigating novel biotechnologies
  • MS – Columbia University
  • PhD – Stanford University

Bruce Auerbach, MS

  • 20+ years of experience in pharmaceutical drug discovery & early clinical development
  • Former associate Research Fellow at Pfizer specializing in drug discovery & early clinical development, with a concentration in dyslipidemia and metabolic diseases
  • MS in Pathology and Comparative Medicine – Bowman Gray School of Medicine – Wake Forest University

Mary G. Sorci-Thomas, PhD

  • Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Clinical Nutrition- Medical School of Wisconsin
  • Funded for 33+ years by the National Institutes of Health & for 20 years participated as a Project Leader on an NIH funded Program Project that studied Atherosclerosis and Lipid Metabolism
  • PhD – Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Robert E. Burrier, PhD

  • Career technology executive with experience in pharmaceutical research
  • Participated & led programs resulting in drugs currently on the market including Zetia & Vytorin
  • RGD at Schering-Plough, Merck KGaA, Eli Lilly, GelTex, and Genzyme
  • PhD – Boston University, Postdoctoral Fellowship in Comparative Medicine – Wake Forest University

Amanuel Sima, MD

  • 24+ years board-certified physician
  • Board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine
  • Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Pulmonary Medicine, & the American Board of Critical Care Medicine

Khaled Machaca, PhD

  • Senior Associate Dean for Research, Innovation and Commercialization, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar & Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine
  • Machaca Lab investigates Ca²⁺ signaling, non-genomic progesterone signaling, and personalized treatments for monogenic disorders, with continuous support from NIH and QRDI
  • Serves on editorial boards, reviews for journals and funding bodies, and has a strong record of student and postdoc mentorship

Timothy F. Morris

  • Senior biotech CFO/board leader with 40+ years in finance/accounting and 26+ years as CFO/COO across public biotech, fundraising, business development, governance, and commercial/manufacturing scale-up
  • Proven capital markets and deal execution track record, raising $3B+, completing multiple IPOs/follow-ons and 100+ transactions (>$6B value), with deep Wall Street relationships

In Memoriam

1951 - 2023

Dr. Joseph A. Cornicelli, PhD, FAHA​

We honor the life and legacy of Dr. Joseph A. Cornicelli, a distinguished scientist, a revered mentor, and a cherished friend to all who had the privilege of knowing him.

With over two decades of experience as a Research Fellow at Pfizer Inc., during which he made groundbreaking contributions to drug discovery and development, Dr. Cornicelli left an indelible mark on the healthcare industry.

His extensive career, spanning over 13 years at Charles River Laboratories, where he held leadership positions such as Director of In Vivo Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases and Director of Inflammation Services, and subsequent roles as a consultant, exemplified his expertise in advancing treatments for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

A Fellow of the American Heart Association, Dr. Cornicelli’s research in lipid metabolism and cardiovascular health, including his notable work on gemcabene, has paved the way for innovation and improved patient outcomes.

His numerous publications and invaluable mentorship have inspired generations of researchers in the biosciences. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Dr. Cornicelli served as a guiding light to our team. His unwavering support, expert guidance, and warm friendship enriched our journey and shaped our mission.

We will forever remember him for his wisdom, kindness, dedication, and his remarkable sense of humor. His memory will forever be an integral part of our organization, inspiring us to continue the work he passionately believed in.