NOVATO, Calif., Aug. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Mercaptor Discoveries announces the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors.
Joining the Board of Directors are Erich Sager, Ralph O’Rear and James Kovach, MD, JD. “Our newest Board members embody Mercaptor’s mission of helping millions who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury. We are thrilled to have their talent, expertise and energy as we develop our discovery and find exciting new applications for it,” said Sara Isbell, CEO, President and Cofounder.
Erich Sager is an international private banking executive and strong supporter of biopharma companies over the past 20 years. Currently Chairman at CellProtect Management AG, Sager previously served on the boards of Holding TwentyOne AG, Calltrade Carrier Services AG, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. and Raptor Pharmaceuticals Inc. An influential advocate for emerging technologies, Sager also serves on the boards of several companies including Zecotek Photonics Inc. and Altibio.
Ralph O’Rear was Director of Facilities at Lucasfilm Ltd. and its affiliates (Industrial Light & Magic, LucasArts Entertainment, THX) for 10 years. In 1998 he joined the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. During his 18 years there he participated in all aspects of development of the organization from its beginnings to its establishment as the center of excellence in aging research that it is today. O’Rear is an expert in real estate, facilities, strategic planning, organizational structure development, planning and implementation of organizational initiatives, organizational budget development, energy efficiency, and sustainability via renewable resources. Ralph has provided valuable counsel to Mercaptor since inception.
James Kovach, MD, JD, is an entrepreneur, physician, attorney and former linebacker who played seven seasons in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers while simultaneously earning his medical degree from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Kovach has been one of Mercaptor’s key medical, R&D and business advisors since 2016. Dr. Kovach runs a program to train physician and other scientific entrepreneurs at the UC Davis School of Medicine and is a mentor in the Clinical Translational Science Center. Dr. Kovach serves as S.V.P. of Business Development for CrowdOptic and previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Athersys, Inc., a leading public biotechnology company developing stem cell therapeutics. He has also served as President of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and as a member of the NFL Concussion Committee.
About Mercaptor Discoveries
Mercaptor Discoveries is a privately held company that was founded in October 2016 by a team of scientists who discovered an injury-activated molecule with potential to mitigate brain damage when used prophylactically and treat many neurodegenerative diseases. They took a leap of faith and became a self-seeded enterprise with a clear goal: adapting their discovery to treat seizures, TBI, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and other debilitating conditions. Headquartered in Novato, California, Mercaptor prioritizes science, promotes productivity and transparency, and values the purity of research.
Media Contact:
Carole Barrow
cbarrow@mercaptor.com