Management

Joseph Amprey, MD, PhD

CEO, Founder

Dr. Amprey has been in health care for over 23 years. Most recently, he was the VP and Head of US Medical Affairs at Lupin Pharmaceuticals, playing a key role in the launch of Solosec for the US market. Prior to Lupin, he was a co-founder of Symbiomix Therapeutics, Inc. Symbiomix was a venture-backed company that was acquired by Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 2017 after achieving NDA approval for Solosec™. While at Symbiomix, he served initially as the Chief Business Officer with additional responsibility over time to serve as Head of Medical Affairs as well. Before Symbiomix, Dr. Amprey co-founded Zyngenia, an antibody-based drug development company focused on developing new therapeutics for breast cancer and autoimmune diseases. His passion for drug development was fueled by his previous experience as a venture capitalist funding biotech start-ups. Prior to Zyngenia, Dr. Amprey ran a $300M corporate venture fund called MedImmune Ventures which would ultimately become the corporate venture arm of Astra Zeneca during Dr. Amprey’s tenure. Dr. Amprey came to MedImmune Ventures from Carrot Capital (CCHV) where he was responsible for deal sourcing and had operational roles within CCHV’s portfolio companies. Prior to that, Dr. Amprey completed his internship in internal medicine through a joint residency training program at both New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Amprey earned his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, and received both a Doctorate of Immunology and a Medical Degree from Cornell University’s Weill Medical College through the NIH-funded medical scientist training program (MSTP). He also obtained graduate training from Harvard’s Brigham and Womens’ Hospital and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Helen Pentikis, PhD

CSO, Founder

Dr. Helen Pentikis has more than 25 years of experience in the development of new drugs and therapeutics.  She has participated in more than 75 FDA regulatory meetings, representing scientific interests in pharmacology/toxicology, clinical pharmacology, biopharmaceutics, and regulatory strategy.  Dr. Pentikis has authored more than 80 abstracts/publications and has been involved in more than 150 clinical studies in adult and pediatric patients, including Phase 1-3 studies with a concentration in anti-infectives, women’s health products, CNS, oncology, and oncology supportive care. Most recently, Dr. Pentikis was the CSO and Co-Founder of Symbiomix Therapeutics, a venture-backed company that was sold to Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in 2017, after achieving NDA approval for Solosec™. Prior to Symbiomix, Dr. Pentikis served as Head, Clinical Pharmacology at AkaRx Inc., with oversight for all clinical pharmacology activities and management for the company’s lead oncology product. Dr. Pentikis’ work and position on the senior management team was instrumental in the $300M acquisition of AkaRx. Dr. Pentikis also is a founder of SAJE Consulting and SAJE Pharma, previously worked as Global VP, Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics at ICON plc, was a Senior Research Fellow at Sanofi-Aventis, and an FDA Reviewer in the Office of Clinical Pharmacology. Dr. Pentikis received a B.S. in Biology from Wake Forest University, a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Maryland, and completed a Pharmacokinetics Fellowship at the FDA.   She serves as a grant reviewer for the Maryland Innovation Initiative and has served as a board member for Metrum Research Group and Redivivus Therapeutics. In addition to her scientific interests, Dr. Pentikis serves the community as an Executive Board Member of the Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church and a mentor for pharmacy students at the University of Notre Dame in Maryland.  She consistently supports The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance, the Hampden Family Center, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.