Management
Jeffrey Herz, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Jeffrey Herz, Ph.D., is the founder of Algomedix and serves as the current Chairman of the Board, President and CEO. He has more than 25 years senior R&D management and drug discovery and development experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry focused on the R&D IP business interface and has held senior scientific and corporate development positions at venture-backed companies, Omeros (NASDAQ: OMER) and Molecumetics.
Dr. Herz established the TRPA1 drug development program for chronic pain at Algomedix and has led development efforts that have created a leading position for this potential first-in-class non-opioid analgesic. Prior to founding Algomedix, Dr. Herz was the founding scientist at Omeros and created a pipeline of products protected by a diverse IP estate while leading pharmaceutical research programs in multiple therapeutic areas, including pain and inflammation. This work resulted in three products which progressed from inception to late-stage clinical trials, and one FDA approved product on the market.
Dr. Herz previously served as founder and President of Applied Receptor Sciences and has held positions of increasing responsibility during his work with biotechnology companies. He began his industry with Panlabs and then transitioned to the Molecumetics, where Dr. Herz led drug discovery and interfaced with the CEO and President to advance small molecule drug development. Dr. Herz received his B.A. in Biology from the College of Creative Studies at the Univ. of California at Santa Barbara and received his Ph.D. in Physiology and Anatomy from the University of California at Berkeley with a concentration in cellular physiology, biochemistry and biophysics. His completed post-doctoral research in the Dept. of Pharmacology in the Medical School of the University of California at San Diego where he held an individual NIH post-doctoral research fellowship and an American Heart Association fellowship. He subsequently served on the faculty at the Univ. of Texas at Austin while conducting teaching and research before entering the biotechnology industry.
Dr. Herz has received numerous grants and awards for his pharmacological and drug development research. He the inventor of more than 225 US issued and international patents and patent applications, has authored or co-authored numerous scientific publications, and is an invited speaker at many meetings on topics which include drug discovery and development, and molecular medicine.
Charles Zuta, Ph.D.
Director of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control (CMC)
Charles Zuta graduated with a Ph.D. in Food Science and Chemistry from McGill University and has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over 15 years as a Product Development Scientist and an Analytical Method Development Chemist and has substantial experience in drug development. His expertise spans preclinical and clinical development, including regulatory approval and commercialization.
Charles’ work was instrumental in creating an approved drug product which is currently used during eye surgery to reduce pain, inflammation and inhibit mydriasis. Charles also is an inventor on multiple patents, which include chemical entities under development for neurological indications and is an author of academic publications in peer reviewed journals and conference presentations. Charles has worked on both small and large organic molecule drug products within the Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control Operations (CMC) in the Pharmaceutical Industry, including GLP-regulated facilities.