Gila is pioneering a newly discovered biological pathway, the tongue-brain connection, to develop safer and more effective treatments for obesity and cardiometabolic disorders.

About Gila

Gila Therapeutics is a clinical stage biotech company exploiting a novel, highly-targeted neural signaling system for the treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and associated metabolic disorders.

Gila’s topical / lingual delivery activates satiety centers in the brain with no systemic exposure—by leveraging previously unknown connections between the tongue and the brain—thus, avoiding the risks and safety concerns endemic to all systemically delivered therapeutics.

Gila’s first program, Topical Lingual PYY, has completed a highly successful Phase I which showed strong efficacy with literally zero treatment-related AEs or SAEs. Multiple topical lingual hormone targets are currently under development, including: GLP-1, amylin, leptin and others.

Our Team

Leadership

  • ACTING CEO & DIRECTOR

    Managing Partner at Biograph Venture -Biograph is an independent venture development firm established in 2018, focused in life sciences and healthcare.

    • Previous Positions: Slater Technology Fund, Providence, RI; Sachem Ventures, Princeton, NJ; Johnston Associates, Princeton, NJ

    • CEO Positions: Medical Media Systems; SEQ/Praelux; Immunicon Corp

    • Education: A.B., Dartmouth College; MBA, Tuck School at Dartmouth

  • CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER & DIRECTOR

    Expert in targeted drug delivery, personalized medicine, and metabolic hormones, with deep R&D/clin/reg experience

    Companies: Medtronic, Millennium, Corning, Lynx/Solexa, Roche

    Experience: Multiple clinical trials; 10 issued/pending patents; 26+ publications

    Education:

    B.S. Chemistry, MIT; PHD,

    Genetics, Harvard University; Postdoc,

    Developmental Biology, Princeton University

  • DONALD R. JOHNS, M.D.

    CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

    Clinical neuroscientist and successful drug developer utilizing an integrated translational medicine approach.

    Companies: Novartis, Biogen , Syntimmune, NodThera

    Experience:  Academic clinical neurologist/scientist at Johns Hopkins and Harvard Medical Schools, 27 conclusive Proof-of-Concept clinical studies, 4 successful NDAs, CMO at startup biotechnology companies, Chair of the Data Management Committee for the Versanis Bio/Eli Lilly BELIEVE trial; 17 issued/pending patents, >75 publications

    Education:  

    B.A. Mathematics/Chemistry Vanderbilt University

    M.D. Yale University School of Medicine

     Medical internship & Neurology Residency, Massachusetts General Hospital

  • CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

    Experience: 25 years of finance, operations, and management experience across a variety of industries including medical device, technology, industrial manufacturing, and professional services; worked in a wide range of environments, ranging from large public multi-national corporations down to small emerging private companies; led several companies that have realized substantial shareholder value

    Education: B.A. in Economics, St. Olaf College; MBA, University of Texas at Austin

Scientific Advisors / Endocrinology

  • Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology) University of Washington; Senior Investigator UW Medicine Diabetes Institute

    International authority on treating obesity and its comorbidities

    30+ years continuous NIH-funded research

    • Founding Director, Weight Management Clinic and Program at the Seattle/Tacoma VA Hospital network

    • >170 publications plus many book chapter

    • 30+ years treating patients with obesity

    • Advisor: Gila Therapeutics, GI Dynamics, Metavention, DyaMx

  • Professor of Medicine: Diabetes, Endocrinology, & Metabolism, Columbia University, Irving Medical Center

    International authority on hormonal effects of metabolic/bariatric surgery and obesity treatment

    • 20+ years treating patients with obesity

    • Founder and Director, Metabolic and Weight Control Center at Columbia

    • Chair and Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine

    • 20+ yrs NIH-funded research

    • Advisor: Gila Therapeutics, GI Dynamics, Digma Medical, Found Health

  • University College, School of Medicine; Dublin, Ireland

    Expert in metabolic medicine, recognized world leader in metabolism and obesity

    • 25+ years treating patients with obesity

    • Head, Metabolic Medicine & Obesity Complications Clinic

    • >340 publications cited >15,000 times

    • Advisor: Gila Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, Johnson & Johnson, Herbalife, Boehringer Ingelheim

  • Past Executive Director & Professor Emerita, Pennington Biomedical Research Center

    Author & lead in landmark metabolic disease studies – POUNDS Lost, DPP, Look AHEAD, etc.

    • 30+ years treating patients with obesity

    • >200 publication & 45 book chapter and reviews

    • President of World Obesity Federation

    • Former President of The Obesity Society

    • Advisor: Gila Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, Takeda, Vivus, Eisai, Calibrate

/ Nephrology

  • Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Indiana University School of Medicine

    International authority on metabolic and obesity related kidney disease treatment and research

    • Global leader, movement to improve management of obesity in chronic kidney disease

    • Board certified in internal medicine, nephrology, and nutrition

    • 25+ years treating patients throughout the range of kidney disease

    • Adviser: Gila Therapeutics, GI Dynamics, Goldfinch Bio, Astra Zeneca

/ Neuroscience

  • Professor of Medicine, Head of Department of Physiology, Monash University, Australia

    International authority on animal models of disease and metabolic disease drug development

    • 23 years working in drug development

    • Founder Orexigen Therapeutics, Monash Obesity & Diabetes Institute

    • Authored over 130 papers and chapters

    • Inventor of 180 patent or patent applications (including PCT’s)

    • Advisor Gila Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, iNova, Acino, Curris.

mathew-hayes-phd

  • Albert J. Stunkard Professor in Psychiatry

    Vice Chair of Basic and Translational Neuroscience Research; Director, Molecular and Neural Basis of Psychiatric Disease Section

    Department of Psychiatry

    Ph.D., Nutritional Sciences, Penn State University

    Our laboratory's overarching goal is to identify and characterize the neural signaling pathways controlling for food intake and body weight regulation in an effort to treat obesity and associated co-morbidities. To this end, our research examines the behavioral, intracellular, neuronal, and endocrine mechanisms governing energy balance and how these processes are dysregulated in obesity.

  • Professor of Behavior Neuroscience, Director of the Obesity Unit, Institute of Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania

    Expert in the neural control of food intake and body weight, taste guided behavior and affective responses to food

    • 40+ years of NIH funding

    • 200 published papers and reviews

    • Former President of The Obesity Society and Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior

    • Advisor: Gila Therapeutics, Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, Janssen

  • Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Floria State University

    Internationally recognized expert on the neural basis of taste function and the experimental analysis of taste-related behavior, eating, and drinking in preclinical models

    • +40 years conducting research on gustation and ingestive behavior in preclinical models

    • Former President of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior and the Association of Chemoreception Science

    • Fellow of the: American Psychological Association, Association for Psychological Science, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science

    • Continuously funded from the NIH for 35 years

    • >165 publications

    • Advisor: Gila Therapeutics

Board of Directors

  • DIRECTOR

    40+ years in medical device and pharmaceutical companies

    • Companies: Sepracor; Verastem (NASDAQ: VSTM); Frequency Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FREQ); TScan Therapeutics (NASDAQ: TCRX)

    • Founder & CEO: Sepracor, Founder & CEO (NASDAQ: SEPR), sold to Dainippon for $2.6B

    • Education: B.S. in Chemistry from Kings College

  • CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER & DIRECTOR

    Expert in targeted drug delivery, personalized medicine, and metabolic hormones, with deep R&D/clin/reg experience

    • Companies: Medtronic, Millennium, Corning, Lynx/Solexa, Roche

    • Experience: Multiple clinical trials; 10 issued/pending patents; 26+ publications

    • Education: B.S. Chemistry, MIT; PHD, Genetics, Harvard University; Postdoc, Developmental Biology, Princeton University

  • DIRECTOR

    39+ years in medical device, biotech and pharmaceutical companies

    • Companies: Pharmacia, Bausch + Lomb, Novartis OTC, Osmotica Pharmaceutical, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals and Invectys

    • Currently Founder of Potens Pharmaceuticals; in 2016 Sold Osmotica Pharmaceutical to Private Equity

    • Education: B. Pharm (Honors), IIT, BHU, India and PhD Pharmaceutics, The Ohio State University

  • ACTING CEO & DIRECTOR

    Managing Partner at Biograph Venture -Biograph is an independent venture development firm established in 2018, focused in life sciences and healthcare.

    Previous Positions: Slater Technology Fund, Providence, RI; Sachem Ventures, Princeton, NJ; Johnston Associates, Princeton, NJ

    CEO Positions: Medical Media Systems; SEQ/Praelux; Immunicon Corp

    Education: A.B., Dartmouth College; MBA, Tuck School at Dartmouth

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