Elixirgen Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of therapies using its controllable RNA platform.

Akihiro Ko has served as Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the board of directors since May 2017, when he co-founded the company with Minoru Ko. Previously, Mr. Ko served as Chief Operating Officer for Elixirgen, LLC, the parent company of Elixirgen Therapeutics, and President of Elixirgen Scientific, LLC, a provider of stem cell reagent kits and related services. In his previous roles, Mr. Ko was responsible for operations and business development at Elixirgen, LLC and Elixirgen Scientific. Mr. Ko earned a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Virginia, where he cultivated his interest in biology.

Minoru S.H. Ko, MD, PhD has served as Chief Scientific Officer and as a member of the board of directors since May 2017 and was a co-founder of the company with Akihiro Ko. In addition, Dr. Ko is currently professor emeritus at Keio University School of Medicine and formerly Professor and Chair at the Department of Systems Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine. In 2012, Dr. Ko founded Elixirgen, LLC to develop novel products based on stem cell related technology. In 2016, Dr. Ko founded Elixirgen Scientific, LLC. Prior to forming Elixirgen, LLC, Dr. Ko worked as Senior Investigator (tenured) and Section Chief at the National Institute on Aging, a division of the National Institutes of Health. He also previously served as Assistant Professor and Associate Professor (Tenured) at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Ko has published more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific articles and more than 20 other articles and book chapters, including a “Stem Cell Biology” chapter of Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine (17th, 18th, 19th editions). Dr. Ko brings more than 30 years of experience in stem cell biology, genetics, molecular and cell biology, and systems biology.

Maiko Katadae, PhD, has served as a director of the company since May 2021. Dr. Katadae currently serves as a Partner at University of Tokyo Edge Capital Company (UTEC). She focuses on the biotech and healthcare fields, taking charge of due diligence in life science technologies and investment operations for seed and early-stage venture enterprises. Dr. Katadae has invested in PeptiDream Inc., which utilizes special peptide manufacturing techniques to design new pharmaceutical drugs. She built management teams and was involved in business plans and development while also serving as an auditor. Dr. Katadae completed the Master’s program in Chemistry and PhD in Science at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Science. Dr. Katadae was selected as one of the 100 Influential People of Japan in 2013 by the Nikkei Business Magazine, and won the Semi-Grand Prize for Woman of the Year in 2014 by Nikkei.

Hiroaki Kobayashi, MD, has served as a director of the company since February 2020. Dr. Kobayashi currently serves as a Venture Partner at University of Tokyo Edge Capital Company (UTEC), focusing on supporting companies in the life sciences and medical fields. Prior to UTEC, Dr. Kobayashi worked for several medical device companies, including an early-stage start-up. He is an emergency medicine and intensive care physician by training, and worked 5+ years in multiple academic medical centers. As a Fulbright scholar, he received an MBA with distinction at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, where he focused on strategy and healthcare management. He earned his M.D. from the University of Tokyo.

Thomas J. White, PhD has served as a director for the company since March 2020.  From 2001-2011, Dr. White served as Senior Vice President of Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer at Celera Corporation.  His research at Celera involved the discovery of new genomic, expression and proteomic biomarkers and the development and FDA registration of molecular diagnostic products for cystic fibrosis, Fragile-X, HIV drug resistance, hepatitis C virus genotyping, thrombosis, as well as laboratory developed (CLIA) tests for complex common diseases (cardiovascular, stroke, autoimmunity, liver) and breast cancer.  From 1989-2000, Dr. White worked as Senior Vice President of R&D for Roche Molecular Systems, a diagnostics division of Hoffmann-La Roche.  From 1978-1988, Dr. White was employed at the biotechnology firm Cetus Corporation where he held the positions of Senior Vice President of Research and Associate Director of Research and Development.  Dr. White received his B.A. in Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley, including graduate studies in the Pharmacology Department at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. 

Shauna Callahan, CPA has served as a director for the company since March 2020.  From 2019 to present, Ms. Callahan serves as the Chief Financial Officer for CampMinder, LLC.  Ms. Callahan also serves as a director for Anchor Center for Blind Children.  Her experience has centered around providing financial expertise and diligence to mid-sized businesses navigating high growth both organically and by acquisition.  Ms. Callahan started her career in public accounting at Arthur Andersen in Denver, Colorado subsequently holding financial roles in a variety of public and private companies in industries including market research, telecommunications, distribution, and manufacturing.  She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accounting.

Stephen M. Feinstone, MD, served from 2012 until his recent retirement as adjunct professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at George Washington University. Prior to that, Dr. Feinstone worked as Chief at the Laboratory of Hepatitis Viruses, Division of Viral Products at the Center for Biologics Research and Review (CBER), a branch of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Feinstone also worked as Senior Investigator in the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases. In these roles, Dr. Feinstone’s work along with that of collaborators, identified the virus that caused hepatitis type A and led to the development of the first licensed hepatitis A vaccine, HAVRIX. Further research led to the discovery of hepatitis C, and his more recent research focused on the virology and immunopathogenesis of hepatitis C virus infections and applying this information to experimental vaccine development. Dr. Feinstone received his undergraduate education at the Johns Hopkins University and his medical degree from the University of Tennessee. He did his clinical training at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and at Georgetown University Hospital and the Washington Veterans Administration Hospital in Washington, DC.

David Schlessinger, Ph.D., is currently National Institutes of Health Distinguished Investigator Emeritus and a Volunteer and Advisor to the Sardinian population study in the Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, which he founded at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in 1997. Previous to NIA, Dr. Schlessinger was Professor of Molecular Microbiology, Genetics, and Microbiology in Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. He has trained more than 300 Fellows, many of whom have taken on leadership positions around the world. The scope of his interests in over 600 publications range from the action of antibiotics and the formation of ribosomes to the genetics of developmental and aging-related human traits and disease susceptibility. Dr. Schlessinger received his doctoral degree from Harvard University.

Shinichiro Okamoto, MD, PhD, graduated from the School of Medicine at Keio University in 1979 and received a PhD from Keio University in 1983. From 1985 to 1988, Dr. Okamoto worked as a research/clinical fellow at the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Emory University in Atlanta, and as a visiting clinical fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. After his training in the U.S., He came back to Keio University, and has continued to work in the field of hematopoietic cell transplantation until now. He is current the Chairman and Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine at Keio University, and the Director of Hematology Service at Keio University Hospital in Tokyo.

In addition to his work in Keio University, Dr. Okamoto contributed a lot to promote the activity of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in Japan. He has been working for Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (JSHCT) as a Board member since 2004. In 2012 Dr. Okamoto became the Chairman of the Board Members, JSHCT and continue to lead the Society. He has also been working for Japan Marrow Donor Program (JMDP) as the Chairman of International Committee and the Board member since its establishment in 1992.

In 1999 to 2005, he also served as the Vice President of World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) and the Chairman of Accreditation Committee. He served as a member of Advisory Committee, CIBMTR from 2012 to 2014. Dr. Okamoto has been leading Asia-Pacific Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group (APBMT) as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. He is also one of the founding members of the Society. Through those activities, Dr. Okamoto has been contributing to not only fostering the activity of HCT in Asia-pacific countries but also collaboration and harmonization of the global activity of HCT.

Kokichi Nakasuji, M.S. (Pharmaceutical Sciences), is currently working as an expert advisor in a patent attorney’s office in Japan. Previously he worked as an intellectual property management advisor in charge of biotechnology and medical science fields for Chiba University (2007-2018) and as a toxicological and molecular biological researcher and a section manager of the intellectual property department for Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (1975-2007). Additionally, he was a member and a deputy chairperson of Japan Intellectual Property Association, biotechnology committee (1994-2007).

Satoshi Kunitada, PhD, served as the Japanese head of clinical development at Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd (2010-2014) and as committee chairman of the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (2016-2020).

Yoshinari Sato, Ph.D. has worked for Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (1971 to 2006), and Japan Health Sciences Foundation (2006 to 2012).