Signature Therapeutics, Inc. (formerly PharmacoFore) is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on creating novel medicines to improve upon the therapeutic utility of existing drugs, enhance patient care, and prevent the misuse, abuse, and overdose of prescription medications. They have developed a resilient business model for creating long-term value by pursuing a portfolio of carefully chosen programs where in drug activity is based upon known mechanisms-of-action and where human proof-of-concept can be achieved early in clinical trials. Their initial focus is on medicines for the central nervous system (CNS).
Dr. Sterman is a healthcare executive and investor, who has founded, directed, managed, and funded numerous companies. Prior to Signature Therapeutics, he was a founding director and investor of Theravance, Inc., which went public in late 2004. Before Theravance, Dr. Sterman founded and acted as CEO of Heartport, Inc., a manufacturer of less invasive cardiac surgery products, which was taken public in 1996. Heartport was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2001. Previously, Dr. Sterman was founder and CEO of EndoVascular Technologies, Inc. Following its IPO, the company was acquired by Guidant, Inc., which is now a division of Boston Scientific, Inc. Prior to that, he led the healthcare investment efforts at Menlo Ventures. During his tenure there, Gilead Sciences, now a $30 billion public biotechnology company, was incubated internally at Menlo Ventures. Dr. Sterman holds a California medical license and earned both M.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Stanford University.
Mr. Democko has served as our Vice President of Regulatory and Quality since January 2008. Mr. Democko has more than 25 years of experience in research and development in start-up to mid-size pharmaceutical companies.
He served as Vice President of Regulatory and Development Operations of Novacea, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, from 2005 to 2008.
Prior to Novacea, Mr. Democko served as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Development at Signature Therapeutics (previously PharmacoFore, Inc.), a privately-held biopharmaceutical company.
Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at Connetics, Inc., a pharmaceutical company acquired by Stiefel Laboratories. Mr. Democko has also held management-level positions at Theravance, Inc., Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Genentech, Inc., all of which are biopharmaceutical companies.
Mr. Democko holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from Ohio State University.
Ms. Magruder is a pharmaceutical executive and consultant with more than 25 years of pharmaceutical experience. Prior to Signature Therapeutics, she was President of VSI Development Company, where she consulted with numerous San Francisco Bay Area pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
Before that, she was Senior Vice President of Development at Durect Corp. where she led development programs and supervised various functional areas, including Project and Portfolio Management, Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Operations, and Quality Assurance, with budgetary responsibilities in excess of $25 million. She has also worked for Vascular Therapeutics, and spent more than 15 years in a variety of positions at ALZA Corp. leading and contributing to a number of successful product development efforts and product approvals. Ms. Magruder is an inventor and holds 48 United States patents.
She earned a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of California at Davis and an M.B.
Mr. Gunderson is a founding partner of Gunderson Dettmer, which has become the nation’s leading business law firm for entrepreneurs, emerging growth companies and venture capitalists. He serves as principal outside counsel for many of the country’s leading venture capital firms, public and private companies and investment banks. Bob is a nationally recognized authority in the areas of venture capital and emerging growth companies and has represented parties to many of Silicon Valley’s most significant financings, IPOs, and mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. Gunderson is the co-editor of the Emerging Growth Companies Series of legal texts (GlasserLegalWorks) as well as the widely used, two-volume treatise, Venture Capital and Public Offering Negotiation (third edition), published by Aspen Law & Business.
Mark Blumling is currently CEO of Wolvesey Ventures. Mr. Blumling previously was CEO and Managing Director of Relevare Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company based in San Francisco and Melbourne, Australia. Prior to joining Relevare, Mr. Blumling was founder and COO of Hyperion Therapeutics, as well as a Director at Burrill & Company, where he worked in private equity, venture capital, and investment banking. Mr. Blumling also worked at Orchid Biosciences (NASDAQ: ORCH) and in the Office of Science & Technology (R&D) at SmithKline Beecham, where he was involved in the creation and development of new business ventures.
Mr. Blumling holds a BA in Human Biology from Stanford University, an MSc (Economics) from the London School of Economics, and a JD from Stanford Law School.