Tokai was founded by Apple Tree Partners to in-license and develop endocrine-based therapies for major diseases. The company’s primary focus is on its proprietary Specific Androgen Receptor Modulator/Lyase Inhibitor (TOK-001) for Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC).
Management
Seth Harrison, M.D., Chairman, Acting Chief Executive Officer
Seth has invested in life sciences since 1991. He has served as founding investor, acting CEO or chairman of numerous portfolio companies. He is the managing general partner of Apple Tree Partners (ATP). Prior to founding ATP, Seth was a general partner at Oak Investment Partners and earlier had been a venture partner at Sevin Rosen Funds. His exited investments include: ArQule, Coelacanth, Cyrano Sciences, Informed Access, Ultracision and ViroPharma. Current portfolio investments include: Aileron Therapeutics, Gloucester Pharmaceuticals, HeartWare Limited (Australia), and Tokai Pharmaceuticals. Seth received an A.B. from Princeton University, an M.D. and MBA both from Columbia University and completed a surgery internship at the Presbyterian Hospital. He serves on the board of the International Partnership for Microbicides, a Rockefeller Foundation/Gates Foundation sponsored public-private partnership engaged in the development of anti-HIV microbicides, and is also Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the New York Studio School for Drawing, Painting and Sculpture.
Scott Chappel, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer
Scott joined Tokai from Dyax Corporation (DYAX) where he served as Executive Vice President for Science and Technology. While at Dyax, he established the Company’s preclinical pipeline of therapeutic proteins and the antibody discovery program. Previously, Scott held a variety of senior management positions at Serono, Inc., including Chief Scientist. While at Serono, Scott was involved in the development of several FDA approved products, including Gonal F, Luveris, Ovidrel and Rebif. He has also served as Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President for Research at Diacrin, Inc. (now GenVec) and Research Director at Integrated Genetics (now part of Genzyme, Inc.). Scott received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is the inventor on 19 issued U.S. patents and the author or co-author of more than 65 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Michael K. Brawer, M.D., Chief Medical Officer
Michael was formerly Chief Medical Officer of Threshold Pharmaceuticals. Before that he was the Director of the Northwest Prostate Institute. Michael was Professor of Urology and Adjunct Professor of Pathology at the University of Washington. Previously he had been Assistant Professor of Urology at the University of Arizona. He attended the University of California at Los Angeles as an undergraduate and for medical school, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. Michael completed his Surgical and Urologic training at Stanford University. He has authored or co-authored over 300 scientific publications primarily addressing benign and malignant prostatic disease. He is the recipient of the Gold Cystoscope Award from the American Urologic Association.
David Casebier, Ph.D., Vice President of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dave joined Tokai from Lantheus Medical Imaging, formerly a division of Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he was Senior Director of Chemistry for six years. During his time at BMS, he was responsible for all aspects of chemistry from project conception to commercial launch, including medicinal chemistry and API manufacture. Prior to joining BMS he was at ArQule for nine years. He was the first employee at ArQule and built the automated combinatorial chemistry capability of the company; during this time he held increasing positions of responsibility at the Director, then VP level, winding up in charge of a subsidiary focused on materials research using ArQule technology. Dave has a BS in Chemistry from Washington State University, a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and was a NIH postdoctoral fellow at Brown University, where he worked on biosynthesis of polyketide macrolides.
Taylor Burtis, MBA, Vice President of Regulatory, Quality and Compliance
Taylor has over 25 years of regulatory and senior management experience. Over the past several years, she developed and implemented regulatory strategy at two cancer biotechnology companies, resulting in filings for multiple Phase 3 trials. Taylor was an Associate Director for World Wide Regulatory Affairs at Wyeth for three years. Prior to Wyeth, she was a Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs at Genentech for four years, where she was the RA representative on the teams that gained approval of two new cancer therapeutics. Taylor was an FDA Consumer Safety Officer in the Office of Compliance at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research from 1990-1995. Previously, she spent 18 years as a regulatory, project and laboratory manager at various medical institutions, including Children's Hospital, Brigham & Women's and the National American Red Cross. Taylor earned a B.S. in Biology from Framingham State College and a MBA from Simmons College School of Management. She has American Society of Clinical Pathology certifications as a Specialist in Immunohematology, Specialist in Hematology and Medical Technology.
Jodie Morrison, Head of Clinical Operations and Program Management
Jodie joined Tokai Pharmaceuticals as Head of Clinical Operations and Program Management in 2006 from Dyax Corporation where she was Director of Clinical Operations and Medical Affairs. While at Dyax, she built the clinical development team and oversaw clinical and medical operations on the hereditary angioedema and cardiothoracic surgery programs. Previously, Jodie held clinical management positions at both Curis, Inc. and at Diacrin, Inc. Her clinical operations experience includes programs in women’s health, oncology, urology, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiac anesthesiology, allergy, immunology, neurosurgery and transplant surgery. Prior to focusing her career in clinical operations, Jodie worked in the Cell Transplantation Laboratory at Diacrin, Inc. Jodie received her B.A. in Neuroscience from Mount Holyoke College, her clinical research certification from Boston University School of Medicine and her business training through the Greater Boston Executive Program at MIT Sloan School of Management.
Jessica Fees, Director of Finance and Administration
Jessica has fourteen years of finance and accounting experience working with large manufacturing companies as well as a variety of high tech and service providers. Jessica began her career at Arthur Andersen LLP in the attest function servicing large publicly traded companies as well diversified middle market enterprises. Jessica joined WR Grace as a financial, planning, and analysis professional providing support for world-wide operations. Jessica advanced to the position of Controller with Babcock Power Inc.’s, a multi-national engineer and design conglomerate specializing in energy production and pollution control. She then graduated to Corporate Controller at Old Mother Hubbard, a manufacturer of premium brand dog and cat food marketed throughout the United States. Jessica is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, holding a B.S. in accounting and economics and she is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
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