Executive Chairman & CEO

Peter Noymer, PhD

Peter brings to ForCast a depth of experience leading life science startups through the development and commercialization of innovative products.

His focus has been in areas of high unmet medical need across a variety of therapeutic areas, primarily where novel technologies can have a meaningful impact on patient care and outcomes. He holds MS and PhD degrees from MIT and a BS degree from Princeton University.

Co-Founder and CSO, BOD

Jared Foran, MD

Jared is a prominent orthopedic surgeon with over 19 years in practice specializing in total hip and knee replacement. He is a thought leader in the orthopedic community and the inventor or co-inventor of ForCast’s novel delivery technologies. He is Director of Total Joint Replacement at St Anthony Hospital, OrthoColorado Hospital and a Partner at Panorama Orthopedics.

Dr. Foran earned his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed a six-year residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of California San Diego. Following residency, he completed a one year fellowship in total joint arthroplasty at Rush University in Chicago where he trained with world-renowned experts in minimally invasive surgical techniques. complex reconstructions, and treatment of periprosthetic infections.

CFO

Nick Jozwiak, CFA

Nick is a highly regarded financial executive with extensive experience consulting and managing investment deals in startup companies from both sides of the table.  His expertise and rapport with investors have resulted in him serving in a variety of Board of Director positions and formally joining several start-ups in an executive capacity to head finance operations and oversee investor communications, fundraising, and overall strategic direction.  He has raised over $100M in equity and debt financing from a broad array of investors.

He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2014, and holds a BS degree in Finance, Economics, International Business, and Risk Management & Insurance from The Ohio State University.

BOD

Terry Opgenorth, PhD

Terry has more than 30 years of experience in biopharma; 20 with Abbott’s Pharmaceutical division (now AbbVie) as a bench scientist and executive creating and leading drug discovery teams that advanced 12 drugs into clinical development, including ViekiraPak and Mavyret. He was the internal champion for Abbott-biotech partnerships – Metabolex, Millennium, KaroBio and Enanta.

Since Abbott, Terry has served as the CEO of Vidasym, completing a human proof of concept study of VS-505 in Australia and a successful IND filing in the U.S. for VS-105. He was also co-founder/CSO of VetDC, which developed and launched the first FDA-CVM approved drug for treatment of canine lymphoma (Tanovea) and VP/Exec Director for CSU Ventures’ LAUNCHPAD. Terry is CEO at PhotonPharma and an independent director for UNeMed and KromaTiD. He holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts (biology) from Calvin University, and M.S. and Ph.D degrees in Physiology from University of Illinois-Urbana.

Clinical Affairs

Daniel Canafax, PharmD

Dan has a depth of experience in research and clinical development in the anti-infectives space, including with XW Pharma, Omeros, Theravance/Theravance Biopharma, ARYx Therapeutics, among others. Before joining the pharmaceutical industry Dr. Canafax was a professor in the departments of pharmacy practice, surgery and otolaryngology at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Canafax was elected a fellow in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy in 1989 and has a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Washington State University, a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky and completed a clinical residency at the Albert Chandler Medical Center, University of Kentucky.

Pharmaceutical Development

Miguel Guzman, PhD

Miguel has 30 years of experience in pharmaceutical, and biotech development, with expertise in CMC, combination product development, nonclinical development, and regulatory filings. Dr. Guzman was a co-founder of Xoc Pharmaceuticals, where he served as Vice President of Product Development and Technical Operations, responsible for the discovery of NCEs, synthesis and formulation development, nonclinical program, regulatory filings and vendor management.

Prior to Xoc, he served as Director of Technical Operations at MAP Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for overseeing and managing CMC activities for the company’s lead product for treatment of migraine. The company was acquired by Allergan in 2013. Prior to MAP, he held multiple technical leadership roles, with increasing levels of responsibility, at 3M Pharmaceuticals and 3M Drug Delivery Systems in product development and marketed product support. Dr. Guzman earned his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from University of Washington and received his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Kentucky Wesleyan College.

Regulatory Affairs

Michele DeVries

Michele entered the bio-pharmaceutical industry after graduating from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. Over the course of her career, she has focused mainly on early-stage drug development, guiding the industry in a broad range of therapeutic areas including oncology, infectious disease, vaccines, endocrinology, dermatology, psychiatry, neurology, and renal disease.

Her first job was at Tularik (now Amgen) and she held roles of increasing responsibility for companies such as InterMune, VaxGen, Intarcia Therapeutics, VaxGen and finally at Aduro Biotech, culminating as the head of Regulatory, Quality, and Medical Writing. While there she led the company to a Breakthrough Therapy status, obtained Orphan Drug Designation in the US and EU, and oversaw later-stage meetings with various Regulatory Agency bodies, including the Paul Ehrlich Institute, European Medicines Agency, and the US Food and Drug Administration.

In her current consulting capacity, she works with early-phase, small biopharma companies to bring their first-in-human therapies successfully to IND and the clinic. She has obtained Fast Track designation for a WHO Blueprint priority disease, been instrumental in the successful application for Orphan Designation and Qualified Infectious Disease Product, conducted INTERACT, pre-IND, and end-of-Phase 1 meetings with US FDA, and provides guidance on development strategies.

Product Development

Reynaldo Quintana

Reynaldo has over 25 years of product development experience with medical devices and consumer products. Most recently Reynaldo led the full device development of the AcuStream platform at Kedalion Therapeutics which was acquired by Novartis in June of 2022. While at Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Reynaldo led the mechanical design of Alexza’s flagship platform, the STACCATO device, which was approved by the FDA for inhaled systemic drug delivery in 2012. His product development experience in the medical space includes catheters, dental and resuscitation equipment, and inhalation devices. With extensive expertise are system architecture and mechanical design, he brings a focused, lean product development methodology to the team. He earned a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland and an MS in Biomedical Engineering from the Catholic University of America.

Device Development

John Kubel

John Kubel is an electronics engineering professional with over 25 years experience bringing drug delivery, medical diagnostic imaging, and neuromuscular stimulation products from concept to realization. He has held senior engineering and management roles at leading companies including Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Neux Technologies, Alexza Pharmaceuticals, and Siemens Medical Ultrasound and has served as a product design and development consultant to Roche-Genentech, Astra-Zeneca, Kedalion Therapeutics, and others.

He is accustomed to fulfilling a wide range of organizational needs and particularly enjoys utilizing both his detailed-level design expertise and small business experience to help startup companies minimize risk in getting their products to market. John holds an M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from San Diego State University.

Advisor, SAB

Richard Berger, MD

Richard Berger, MD is an industry leader and orthopedic surgeon. He is assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center.

Advisor, SAB

Carl Deirmengian, MD

Carl Deirmengian, MD is an industry leader and orthopedic surgeon at Rothman Orthopedic Institution. CD Diagnostics (Acq: Zimmer).

Advisor, SAB

Angela Hewlett MD, MS

Angela Hewlett MD, MS, is Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Dr Hewlett serves as Director of the Orthopedic Infectious Diseases team at UNMC, where she actively collaborates with colleagues in Orthopedic Surgery, ID pharmacy, and others to provide the highest standard of inpatient and outpatient care for patients with complicated bone and joint infections, utilizing an integrated multidisciplinary approach. She has authored over 100 publications and book chapters. She is a past-President of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS), was an invited delegate at the International Consensus Meeting on Periprosthetic Joint Infection in 2018, served as a member of working groups and participated in guideline writing for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), and has provided subject matter expertise at a variety of national meetings and venues.

Dr. Hewlett earned a BA in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MD from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas, where she also completed a residency in Internal Medicine. She served as Chief Resident, then completed a 2 year fellowship in Infectious Diseases followed by a 1 year NIH-funded research fellowship with a focus in Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control. She also holds a Masters degree in Clinical Sciences-Clinical Investigation from the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Advisor, SAB

Jeff DesJardin, MD

Jeff DesJardin, MD is an infectious disease specialist and affiliated with Western Infectious Disease.

Advisor, SAB

Alex McLaren, MD

Alex McLaren, MD has over 30 years of clinical experience focused on orthopedic infections and research related to antibiotic delivery. He is the former President of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS).

Advisor, SAB

Leo Whiteside, MD

Leo Whiteside, MD is a key industry leader and orthopedic surgeon at Missouri Bone & Joint Institute. He pioneered and is the world’s leading researcher of Intraarticular Antibiotic Injection (IAI) for PJI treatment.