CaPtivate Pharmaceuticals

Business Advisory Team

Stephen Simes, MBA
Chief Executive Officer, RestorGenex Corporation

Stephen Simes is the current CEO and Board of Director of RestoreGenex, a public specialty pharmaceutical company. Before joining RestoreGenex in 2014, Stephen Simes was the President and CEO of BioSante Pharmaceuticals (now ANI Pharmaceuticals) from 1998 to 2013, President and CEO of UniMed Pharmaceuticals (now AbbVie Inc.), Senior VP and Board Director at BioTechnology General (Now Savient), and President and CEO at Gynex (now Savient). He also held responsibility, leadership, and product development and sales positions in various companies between 1974 and 1989. Stephen has a proven track record of drug approvals, financings, and business development transactions. He has extensive experience in formulating and implementing corporate strategies, establishing growth metrics, driving performance, and meeting growth objectives through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions and partnerships.

Jeffrey W. Winkelman, Ph.D., J.D.
Intellectual Property & Contracts Specialist, Biotechnology

Dr. Winkelman was the Vice President, Oncology Programs at BioSante Pharmaceuticals (Now ANI Pharmaceuticals Inc.) from 2009 to 2012. Before joining BioSante, Dr. Winkelman was President, IP Solutions, an independent biotechnology consulting firm. From 2004 to 2008, Dr. Winkelman was the Vice President, Intellectual Property at Cell Genesys, Inc. From 1994 to 2004, Dr. Winkelman held a number of other similar positions with other biotechnology companies, including Sibia Neurosciences, Inc., Advanced Tissue Sciences, Inc. and Elitra Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Winkelman was also an associate at the IP law firm of Brown, Martin, Haller & McClain.

John C. Aybar, MBA
Founder & CEO, Zeomedix, Inc.

Dr. John Aybar is the founder and CEO of Zeomedix, a Pennsylvania start-up developing advanced wound healing products for chronic wounds (diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers) and acute wounds (blast wounds, burns). He has 30 years of combined experience in management, business development, finance and corporate growth management. He has held executive positions in international business development for two major corporations. He has consulted biotech companies, three medical schools in Philadelphia and worked with life science startups. He has started and directed the technology transfer office at Hahnemenn Medical School and Strategic Initiatives operations at Temple University. He has formed several faculty owned companies to bring their technologies from research labs to market. He holds a Masters degree in Economics and Finance.

Julian Cooper, PhD
COO, Biotherapeutics Inc, HemoCare LLC

Dr. Cooper is the COO of Biotherapeutics Inc. and HemoCare LLC. Dr Cooper attended the University of Bradford in England where he earned a BTech degree in Medical Sciences, and the University of Birmingham in England where he earned an MSc in Biotechnology and a PhD in Chemical Engineering. After a 3 year post-doctoral position at Reading University working on picorna virology, he joined PPL Therapeutics in 1989 and worked in many areas of animal transgenics before moving into project management and product development. In 1995 Dr Cooper moved over to the US to become the COO of PPL's US subsidiary. In 2000 Dr Cooper co-founded and served as the CEO at ProGenetics LLC until 2013, a company focused on developing blood proteins in the milk of transgenic pigs. He is also the Managing Member of HemoCare LLC and a co-founder of NanoLife Health Technologies Inc., which is concerned with developing a new type of flexible hemostatic bandage incorporating fibrinogen and other blood proteins.

Julian is an executive manager with significant start-up experience and a solid background in the growth and development of EU and US biotechnology companies. Skilled in strategic planning, start-up financing, IP management and generation, project management, licensing and building high performance technical and research teams. Results-oriented with strong leadership, administrative, budgeting, business development, and negotiation abilities. Skilled in the growth of Biotech companies as well as downsizing and restructuring scenarios.