Ark Animal Health

Ark Animal Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sorrento. Ark was formed in 2014 to bring to the companion animal market innovative solutions issued from Sorrento’s human research and development activities. It is being organized to become a fully independent and self-sufficient organization once it reaches commercial stage (products ready to receive FDA approval).

Ark’s lead development program (ARK-001) is a single dose resiniferatoxin (RTX) sterile injectable solution. ARK-001 has received FDA CVM (Center for Veterinary Medicine) MUMS (minor use/minor species) designation for the control of bone cancer pain in dogs. Other projects include additional indications for RTX in areas such as chronic articular pain in companion animals, neuropathic pain in horses, and idiopathic cystitis in cats, as well as exploring development opportunities in the area of infectious diseases or cancer treatment.

Concortis-Levena

In 2008, Concortis Biosystems was established with the goal to better serve the scientific and pharmaceutical community with high quality antibody drug conjugate (ADC) reagents and services. In 2013, Sorrento acquired Concortis, creating a top tier ADC company. The combination of G-MAB™ (fully human antibody library) with Concortis proprietary toxins, linkers, and conjugation methods has the potential to generate industry-leading, 3rd generation ADCs.

Concortis is currently exploring over 20 different ADC options (pre-clinical) with applications in oncology and beyond. On October 19, 2015, Sorrento announced the creation of Levena Biopharma as an independent entity to offer the market a broad range of ADC services from the initiation of an ADC project through cGMP manufacturing of ADCs to phase I/II clinical studies. For detailed information, please visit www.levenabiopharma.com

Bioserv

Bioserv, located in San Diego, California is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sorrento. Founded in 1988, the organization is a leading cGMP contract manufacturing service provider with over 35,000 square feet of facilities whose core competencies are centered in aseptic and non-aseptic bulk formulation; filtration; filling; stoppering; lyophilization services; labeling; finished goods assembly; kitting and packaging; as well as controlled temperature storage and distribution services to support Pre-Clinical, Phase I and II Clinical Trial drug products, medical device reagents, medical diagnostic reagents and kits, and life science reagents.

SCILEX

SCILEX HOLDING COMPANY (“Scilex”) , a majority-owned subsidiary of Sorrento, is dedicated to the development and commercialization of pain management products. The company’s lead product ZTlido® (lidocaine topical system 1.8%), is a branded prescription lidocaine topical product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the relief of pain associated with Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN), which is a form of post-shingles nerve pain.

Scilex’s SP-102 (10 mg dexamethasone sodium phosphate gel), or SEMDEXA™, for the treatment of Lumbar Radicular Pain is in the process of completing a Phase III clinical trial. The company expects SP-102 to be the first FDA approved non-opioid epidural injection to treat lumbosacral radicular pain, or sciatica, with the potential to replace 10 to 11 million off-label epidural steroid injections administered each year in the US.

Yue Alexander Wu

  • Dr. Wu has served as a director since August 2016
  • He currently also serves on the BOD of Scilex Pharmaceutical since 2019
  • Dr. Wu is co-founder, CEO, President, and Chief Scientific Officer of Crown Bioscience International, a leading global drug discovery and development solutions company, which he co-founded in 2006
  • From 2004 to 2006, he was Chief Business Officer of Starvax International Inc. in Beijing, China, a biotechnology company focusing on oncology and infectious diseases
  • From 2001 to 2004, he was a banker with Burrill & Company where he was head of Asian Activities
  • B.S., M.S., M.B.A., and Ph.D.

Robin Smith

  • Dr. Smith has served since December 2019
  • She is a business leader, entrepreneur, medical doctor, author and philanthropist who has held various C-Suite and board positions in the biopharmaceutical industry
  • Her experience includes significant contributions on numerous board committees for public medical, digital and health care entities. She currently serves on the boards of directors of Celularity, Inc., a pioneer company focused on cancer and regenerative medicine, Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEEL), Spiritus Therapeutics, which she co-founded, the International Board of Sanford Health, and is the Chairman, President and founder of the Cura Foundation
  • B.A. M.B.A., and M.D. and Honorary Doctor of Science degree

Jaisim Shah

  • Mr. Shah has served as a director since 2013
  • 25+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry
  • Mr. Shah currently serves as the CEO and President of Scilex Holding and Scilex Pharmaceutical
  • Prior to Scilex, he served as CEO and President of Semnur Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Scilex Pharmaceuticals) since its inception in 2013
  • From 2011 to 2012, he served as Chief Business Officer of Elevation Pharmaceuticals where he focused on financing, mergers and acquisitions, and business development
  • From 2011 to 2012, Mr. Shah was the Chief Business Officer of Elevation Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Elevation, Mr. Shah was President of Zelos Therapeutics, where he focused on financing and business development
  • Prior to Zelos, Mr. Shah was the Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer at CytRx.  Previously, Mr. Shah was Chief Business Officer at Facet Biotech and PDL BioPharma where he completed numerous licensing/ partnering and strategic transactions
  • Prior to PDL, Mr. Shah was VP of Global Marketing at BMS where he received the “Presidents Award” for completing one of the most significant collaborations in the company’s history  
  • M.A. and M.B.A.

David Lemus

  • Mr. Lemus has served as director since September 2017
  • He currently serves as a non-executive board member of BioHealth Innovation, Inc., The MIT Club of Washington DC and Proteros BioScience GmbH September 2017
  • From January 2016 to May 2017, he served as Interim CFO and COO of Medigene AG, a publicly-listed German biotechnology company focused on the research and development of T-Cell-Receptor based immunotherapies
  • Prior to that time, at Sigma Tau Pharmaceuticals, Inc., he served as Chief Executive Officer from January 2013 to July 2015, as COO from March 2012 to December 2012, and as V.P. of Finance from July 2011 to February 2012
  • Previous to this, Mr. Lemus served as CFO and Executive V.P. of MorphoSys AG from January 1998 to May 2011
  • Prior to his role at MorphoSys AG, he held various positions, including Operations Manager and Controller (Pharma International Division) and Global IT Project Manager (Pharma Division) at Hoffman La Roche, Group Treasurer of Lindt & Spruengli AG and Treasury Consultant for Electrolux AB Mr
  • B.S., M.S., M.B.A., CPA

Edgar Lee

  • Mr. Lee has served since December 2019
  • Mr. Lee founded and was the portfolio manager of Oaktree Capital Management’s $5.5bn Strategic Credit strategy. He was also the CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Oaktree’s three business development companies (BDCs) including Oaktree Specialty Lending and Oaktree Strategic Income Corporations
  • Prior to joining Oaktree in 2007, Mr. Lee worked within the Investment Banking division at UBS Investment Bank in Los Angeles, where he was responsible for advising clients on a number of equity and debt financings, buy-side and sell-side M&A, and recapitalizations.
  • Before that, Mr. Lee was employed within the Fixed Income division at Lehman Brothers Inc. Prior experience includes work at Katzenbach Partners LLP and the Urban Institute
  • Mr. Lee serves as a director of Neo Performance Materials and previously served on the boards of Nine Entertainment and Charter Communications
  • B.A. and M.A.

Kim D. Janda

  • Dr. Janda has served as a director since April 2012
  • Dr. Janda has been the Ely R. Callaway, Jr. Chaired Professor in the Departments of Chemistry, Immunology and Microbial Science at The Scripps Research Institute (“TSRI”) since 1996 and as the Director of the Worm Institute of Research and Medicine (“WIRM”) at TSRI since 2005. Furthermore, Dr. Janda has served as a Skaggs Scholar within the Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, also at TSRI, since 1996
  • He has published more than 425 original publications in peer-reviewed journals and founded the biotechnological companies CombiChem, Drug Abuse Sciences and AIPartia Dr. Janda is an associate editor of “Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry”, “PLoS ONE” and serves, or has served, on editorial boards of numerous journals including J. Comb. Chem., Chem. Reviews, J. Med. Chem., The Botulinum Journal, Bioorg. & Med. Chem. Lett., and Bioorg. & Med. Chem
  • Over a career of more than 25 years, Dr. Janda has provided numerous seminal contributions and is considered one of the first scientists to merge chemical and biological approaches into a cohesive research program
  • Dr. Janda has served on the Scientific Advisory Boards of Materia and Singapore Ministry of Education
  • B.S. and Ph.D.