About AltrixBio
We're building the future of metabolic therapeutics
Compelled by the metabolic reset that occurs with bariatric surgery, we're a team of scientists, clinicians, and business leaders with the passion, technical vision, therapeutic expertise to bring these metabolic benefits in an therapy.
Our Mission
To transform the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity with a non-systemic, well-tolerated oral therapy that replicates the metabolic benefits of bariatric surgery without the burden of an invasive operation.
Why We Exist
The world is in the middle of a diabetes and obesity crisis.
Incretins (GLP-1s and GIPs) have improved upon previous standard-of care, but they haven't solved the problem.
- Discontinuation rates remain high⁴
- Many patients can't tolerate injectable medications
- Side effects such as nausea and vomiting
- A lack of glycemic control, and/or
- Access challenges to therapy.
At AltrixBio, we're committed to providing better therapeutic solutions for people with diabetes and obesity, and we’ve taken a fundamentally different approach to doing it: LuCI™, a once-daily, non-systemic oral that reproduces the metabolic benefits of bariatric surgery without altering anatomy.
LuCI represents a potential new category of treatment for type 2 diabetes and obesity.
A Founding Team With a Personal Stake
Our science is personal. Our motivation is urgent.
The story of AltrixBio begins with three founders who didn't set out to build a company.
They set out to solve a problem they couldn't ignore.
Ali Tavakkoli, MD
Co-Founder & Chief Clinical Advisor
- Chief, Division of Advanced GI and General Surgery, Mass General Brigham
- Co-Director, Center for Weight Management and Wellness, Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Francis D Moore Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Tavakkoli is a minimally invasive and bariatric surgeon who was fascinated by the observation that many patients with diabetes undergoing weight loss surgery discontinued diabetes treatment immediately after surgery, and before losing any significant weight. Having witnessed the devastating impact of diabetes firsthand - including within his own family, he was compelled to investigate the underlying mechanisms driving this rapid improvement. As an NIH-funded investigator, his research laid the scientific foundation for LuCI.
Jeff Karp, PhD
Co-Founder & Chief Science Advisor
- Professor of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Principal Faculty Member at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute,
- Faculty member at the Broad Institute and at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology
- Prolific inventor with over 100 insured or pending patents and seven companies founded, $400M+ raised
Dr. Karp solved a technical problem of how to create a non-binding, transient coating that adheres safely to healthy tissue of the stomach and proximal bowel. His materials science innovation made the LuCI™ platform feasible.
Nancy Briefs, MBA
Co-Founder & Executive Chair of the Board
- Six venture-backed companies launched, including one IPO
- Deep experience in fundraising, product development, regulatory, and commercialization.
- Board member for several companies
- Serial entrepreneur who led seven companies with over $500M raised
Nancy lost both her parents to type 2 diabetes. She built AltrixBio to bring LuCI™ to market, but also to build the structure, team, and strategy required to scale a platform company in one of the world's most important therapeutic spaces.
Our Leadership
The AltrixBio team combines deep scientific, operational, and commercial development expertise.
David Pass, Pharm.D.
CEO and President
Dr. David Pass brings over 25 years of extensive commercial success and deep clinical expertise across the therapeutic areas of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. He previously lead the the Diabetes Franchise with the Alliances between Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim where he was instrumental in establishing and scaling a multi-billion-dollar franchise, He served as the COO and CCO at Gelesis and just prior to joining AltrixBio he was president of Glooko’s Life Science business, a..His broad experience spans, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and innovative healthcare technology solutions. He has established a strong track record of driving commercial success and advancing patient care through a blend of scientific understanding, market acumen, and strategic partnerships.
David Maggs, MD
Chief Medical Officer
With over three decades at the intersection of endocrinology and pharmaceutical innovation, David brings unparalleled expertise in developing breakthrough diabetes and obesity treatments. His leadership roles at Warner Lambert, Pfizer, and Amylin Pharmaceuticals have shaped revolutionary therapies including GLP-1, In addition he has metabolic and gut experience as chief medical officer at two companies with duodenal exclusion technologies. David holds an MBBS from the University of London and has been a practicing endocrinologist for decades.
Jay Warner, MBA
SVP, Strategy & Business Development
Jay has more than 25 years of experience in product development, marketing and sales results in pharma and med tech. This includes leading teams in successful product, clinical and brand development, business development, reimbursement and product sales. During this time, he created and executed commercial plans for products in all stages of development, launching a total of eight pharmaceutical brands and seven delivery devices. While at Lilly (17 years) and CeQur (10 years) Jay focused primarily on the development of diabetes and obesity drugs and devices.
Ella Kirby
SVP, Clinical Operations
Ella has over 20 years leading global cross-functional teams in the clinical development of new drugs and devices. She has led the clinical operations for numerous companies from big pharma to medtech startups including Takeda, Lilly, Kadmon (acquired by Sanofi) and Fractyl. Skilled at implementing complex operational plans, running high quality studies and leading successful regulatory filings in several therapeutic areas, including metabolic diseases.
Dylan Benningfield
MA -Senior Scientist
Dylan is an analytical chemist and expert in Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls(CMC), drug formulation, and scale-up, with more than a decade of experience working with polymers and diabetes oral-dose pharmaceuticals. He has applied his extensive knowledge and scientific approach at AltrixBio to define the formulation process and reaction variables that affect LuCI,. Dylan is also responsible for adapting the LuCI manufacturing process, enabling it to be scaled up from laboratory to clinical and commercial levels.
Together, our top-tier leadership team brings a combined expertise in developing and launching first-in-class therapies and devices in diabetes and metabolic disorders.
Connect With Us
By using this site, you acknowledge that all intellectual property rights in the website content, including but not limited to patents and trademarks, belong to AltrixBio. You agree not to use, reproduce, or distribute any material from this site without express authorization. AltrixBio will actively enforce its intellectual property rights to the fullest extent of the law.