About AltrixBio
We’re Building the Future of Metabolic Therapeutics
Inspired by the dramatic metabolic improvements with bariatric surgery, we’re a team of scientists, clinicians, and business leaders with the passion, technical vision, and therapeutic expertise to deliver these metabolic benefits in an oral therapy.
Our Mission
To transform the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity with a non-systemic, well-tolerated oral therapy that shifts nutrient sensing from the upper to the lower GI tract — delivering improved glycemic control and weight loss without surgery or injections.
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.⁴
- Discontinuation rates remain high
- 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: AJN003, a once-daily, non-systemic oral therapy that shifts nutrient sensing from the upper GI tract triggering comprehensive metabolic changes. AJN003 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 AJN003.
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 AJN003 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 AJN003 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 led the Diabetes Franchise Alliance 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. 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.
Ella Kirby
SVP, Clinical Operations
Ella has over 20 years of experience 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 AJN003. Dylan is also responsible for adapting the AJN003 manufacturing process, enabling it to be scaled up from laboratory to clinical and commercial levels.
Our leadership team combines deep scientific, clinical, and commercial expertise in launching first-in-class diabetes and metabolic treatments.
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