WE ARE
FIRSTWAVE

Gary D. Glick has over 25 years of experience in leading the discovery and development of therapies in biopharmaceutical companies and academic institutions. Gary started his career as a faculty member at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he is currently the Werner E. Bachmann emeritus professor of chemistry. While at Michigan, Gary founded Lycera Corp. to develop new therapies for inflammation and cancer based on small molecules that modulate cellular metabolism. Under his direction, Lycera initiated six discovery programs, partnered three of these programs with Merck & Co. in deals collectively valued at over $600 million and advanced two programs into clinical testing.

In 2015, he founded FirstWave Bio to develop new cost-effective treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, and IFM Therapeutics, Inc., to develop first-in-class modulators of the innate immune system as treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases. Under his leadership as CEO, IFM progressed three programs from ideation to clinical development and executed three major transactions: In 2017, the company sold two cancer assets to Bristol-Myers Squibb in a deal valued over $2.3 billion and in 2019, he directed the sale of IFM’s NLRP3 inhibitor program to Novartis for $1.6 billion and led the structuring and negotiation of a collaboration and option agreement with Novartis valued at over $840 million to develop inhibitors of the cGAS/STING pathway to treat serious inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Gary obtained a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Columbia University and was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. He is the author of over 100 papers and the inventor on 33 issued U.S. patents and is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing his scientific contributions and accomplishments as a life science executive.

Anthony W. Opipari, Jr., is a physician scientist working at the interface between clinical medicine, basic research and drug development. In addition to serving as chief medical officer of FirstWave, Anthony continues to work part-time as a physician in the Division of Gynecological Oncology and an associate professor in the University of Michigan Medical School. Prior to FirstWave, Anthony co-founded IFM, where he was director of translational research. Anthony’s NIH-funded research program at the University of Michigan led to the discovery of novel drug targets and associated novel therapeutic mechanisms of action that led to an experimental drug currently in Phase 2 testing. The technology that Anthony developed with Gary Glick at Michigan has formed the basis for multiple biotechnology spinouts.

Anthony completed graduate and medical degrees, as well as specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology, at the University of Michigan, and he subsequently joined the faculty at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Luigi Franchi is an assistant professor of pediatric hematology/oncology at the University of Michigan and director of the immunology oncology program. Prior to this, he worked at Lycera, where he led target discovery, target validation, screening platforms development, preclinical drug discovery, biomarker discovery and translational medicine. Luigi’s work for the last 20 years has focused on the innate immune system. Based on his collection of highly cited papers, in 2015 Thompson Reuters selected him as one of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds in the field of Immunology and one of the top 100 scientists worldwide.

Luigi earned an M.D. in medicine and surgery with honors from University of Rome La Sapienza and a Ph.D. in immunology from University of Rome Tor Vergata and was a research fellow and research investigator at the University of Michigan.

Gary D. Glick has over 25 years of experience in leading the discovery and development of therapies in biopharmaceutical companies and academic institutions. Gary started his career as a faculty member at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he is currently the Werner E. Bachmann emeritus professor of chemistry. While at Michigan, Gary founded Lycera Corp. to develop new therapies for inflammation and cancer based on small molecules that modulate cellular metabolism. Under his direction, Lycera initiated six discovery programs, partnered three of these programs with Merck & Co. in deals collectively valued at over $600 million and advanced two programs into clinical testing. 

In 2015, he founded FirstWave Bio to develop new cost-effective treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, and IFM Therapeutics, Inc., to develop first-in-class modulators of the innate immune system as treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases. Under his leadership as CEO, IFM progressed three programs from ideation to clinical development and executed three major transactions: In 2017, the company sold two cancer assets to Bristol-Myers Squibb in a deal valued over $2.3 billion and in 2019, he directed the sale of IFM’s NLRP3 inhibitor program to Novartis for $1.6 billion and led the structuring and negotiation of a collaboration and option agreement with Novartis valued at over $840 million to develop inhibitors of the cGAS/STING pathway to treat serious inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. 

Gary obtained a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Columbia University and was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. He is the author of over 100 papers and the inventor on 33 issued U.S. patents and is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing his scientific contributions and accomplishments as a life science executive.

Michael Hill has over 15 years of technology and healthcare investment experience. Michael is the founder and chairman of Rackets Cubed, an integrated squash, tennis, education and nutrition program for disadvantaged school children in London and Yorkshire. Prior to founding Rackets Cubed, Michael was vice chairman and co-head of healthcare investment banking at Barclays. Previously, Michael was managing director at Citigroup, and before that, at Goldman Sachs. 

Michael holds a degree in engineering science from Oxford University and earned his MBA from INSEAD, France.

Douglas Martin, M.D., is a partner and member of the life sciences executive leadership team at Guidehouse, a management consulting firm with over 50 offices across four continents that formed from the combination of PWC’s public sector and Navigant’s private sector consulting businesses. Doug has been a consultant to biopharmaceutical and medical technology firms and their investors for over 20 years. His primary areas of focus include corporate, pipeline marketing & therapeutic area strategy, market development and launch preparedness services and business and corporate development diligence and integration.  

Doug began his consulting career at McKinsey & Company, then founded and led the consulting practice at Leerink Partners, a healthcare investment bank. Leerink’s consulting practice was acquired by Navigant in 2014. Prior to his consulting career, Doug completed his residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and was named chief resident at the West Roxbury VA Hospital.

Doug holds a B.Sc. in psychology from McGill University and an M.D. from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.