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ABOUT

DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE CELLULAR THERAPIES FOR CNS DISEASE

Q Therapeutics is a privately-held U.S. biotechnology company founded on the ground-breaking work of Dr. Mahendra Rao during his tenure at the University of Utah and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Rao is recognized as one of the world’s top stem cell researchers, particularly in the area of neural stem cells and, until recently, served as the Director of the Intramural Center for Regenerative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

After a decade of research, development and validation, we are now leading a novel stem cell therapeutic approach to CNS disease through replacing myelin and restoring neuronal function with a human glial progenitor cell technology platform. 

Our therapeutic strategy is intended to restore the normal activity of neurons by providing the support functions present in healthy central nervous system tissue. Q-Cells® are adult progenitor cells, restricted in their ability to differentiate only into glia, the unsung heroes of the brain. While little was known about their function until recently, we now know that glial cells play an essential role in creating a healthy cellular environment for neurons and make up about 50% of the brain's mass. Our unique Q-Cells® approach is comprehensively protected by more than 20 issued patents with more pending.

 

Q-Cells do not differentiate into neurons, eliminating the risk of uncontrolled new neuron formation or aberrant neuronal connections that could lead to seizures or other nerve conduction problems. In addition, Q-Cells can be injected directly into the brain or spinal cord at the site of injury or disease, avoiding many of the off-target risks associated with oral medicines or medicines delivered through the bloodstream.

Following our initial trial in transverse myelitis and ALS, we are hopeful that the restorative mechanism of Q-Cells® will be applicable to a wide range of central nervous system diseases, including demyelinating conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and stroke; as well as other neurodegenerative diseases and injuries such as spinal cord injury, Huntington’s disease, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

LEADERSHIP

Leadership
SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM
Steven Borst
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors

Mr. Borst serves as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Q Therapeutics, Inc. He has led the financial and corporate development activities of the Company since its inception.

 

Mr. Borst has over 30 years of company formation and operating experience in the life sciences sector with a specific focus on biotechnology and medical devices since 2001. He has served in senior executive positions and business development roles including CEO of ACT/PC (NASDAQ:MCK), and VP Business Development of American WholeHealth (NASDAQ:HWAY).

 

Mr. Borst has worked as a venture capital investor, partnering in early-stage equity investments in Cytyc (NASDAQ:HOLX), Sunrise Senior Living (formerly Sunrise Assisted Living – SNRZ), and US Servis (NASDAQ:MCK).

 

He holds a Bachelor of Science (Industrial Engineering and Operations Research) from the University of Michigan and a Master of Management degree from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Mahendra Rao, MD, Ph.D.
Scientific Co-founder, Chief Strategy Officer, Director and Scientific Advisory Board Chairman 

Dr. Rao is the scientific founder of Q and world renowned for his work with neural stem cells. Most recently, he served as Director of the Intramural Center for Regenerative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

 

He also held joint research appointments at the at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) from 2011-March 2014.

 

Previously, Dr. Rao was Vice President of Stem Cell Research at Life Technologies, Inc. (now Thermo Fisher Scientific, NYSE: TMO) from 2006-2011; Stem Cell Section Chief at the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the NIH National Institute of Aging from 2001-2005; and at the University of Utah School of Medicine from 1994-2001, where he became Associate Professor with tenure in Neurobiology and Anatomy.

BOARD

Board of Directors
Steven Borst
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors

Mr. Borst serves as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Q Therapeutics, Inc. He has led the financial and corporate development activities of the Company since its inception.

 

Mr. Borst has over 30 years of company formation and operating experience in the life sciences sector with a specific focus on biotechnology and medical devices since 2001. He has served in senior executive positions and business development roles including CEO of ACT/PC (NASDAQ:MCK), and VP Business Development of American WholeHealth (NASDAQ:HWAY).

 

Mr. Borst has worked as a venture capital investor, partnering in early-stage equity investments in Cytyc (NASDAQ:HOLX), Sunrise Senior Living (formerly Sunrise Assisted Living – SNRZ), and US Servis (NASDAQ:MCK).

 

He holds a Bachelor of Science (Industrial Engineering and Operations Research) from the University of Michigan and a Master of Management degree from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Hunter Jackson, Ph.D.
Lead Independent Director

Dr. Jackson brings to Q Therapeutics more than 30 years' experience in the life science industry. He is Chairman and CEO of A6 Pharmaceuticals and serves as the Lead Independent Director for Q Therapeutics.  Since April 2014, he has served as Executive Chairman of Navigen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company he led as President and Chief Executive Officer from 2006 until his appointment as Executive Chairman. From 1986 through 2006, Dr. Jackson was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company he co-founded to pioneer and deliver therapies that transform the lives of patients with rare diseases.  In 2015, NPS was acquired by Shire Pharmaceuticals for $5.2 billion.

 

Dr. Jackson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Literature from the University of Illinois, a Ph.D. in Psychobiology from Yale University, and completed postdoctoral work in the Neurosurgery Department at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

Tom Parks, Ph.D.
Director

Dr. Parks brings to Q Therapeutics more than 30 years experience in life science research and its translation into therapeutic products. As a faculty member in the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy at the University of Utah School of Medicine from 1978, he conducted a long-term NIH-funded research program on development of the central auditory nervous system and served as chair of that department from 1992-2007. He was a co-founder of NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and served on its board from 1986-2006. From 2008-2016,

 

Dr. Parks was Vice President for Research and President of the Research Foundation for the University of Utah. He currently serves on the boards of Navigen Pharmaceuticals Inc., SentrX Animal Care Inc., and ConusRx Inc. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a recipient of the Utah Governor's Medal for Science and Technology.

 

Dr. Parks earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of California at Irvine, a Ph.D. in Psychobiology from Yale University, and completed postdoctoral work at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

Peter Grebow, Ph.D.
Director,  Compensation Committee Chair

Dr. Grebow has held senior management positions with Cephalon Inc. (now Teva), a biopharmaceutical company, which he joined in January 1991 and served in key positions that included Senior Vice President, Worldwide Business Development; Senior Vice President, Drug Development; Executive Vice President of Technical Operations, and Executive Vice President of Cephalon Ventures until 2011.

 

Prior to joining Cephalon, he served as the Vice President, Drug Development for Rorer Central Research, a division of Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals Inc., from 1986 to 1990. Dr. Grebow has also served as a Member of the Board of Directors of Optimer Pharmaceuticals , Inc. from 2009 until its acquisition by Cubist Pharmaceuticals in 2013 (now Merck), Gen Spera, Inc. from 2012 to 2018, and Complexa, Inc. from 2012 to 2017. He has also served as Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 2013 to 2017 and is a member of the Investment Advisory Board of the Harrington Discovery Institute since April, 2014.  Dr. Grebow currently serves on the Board of MAGiQ Therapeutics, a joint venture between Q Therapeutics and REPROCELL. 

 

Dr. Grebow received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, a Masters of Science in chemistry from Rutgers University, and a Ph.D. in physical biochemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Peter Barton Hutt
Director, Nominating and Governance Committee Chair

Peter has been a partner of Washington, D.C. based law firm, Covington & Burling, specializing in food and drug law, since 1968, except for the period from 1971 to 1975 when he served as Chief Counsel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

 

He has served on the boards of several publicly traded biotechnology companies and is a member of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences. Peter has received numerous honors, including being named by the National Law Journal as one of the 40 best healthcare attorneys in the United States.

Peter received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University; an L.L.B. from Harvard Law School; and an L.L.M. from New York University.

Deborah Eppstein, Ph.D.
Director

Dr. Eppstein has over 30 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including 20 years in entrepreneurial roles in biotechnology. She served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Q Therapeutics from 2006 until her retirement in 2015.

 

Dr. Eppstein served as Chief Executive Officer of Altea Therapeutics, Vice President of Corporate Development at TheraTech and Director of Corporate Development and Head of Biochemistry, Virology and Tumor Biology at Syntex (SWX:RO, Roche AG).

 

Dr. Eppstein received a B.A., magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College, a Ph.D. with honors in biochemistry from the University of Arkansas, and conducted research in virology and cell biology as an NIH postdoctoral fellow at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Mahendra Rao, MD, Ph.D.
Scientific Co-founder, Chief Strategy Officer, Director and Scientific Advisory Board Chairman 

Dr. Rao is the scientific founder of Q and world renowned for his work with neural stem cells. Most recently, he served as Director of the Intramural Center for Regenerative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

 

He also held joint research appointments at the at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) from 2011-March 2014.

 

Previously, Dr. Rao was Vice President of Stem Cell Research at Life Technologies, Inc. (now Thermo Fisher Scientific, NYSE: TMO) from 2006-2011; Stem Cell Section Chief at the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the NIH National Institute of Aging from 2001-2005; and at the University of Utah School of Medicine from 1994-2001, where he became Associate Professor with tenure in Neurobiology and Anatomy.

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