Acuamark Diagnostics has an experienced multidisciplinary team, which includes, highly distinguished diagnostic assay developers and a world-renowned scientific team of inventors of detection assays, multiplexing and sequencing technology.
AcuamarkDx's team of scientific advisors has over 170 issued US patents combined, and has over 30 years experience in DNA mutation detection, DNA microarrays, DNA sequencing, and colorectal cancer (CRC) genomics. Previously, AcuamarkDx’s team members have invented foundational technologies such as qPCR, LDR, LCR, multiplexing (LDR-PCR, PCR-LDR, PCR-PCR), zip-coding and the universal array. These technologies have been widely adopted across the industry by companies such as Roche, Abbott Labs, ThermoFisher and Quest.
AcuamarkDx’s team has now designed novel first-in-kind multiplexed detection assays, specifically designed to address the challenges and vast unmet need of blood-based early-cancer detection. AcuamarkDx’s has an experienced board of directors and multidisciplinary advisory board which provides guidance and leadership to our team.
Acuamark Diagnostics is based in New York City, NY.
Dr. Bernard M. Peperstraete is CEO and co-founder of Acuamark Diagnostics, Inc. Bernard is a medical entrepreneur, and has been involved in operating in, founding and investing in life science businesses for over 20 years; Prior to Acuamark, Bernard ran ACT Biotech, a cancer pharmaceutical company (acquired by Eddingpharm). Earlier, Bernard was involved in healthcare venture capital for nearly a decade, most recently as a Partner at NGN Capital. Bernard served on the boards of Exosome Diagnostics (acquired by Bio-Techne), ACT Biotech and Potentia Pharma (aka APLS:NASDAQ), and was closely involved with a number of transactions, e.g. Santhera (SANN:SIX) and Artisan Pharma (acquired by AKP). Before completing his MBA at Harvard, Bernard worked on emerging market opportunities at Novartis in Basel, was a Deputy Director at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore (during the SARS crisis) and successfully co-founded and ran a contract research business, also in Singapore. In 1999, after serving as a physician, Dr. Peperstraete managed the HIV business unit at Bristol Myers & Squibb, Singapore. MD, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium; DTMIH, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium MBA, Harvard Business School.
Gene Godick is AcuamarkDx’s VP of Finance (consulting) and Treasurer. He has over 25 years of executive and financial experience, raising hundreds of millions of dollars in equity and debt financing, leading over fifty M&A transactions, and working with some of the top buy and sell side analysts on the “Street.” Today, he runs G-Squared Partners, providing outsourced CFO services and strategic financial, accounting, and operational expertise to CEOs, VC-backed start-ups and entrepreneurs. Gene started his career in Arthur Andersen’s Enterprise Group where he worked with emerging growth companies. While at Arthur Andersen, he was responsible for over 100 audits, 20 M&A transactions, and an initial public offering. Gene served as a senior manager at KPMG, during which he worked with clients including Safeguard Scientifics, Internet Capital Group, Primavera Software, US Interactive, Integrated Circuit Systems, Verticalnet, and Triton PCS. Gene was the EVP and CFO of Verticalnet and led its IPO in 1999, raising over $60-million, considered one of the most successful IPO’s of the internet era. During Gene’s tenure, the company raised well over $300-million and completed more than 25 acquisitions and divestitures.
Managing Member of PMSV Holdings, a biotech, ESG and real estate investment firm. Executive Chairman of Caelum Bio, a pharmaceutical company focused on AL Amyloidosis. Board Member of Manning and Napier Mutual Funds, Cerus Endovascular and Pure Earth. Previously: Board of WebMD, Incyte, Viropharma and other public and private companies. Co-Founder and Managing Partner of venBio, a life sciences investment firm. Partner at Morgan Stanley, where he was Global Head of Health Care Research and Strategy. Managing Director at Tiger Management where he was responsible for health care investing, and Venture Partner at MPM Capital, a healthcare VC investor. As Chairman and CEO of Ithaka Acquisition Corp in 2008, he structured purchase of Alsius Corp and successfully sold its assets to Zoll Medical.
Previously, Dr. Flom was EVP and Chief Regulatory Officer at Cepheid (acquired by Danaher NYSE:DHR) where he had worldwide responsibility for development, implementation and management of Cepheid’s clinical and regulatory programs. Earlier, he served as Sr. Director, Clinical Affairs and Regulatory Submissions at Abbott Molecular Diagnostics, at Baxter as Director of Clinical Affairs, at Oncor and at Boehringer Mannheim. Throughout his career, Dr. Flom has led for over 30 products through regulatory filings and registration in the US and numerous international product registrations.
Mr. Johnson is Chief Business Officer at Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:IOVA), an oncology company focused on developing innovative T cell therapies for solid tumors. Howard is a senior entrepreneurial executive with thirty-years of experience in operations, finance, business development, and investor relations at biotechnology companies. A founding investor and initial Board Member of Acorda Therapeutics.