Michael Demurjian serves as our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to co-founding Aspargo Labs in 2019, Michael served as COO, CFO and member of the Board of Directors of Tyme Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: TYME), an emerging biotechnology company developing cancer therapeutics that are intended to be broadly effective across tumor types and have tolerable toxicity profiles. At Tyme, Michael was instrumental in raising over 50 million dollars and obtaining a public listing on NASDAQ. During his career, Michael has held positions in finance, manufacturing, sales & marketing, logistics and general management. He has experience in taking companies public, raising funds in public and private markets with both retail and institutional investors. Mr. Demurjian served as CEO of Luminant Biosciences, an oncology research company studying metabolic pathways to destroying cancer cells. Mr. Demurjian has successfully completed strategic transactions with G.E., Stryker, Black & Decker Corp. and Crane Cams. Mr. Demurjian currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, NYU and has served in the past on the Board of Directors of Luminant Bio., Mikronite Tech & KCC.
Robert Niecestro, PhD is an experienced professional in the pharmaceutical industry with approximately 26 years of experience in regulatory affairs, and project management. Dr. Niecestro was the Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs for Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., where among other things he successfully negotiated six SPA agreements with the FDA. He has previously held numerous senior management positions including serving as Vice President of Clinical Development for Andrx Laboratories, Senior Director, Clinical Development and Therapeutic Head for Gastrointestinal, Oncology and Stroke at Eisai Inc. and as Director, Clinical Operations and NDA Planning for Organon Inc. While at Andrx, Dr. Niecestro was part of the team that developed the following approved drugs: extended-release metformin, extended-release lovastatin and valproic acid. At Eisai, Dr. Niecestro played a pivotal role in the development and commercialization of Aciphex™ (rabeprazole sodium), the post-NDA program for Aricept™ (donepezil sodium), and started both the oncology and neurology franchises in the United States; and while at Organon was part of the team that developed and commercialized the following drugs: Zemuron™ (rocuronium bromide), Orgaran™ (danaparoid sodium), Humegon™ (FSH/LH), Follistim™ (recombinant FSH beta), and one birth control pill (Mircette™). Dr. Niecestro has been involved in the filing of over 45 Investigational New Drug (IND) applications, has over 60 peer-reviewed publications and holds three patents. Dr. Niecestro completed his graduate and post-graduate work at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Michael Rice is the founding partner of LifeSci Advisors, a consulting firm providing companies in the life sciences industry with comprehensive solutions to communications and investor outreach. Mr. Rice has experience in portfolio management, corporate management, investment banking and capital markets. Prior to co-founding LifeSci Advisors and LifeSci Capital, Michael was the co-head of health care investment banking at Canaccord Adams, where he was involved in debt and equity financing. Michael was also was a Managing Director at Think Equity Partners where he was responsible for managing Healthcare Capital Markets, which included structuring and executing numerous transactions, many of which were firsts at ThinkEquity. Prior to that, Michael served as a Managing Director at Bank of America serving large hedge funds and private equity healthcare funds. Previously, he was a Managing Director at JPMorgan/Hambrecht & Quist.
Frederick Biehl has been a senior partner at the offices of Soriano, Henkel, Biehl & Matthews, P.C. for more than 30 years, where he handles cases in commercial transactions, real estate construction & development and intellectual property. His area of expertise includes complex commercial and construction litigation.
Peter Michael Najarian is an options trader, television personality, market analyst, and co-founder of optionMONSTER, a provider of market intelligence, commentary, and trading strategies. Along with his brother, Jon Najarian, Peter founded an online brokerage called tradeMONSTER in October 2008, during the worst financial turmoil in three-quarters of a century. tradeMONSTER sends trading information through the Web without requiring clients to download trading software. It is in direct competition with brokerage firms. He is a contributor on CNBC’s show Fast Money alongside Guy Adami, Steve Grasso, Karen Finerman, and Tim Seymour.
Medical Advisory Board
Dr. Irwin Goldstein is the director of San Diego Sexual Medicine, where he maintains his clinical practice, Director of Sexual Medicine at Alvarado Hospital and Clinical Professor of Surgery at University of California at San Diego. Dr. Goldstein has had a long career providing medical help to those with sexual problems, having been involved with sexual dysfunction research since the late 1970′s. He was on the faculty of Boston University School of Medicine for 25 years where he was Professor of Urology and Gynecology and founding Director of the former Institute for Sexual Medicine at BUSM. Dr. Goldstein is Editor-in-Chief, Sexual Medicine Reviews, Past President, International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health, Past President, Sexual Medicine Society of North America, Editor Emeritus, The Journal of Sexual Medicine and Editor Emeritus, International Journal of Impotence Research.
Dr. Steven Kaplan is Director of the Men’s Wellness Program, Mount Sinai Health System and Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Dr. Kaplan is a Diplomat of the American Board of Urology and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is an internationally recognized authority and one of the primary thought leaders in the study of benign diseases of the prostate, the association of metabolic factors and voiding dysfunction and female urology. He has over 1000 publications including 600 peer-reviewed articles and 90 book chapters. His landmark study, published in JAMA in 2006, changed the way medications are used in the treatment of men with symptoms related to both benign prostate enlargement and bladder dysfunction. He has made over 340 presentations in more than 35 countries. He is the co-author of five books and is on the Editorial Board of numerous journals including Urology, Journal of Urology, and Urology Times.
Dr. Kaplan is a member of more than 30 professional organizations, been awarded 5 NIH grants and has received over 13 million dollars in research funding. He serves as both member and/or Chair of numerous study sections for the NIH and more recently, he chaired the NIDDK Prostate Strategic Planning Committee and currently Chairs the AUA Research Committee on Advocacy. He also has served on the American Urologic Association Guidelines Panel for BPH. He was awarded the John K. Lattimer Award for Lifetime Achievement in Urology by the National Kidney Foundation.