Our Team

Dan is a serial entrepreneur who founded and led multiple companies in the healthcare technology space. His start-up Recombinant Data Corp. ["RDC"] focused on analytics on genomics and patient data to support translational research. Following the acquisition of RDC by Deloitte he remained at the company as a Managing Director of the Healthcare and Life Sciences practice leading initiatives around life sciences uses of analytics and AI for drug discovery and development. He holds a BS in Chemistry and Biology from MIT and continues to mentor entrepreneurs through the MIT VMS entrepreneurship service. He is a parent of daughter with Anorexia Nervosa and son with ARFID.

Fred is an experienced bio-tech entrepreneur and investor involved in the development of multiple products from the lab bench through FDA approval. He is co- Founder and chairman of the Board of SanaRx Biotherapeutics. He was co-founder & Chairman of the Board Pear Tree Pharmaceuticals, Inc. which Merged with Dare Biosciences (Nasdaq: DARE), founder of Javelin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: JAV; Merged with Hospira/Pfizer), founder & CSO of PolaRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., Merged with (NYSE: Teva), NXPG Development Corp acquired by SBI Pharma and former director of Cardiome Pharma (Nasdaq: CRME). Fred brings experience in biotech investment working in venture capital as a director at Paramount Biocapital, Inc.

Dr. Cone, Director of the Life Sciences Institute at the University of Michigan, is the founding scientist of Courage. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences with a deep focus in the biology of the melanocortin system and the molecular basis of feeding behaviors. Throughout his career his lab established the key intellectual property for novel uses of these receptors in eating disorders and obesity. Dr. Cone has a track record of translating his research into commercial ventures including Northwest Neurologic acquired by Neurocrine Biosciences (NASDAQ:NBIX).

Dr. Sawyer is head of drug discovery at Courage. He is an accomplished drug hunter with a track record in both peptide and small molecules. He is the inventor of the MC1R agonist NDP-MSH (Scenesse® by Clinuvel) that was recently approved by the FDA. He also is the inventor of the drugs ALRN-6924 (Aileron) and Iclusig® (Ariad/Takeda). His pharma/biotech career includes being Distinguished Scientist (Merck), CSO (Aileron), SVP (Ariad) and Sr. Director (Pfizer). Tomi is a currently founding a worldwide Peptide Drug Hunter Consortium and was a past-president of the American Peptide Society.