Tavo Biotherapeutics Announces Appointment of Seasoned Executives to Key Posts

---- Lukas Scheibler, Ph.D. to become Chief Research and Development Officer and Graham Cooper to become Chief Financial Officer

---- Additions to senior team will drive Tavo's strategy to develop new innovative therapeutics addressing critical unmet needs in glaucoma and retinal disease

IRVINE, Calif. , April 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tavo Biotherapeutics, a leading innovator in the ophthalmology industry, today announced the appointment of Lukas Scheibler, Ph.D. as Chief Research and Development Officer, and Graham Cooper as Chief Financial Officer.  Both bring proven track records of success in the biotechnology industry. 

"I am thrilled to bring on Lukas and Graham to Tavo's senior team," said Gary Berman, Chief Executive Officer.  "Lukas has had an illustrious career in ophthalmology, from introducing Lucentis in Europe for Novartis, running clinical development at Alcon, and pioneering the development of Syfovre for geographic atrophy at Apellis.  He is a recognized leader in the industry, and he will play a central role in driving our clinical and pre-clinical programs in treatments for glaucoma and retinal disease." 

Berman continued, "Likewise, Graham has extensive experience in the biotech field, across multiple therapeutic indications.  Throughout his career he has raised over a billion dollars in capital, having taken companies public and scaled enterprises from the early stages, hiring teams and managing growth.  He is a recognized leader in the venture capital and public investor communities and brings a wealth of experience and strong relationships to Tavo.  Lukas and Graham fill pivotal roles for Tavo, and they join us at a key time as we prepare to raise capital and advance our pipeline into the clinic.  Attracting these accomplished executives builds on our momentum in developing breakthrough therapies that address fundamental unmet needs in ophthalmology."

Dr. Lukas Scheibler was most recently Chief Innovation Officer at Apellis. In this role, he was responsible for all research and development activities through human proof of concept. Prior to that, he was Head of Clinical Development at Alcon, where he was responsible for the planning and execution of all clinical trials.  Dr. Scheibler began his career in ophthalmology in research and development at Novartis, where he played a key role in the in-licensing and approval of Lucentis in Europe. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and completed postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School.

Graham Cooper was Chief Financial Officer for Receptos, which he joined prior to its IPO.  At Receptos, he played a key role in managing through a dramatic growth phase and raising capital, culminating in its sale to Celgene for $7.8 billion.  He also served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Assembly Biosciences, developing innovative anti-viral therapies for the treatment of HBV, as well as other private and public biotechnology companies.  Prior to his operating roles, Mr. Cooper held positions of increasing responsibility at Deutsche Bank Securities, including Director, Health Care Investment Banking. He began his career at Deloitte & Touche and was previously a CPA. Mr. Cooper currently serves as a member of the board of Beam Therapeutics (BEAM) and chairman of the board of Kezar Life Sciences (KZR). Mr. Cooper received a BA in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

About Tavo Biotherapeutics

Tavo Biotherapeutics is developing innovative new treatments to address critical unmet needs in ophthalmology.  TAV-001 is being developed for the treatment of glaucoma-related neurodegeneration.  In pre-clinical studies, TAV-001 has shown substantial reduction in intraocular pressure, as well as signals of neuroprotection, suggesting that it could represent the first disease-modifying pharmaceutical therapy for these patients.  TAV-001 is expected to enter a Phase 1 clinical trial in glaucoma patients in 2025.  TAV-002 represents a potential first-in-class treatment for retinal disease, including diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy, as well as both wet and dry age-related macular degeneration. Tavo has initiated IND-enabling activities for this program.  

Media Contact:
Graham Cooper
Chief Financial Officer
[email protected]
www.tavobio.com

SOURCE Tavo Biotherapeutics