Tom Turpen
Tom Turpen has more than twenty years of industrial biotechnology experience in both start-up and Fortune 500 companies as a researcher, manager and senior executive. He most recently served as president and CEO of ODC Therapy, Inc., a personalized cancer immunotherapy company launched in 2004 in partnership with Technology Innovation Group, Inc. and the Baylor Health Care System.
In 2000, Dr. Turpen founded Eliance Biotechnology, Inc., which commercialized proprietary vaccine and immunotherapy technologies developed at UT Southwestern Medical Center. While at Eliance, he held the position of president and chief scientific officer, and also served as acting CEO and chairman of the board of directors through the company's financing and acquisition.
Prior to that, Dr. Turpen was Director of Antigenics at Large-Scale Biology Corporation, where he worked since 1988 as a founding scientist
As a researcher, Dr. Turpen has published 23 scientific articles and book chapters, and has 30 issued U.S. patents in four different technology areas. He has won five Innovation Research Program grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. Some of the vaccine, therapeutic and biopolymer products resulting from this research currently are successfully marketed or in clinical trials.
Dr. Turpen is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and the Licensing Executive Society, and is a senior associate of the Foresight Institute. He was trained in biochemistry and virology at the University of California where he received his bachelor's and doctorate degrees and is registered as a patent agent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.