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# Ophirex
- URL: https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/ophirex/
- Published: 1999-01-02T21:46:00.000Z
- Updated: 2025-01-03T21:13:32.000Z
- Author: Liam Sturgess
- Tags: Profiles, #docs, #organization

**Ophirex, Inc.** is an American public benefit pharmaceutical corporation based in Corte Madera, California.[\[1\]](#fn1)[\[2\]](#fn2)

## History

Ophirex was founded by Matthew Lewin and Jerry Harrison in January 2015 to develop a rapid cure for snake venom.[\[3\]](#fn3)[\[4\]](#fn4)[\[5\]](#fn5)

In August 2017, Ophirex licensed varespladib from Eli Lilly and Shionogi.[\[5:1\]](#fn5)

### COVID-19

In 2020, Ophirex evaluated varespladib for treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a common cause of death in COVID-19 patients. Despite the apparent winding down of the pandemic, their STAIRS trial continues.[\[6\]](#fn6)

Ophirex is running a clinical trial titled “Broad-spectrum Rapid Antidote: Varespladib Oral for Snakebite (BRAVO)” in collaboration with Premier Research International.[\[7\]](#fn7)

## Organization

Ophirex is funded by multiple awards from the [United States Department of Defense](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/United-States-Department-of-Defense), a grant from Wellcome Trust, and the [World Health Organization](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/World-Health-Organization).[\[8\]](#fn8)[\[9\]](#fn9)[\[10\]](#fn10)

### Personnel

| Name            | Position                                      | Notes                                                    |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Nancy Koch      | Chief Executive Officer[\[11\]](#fn11)        | \-                                                       |
| Rebecca Carter  | Vice President, Program Operations            | \-                                                       |
| Kathleen Dotson | Vice President, Finance                       | \-                                                       |
| Dana Miletic    | Operations Contracts Administrator            | \-                                                       |
| Jack Tupman     | Executive                                     | \-                                                       |
| Sunita Rao      | Senior Executive Administrator[\[12\]](#fn12) | \-                                                       |
| Derrick Rossi   | Advisor[\[13\]](#fn13)                        | [Moderna](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Moderna) |

## External links

- [Campfire Wiki](https://www.campfire.wiki/doku.php?id=pharmaceutical%5Fcompanies:ophirex)
- [Website](https://www.ophirex.com/)
- [ZoomInfo](https://www.zoominfo.com/c/ophirex-inc/398629525)

---

1. *Ophirex funding and collaboration.* Ophirex | Lifesaving Antidotes. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from <http://archive.today/2022.04.13-040417/https://www.ophirex.com/funding-and-collaboration> [↩︎](#fnref1)
2. *OPHIREX, INC.* Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR). Retrieved April 13, 2022, from <http://archive.today/2022.04.13-082230/https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/1224903> [↩︎](#fnref2)
3. *Ophirex, Inc.* Gust. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from <http://archive.today/2022.04.13-084511/https://gust.com/companies/ophirex-inc> [↩︎](#fnref3)
4. *Matthew Lewin.* LinkedIn. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from <https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-lewin-37681b124/> [↩︎](#fnref4)
5. Lewin, M. (2017, August 28). *Ophirex Licenses Lilly - Shionogi Data for Novel Snakebite Treatment Development Program.* Bloomberg. <http://archive.today/2022.04.13-100603/https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2017-08-28/ophirex-licenses-lilly-shionogi-data-for-novel-snakebite-treatment-development-program> [↩︎](#fnref5) [↩︎](#fnref5:1)
6. Ophirex, Inc., & Premier Research International LLC. (2022, March 22). *A Phase 2, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Varespladib in Patients Hospitalized With Severe COVID 19 Caused by SARS-CoV-2.* ClinicalTrials.gov. <http://archive.today/2022.04.16-080335/https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04969991> [↩︎](#fnref6)
7. Ophirex, Inc., & Premier Research International LLC. (2022, February 9). *Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of a Multi-Dose Regimen of Oral Varespladib-Methyl in Subjects Bitten by Venomous Snakes.* ClinicalTrials.gov. <http://archive.today/2022.04.13-091146/https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04996264> [↩︎](#fnref7)
8. Rao, S. (2020, March 2). *Ophirex receives Wellcome Trust award to advance clinical development of novel snakebite treatment.* Business Wire. <http://archive.today/2022.04.16-081242/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200302005296/en/Ophirex-Receives-Wellcome-Trust-Award-to-Advance-Clinical-Development-of-Novel-Snakebite-Treatment> [↩︎](#fnref8)
9. Karon, P. (2020). *Snakebites are a deadly threat worldwide. Who’s behind the push for a new treatment?* Inside Philanthropy. <https://web.archive.org/web/20220413132035/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5eb10eb62bf19e1bbec031bc/t/60c38b9ca1a11d3f55c2fb7d/1623427997415/Inside+Philanthropy+2020-12-17+Snakebites.pdf> [↩︎](#fnref9)
10. *Broad Spectrum Envenomation Treatment.* SBIR. Retrieved April 16, 2022, from <http://archive.today/2022.04.16-082709/https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/1843561> [↩︎](#fnref10)
11. *Ophirex - Overview, News & Competitors.* ZoomInfo. Retrieved April 15, 2022, from <https://web.archive.org/web/20220416034702/https://www.zoominfo.com/c/ophirex-inc/398629525> [↩︎](#fnref11)
12. *Sunita Rao.* LinkedIn. Retrieved April 15, 2022, from <https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunitarao/> [↩︎](#fnref12)
13. Farooqui, S. (2021, July 6). *Moderna co-founder using mRNA technology to treat venomous snakebites.* Global News. <http://archive.today/2022.04.12-061546/https://globalnews.ca/news/8005422/moderna-cofounder-mrna-snakebotes/> [↩︎](#fnref13)