Management Team

President & CEO

Vipin K. Garg, Ph.D.

Dr. Garg has over 20 years of biotechnology industry experience in both technical and management positions. Under his leadership, Tranzyme has raised more than $50M in venture capital and has advanced two products into clinical development. Prior to joining Tranzyme Pharma, he was COO of Apex Bioscience (now Curacyte AG of Munich, Germany), and held senior management positions at DNX Therapeutics [NASDAQ: DNXX], Sepracor Inc. [NASDAQ: SEPR] and Bio-Response Inc. (acquired by Baxter). During his career, Dr. Garg has been involved in several financings and liquidity events, including, IPOs, mergers and acquisitions. He has managed operations in US, Europe and Canada.

Dr. Garg received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 1982 from the University of Adelaide, Australia, and his M.S. from New Delhi, India. He was a member of the US Presidential Mission to India led by President Bill Clinton in March, 2000, and serves on the board of North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

Senior VP, Research & Preclinical Development

Helmut Thomas, Ph.D., DABT

Dr. Thomas joined Tranzyme Pharma in June 2006. He is a highly accomplished biochemist and toxicologist with an extensive and productive career in drug discovery and development. He began his career with CIBA-GEIGY in Basel, Switzerland in 1990 and became the Head of Preclinical Safety and Toxicology at CIBA-GEIGY Pharmaceuticals UK in 1994. Following the merger with Sandoz in 1997, Dr. Thomas spent the next eight years with Novartis Pharma, where he held several top-level management positions in Europe and the U.S., culminating in his appointment as Executive Director, Global Project Manager and Leader of the PRIDE (Proof of Research In Development) Team Oncology in East Hanover, NJ. While at Novartis, he directed the preclinical development of more than 25 drug candidates, including such important marketed drugs as Diovan® for hypertension and Gleevec® for chronic myeloid leukemia. He joined Tranzyme from LymphoSign Inc., where he served as Vice President, Research and Development since 2004. Dr. Thomas received his Ph.D. in biochemistry and organic chemistry from the University of Hannover, Germany. He is an author of over 130 scientific articles, book chapters and abstracts as well as a co-inventor on numerous patents.

VP, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs

Gordana Kosutic , M.D.

Dr. Kosutic is a highly accomplished physician-executive with 25 years of experience in all aspects of pharmaceutical development, including clinical research, medical and regulatory affairs and medical marketing. Prior to joining Tranzyme Pharma in September 2005, Dr. Kosutic served as Vice President of Clinical Development at Fulcrum Pharma Developments, Inc., Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs at both Nobex Corporation and ClinTrials Research, Inc. (now part of Charles River Laboratories), and Director of Clinical Research at ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Her research and clinical experience spans multiple therapeutic indications including gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases, osteoporosis, hepatitis, psychiatric disorders, and cancer. She has extensive clinical development expertise encompassing strategic development and clinical trial design and implementation. Dr. Kosutic also actively participated in special committees for multiple products related to myocardial infarction, anti-coagulant drugs and anti-diabetic drugs. She is author or co-author of twenty publications, abstracted presentations and patents. Dr. Kosutic received her medical degree from the School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia.

VP, IP & Operations

Mark L. Peterson, Ph.D.

Dr. Peterson, a synthetic chemist by training, received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Washington State University (Professor D. Matteson, 1987) on the asymmetric synthesis of chiral natural products. He conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry (Professor R. Vince) with a focus on the discovery of new antiviral and antitumor chemotherapeutic agents. In 1989, he received a National Service Award from the National Institute of Health (US). In 1990, he joined the Agricultural Division of Monsanto Co. where he was involved in a number of aspects of the R & D process, including constructing a novel class of inhibitors for EPSP synthase and directing regulatory studies to support the registration of a new herbicide product. In 1993, Dr. Peterson moved to Advanced ChemTech, where he served in areas of increasing responsibility, culminating as Corporate Vice-President of Technology Development. While with ACT, he initiated R & D efforts in automated combinatorial library synthesis and solid phase organic chemistry. With Tranzyme Pharma since 1999, Dr. Peterson led the chemistry R & D efforts during the technology development stage of the Company and the start of its drug discovery programs. He is author or co-author of over eighty publications, abstracted presentations and patents plus one book chapter.

VP, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

Richard I. Eisenstadt, M.B.A.

Mr. Eisenstadt has extensive experience in working with technology companies in both public and private markets. Prior to joining Tranzyme in June 2003, he served as senior financial advisor to several biotechnology companies with responsibilities including business and strategic planning, fundraising and financial reporting. He spent over two years as Director of Finance at Cogent Neuroscience where he was responsible for financial operations, including the establishment of two international joint ventures. Before Cogent, he spent twelve years with Nimbus CD International, where he was responsible for strategic and financial planning and ensuring that adequate financing was in place to meet aggressive growth plans. His experience at Nimbus included guiding the company through an LBO, a recapitalization, an IPO, a reverse merger and several debt refinancings. Also, while at Nimbus, Mr. Eisenstadt established an international joint venture and was involved in several domestic and international acquisition and expansion opportunities.