Operation Warp Speed Leader Tapped as Panther Life Sciences’ New R&D Chief

What You Should Know: 

– Panther Life Sciences, a life sciences company specializing in skin-based treatments using microarray patches (MAPs), has announced the appointment of Dr. Matthew Hepburn as Executive Vice President of Research and Development. 

– Dr. Hepburn will be instrumental in driving Panther’s strategic vision to commercialize its patented MAP technology, with a focus on delivering the first commercial product to market within the next two years.

– In his new role, Dr. Hepburn will spearhead the advancement of Panther’s extensive pipeline of MAP-based treatments across various therapeutic areas. This initiative aims to capitalize on the multi-billion-dollar market potential for shelf-stable, direct-to-consumer treatments for immune-mediated diseases and other significant health conditions.

Dr. Hepburn Bio/Background

Dr. Hepburn brings a wealth of expertise in infectious diseases and a proven track record in rapid product development. Notably, he served as the vaccine development lead for Operation Warp Speed during the first Trump Administration, where he played a pivotal role in delivering the first COVID-19 vaccine shots in record time. His distinguished career also includes strategic pandemic preparedness and biodefense roles at the White House, reflecting his deep understanding of critical healthcare challenges.

A physician and U.S. Army veteran with 23 years of service, Dr. Hepburn’s unique blend of clinical experience and rapid development expertise will be invaluable as Panther scales its MAP platform to address conditions such as cancer, allergies, and infectious diseases on a global scale.

“By making our innovative MAP platform widely-accessible, Panther is poised to revolutionize the way treatments are delivered, improving patient outcomes and significantly reducing healthcare cost throughout,” said Dr. Hepburn. “I am inspired by the potential of Panther’s MAP technology and with our partners, I am fully committed to bringing established and novel treatments to market faster and more efficiently.”