About Kinoxis Therapeutics
Kinoxis Therapeutics Pty Ltd (Kinoxis) is a private, Australian-based, clinical stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class therapeutics to address the escalating demand for effective treatments for substance use disorders and social dysfunction in neurological and psychiatric disorders. Kinoxis’ development candidates are novel, small molecules that were discovered through a comprehensive medicinal chemistry and screening program at the University of Sydney. Kinoxis is backed by Uniseed, Australia’s longest running venture fund, and a consortium of sophisticated investors. Kinoxis has also secured significant funding from the US National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse for the development of its lead compound to mitigate opioid withdrawal symptoms.
The Kinoxis Executive Team
Hugh Alsop – Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder
Hugh is an accomplished biotech executive with over 22 years of experience in drug development for global markets, pharmaceutical commercialization, international business development and partnering, general management and profit accountability.
Hugh has worked in executive positions for a wide spectrum of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Hatchtech, Acrux, Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Mayne Pharma, and Faulding Pharmaceuticals, and also serves as a non-executive Director on the Board of Australian biopharmaceutical companies, Dimerix Pty Ltd and Servatus Pty Ltd.
Associate Professor Michael Bowen – Chief Scientific Officer, Co-Founder
Associate Professor Michael Bowen is one of the lead inventors of the intellectual property licensed by the company. Michael’s behavioural neuroscience and neuropsychopharmacology research has played an important role in establishing the brain oxytocin system as a target of significant interest for treating substance abuse and social disorders. Michael led the Kinoxis-funded work assessing KNX100 in rodent models of agitation and aggression and substance use disorders.
Sharon Hanegraaf – Vice President, Drug Development
Sharon has over 25 years of experience in international drug development spanning preclinical, clinical, drug development and product registration. Sharon specializes in regulatory strategy and CMC and has previously held regulatory affairs positions at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies such as Prota Therapeutics, Hatchtech and Acrux.
Sharon has broad experience in various therapeutic indications, focusing on product commercialization in the US and other territories and has been involved in the successful approval of two drug products by the FDA, Axiron® and XeglyzeTM, originally developed in Australia.
Tiina Ahveninen – Director, Clinical Operations
Tiina brings over 25 years of experience in the clinical research industry, including significant leadership roles within global pharmaceutical companies. Her vast operational expertise spans all phases of the clinical trial lifecycle, with a proven track record of delivering projects on time and within budget. Tiina has been instrumental in the clinical development of multiple commerical products that are now market leaders and standard treatments. With a strong background in various therapeutic areas, Tiina excels in establishing effective relationships and motivating teams to surpass corporate and project objectives.
Dr Tristan Reekie – Head of Chemistry
Tristan is a co-inventor on the chemistry behind Kinoxis’ development candidates. In addition to being Head of Chemistry at Kinoxis, Tristan is currently a lecturer and the head of a newly established research group at the School of Science at the University of New South Wales Canberra, also known as the Australian Defence Force Academy. Tristan is also currently the Deputy Program Director for the Australian Chemistry Olympiad.
Cameron Jones – Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary
Cameron is the managing director of Bio101, a financial services firm providing accounting, taxation and company secretarial services for companies in the life sciences sector. Cameron is a qualified Chartered Accountant and acts as a Company Secretary and CFO for Kinoxis, bringing his extensive accounting, business advisory and financial planning expertise.
Our Board of Directors
Dr Peter Devine – Chair
Peter is the CEO of Uniseed, and has extensive experience at board and executive management levels in the commercialisation of early stage life-science companies, having held senior R&D, business development and commercialisation positions in a number of Australian companies and Australian universities. He was formally Vice President of Business Development at Progen Industries Ltd, R&D and Commercialisation Manager at PanBio Pty Ltd and worked in business development at UniQuest Pty Ltd. He received a Centenary Medal in 2003 for outstanding contribution to the business of biotechnology.
Prof. Julie Cairney – Non-Executive Director
Professor Julie Cairney is the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Enterprise) at the University of Sydney, where she supports strategies to enhance industry collaboration, improve research commercialisation and increase the impact of the University’s research through partnership. She previously served as CEO of Microscopy Australia, a national infrastructure facility that provides open-access microscopy platforms and expertise across Australia. An experienced non-executive director, Professor Cairney serves on several boards, including Uniseed, Cicada Innovations and a number of start-up companies. She also contributes her expertise as a Special Advisor to the NSW Innovation and Productivity Council.
Dr Kathy Nielsen – Non-Executive Director
Kathy is Director is the CEO of BioCurate and has 25+ years in biomedical/pharma sector and has a strong track record in deal-making, finance and IP, bolstered by a solid background in drug development across a range of therapeutic areas. Previously, as a senior executive at the Queensland Investment Corporation, Kathy managed numerous investments across four venture capital funds (two in the USA) leading to healthy investment returns.
Dr John Kurek – Non-Executive Director
John brings 20 years of industry experience as a Biotechnology Manager with a focus on the strategic design and implementation of drug development programs. John is the Biotechnology Investment Director of Uniseed, and is responsible for identifying new investment opportunities and managing Uniseed’s overall biotechnology and life sciences portfolio. John’s previous roles have been in ASX listed biotech companies and included Pharmaceutical Development Manager at BioDiem Ltd., managing the preclinical, clinical and regulatory aspects of BioDiem’s drug development programs, and Preclinical Development Manager at Amrad Corporation Ltd., where he was responsible for the management of preclinical drug development projects. His experience extends from drug discovery to the clinical phase of drug development.