ABOUT US

Luke Beshar

Luke Beshar, MBA

Chairman

Luke Beshar has served on Protara’s board of directors since October 2018 and as its Chairman since October 2019. Luke previously served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc…

LUKE BESHAR, MBA

Chairman

Luke Beshar has served on Protara’s board of directors since October 2018 and as its Chairman since October 2019. Luke previously served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a global biopharmaceutical Company, from 2007 to 2015. He is the former Chief Financial Officer of various public and private companies and has more than 35 years of general and financial management experience. Luke served as Executive Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cambrex Corp. from 2002 to 2007 and previously as Chief Financial Officer at Dendrite Int’l., a provider of services to the life sciences industry. Luke began his career with Arthur Andersen & Co. in 1980 and is a CPA. He holds a BA degree in Accounting and Financial Management from Michigan State University and is a graduate of The Executive Program at the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia. He currently serves on the boards of directors of REGENXBIO, Inc. and Trillium Therapeutics Inc.

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JESSE SHEFFERMAN

Co-founder, Director, Chief Executive Officer

Jesse Shefferman is a co-founder of Protara and has led the Company since its inception through the addition of two late-stage assets, the establishment of multiple late-stage development programs and its listing on NASDAQ in early 2020…

Jesse Shefferman

Co-founder, Director, Chief Executive Officer

Jesse Shefferman is a co-founder of Protara and has led the Company since its inception through the addition of two late-stage assets, the establishment of multiple late-stage development programs and its listing on NASDAQ in early 2020. Jesse has spent over twenty years in the biopharma industry holding several strategic leadership and financial roles.

Prior to co-founding Protara, Jesse was Vice President and Head of Business Development at Retrophin Inc., a leading rare diseases company where Jesse was a member of the executive leadership team and executed a number of company-defining transactions.

Prior to Retrophin, Jesse served as Director, Strategy and Business Development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he focused on hepatology and rare disease programs. Jesse previously served as an investment banker with Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers, where he focused on providing strategic and financial advice to the management teams and boards of directors of numerous biopharmaceutical companies.

Jesse holds an MBA and Certificate in Health Sector Management from Duke University and a BA in Accounting from Gordon College.

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Jesse Shefferman
Michael Solomon, PhD

MICHAEL SOLOMON, PhD

Director

Dr. Michael Solomon has served on Protara’s board of directors since May 2018. He serves as Chief Executive Officer of Ribometrix, Inc., a company focused on targeting RNA with small molecules…

MICHAEL SOLOMON, PhD

Director

Dr. Michael Solomon has served on Protara’s board of directors since May 2018. He serves as Chief Executive Officer of Ribometrix, Inc., a company focused on targeting RNA with small molecules, and has over 20 years of experience in the biotech industry, with the last 14 years focused on creating and operating early stage companies. Most recently, Dr. Solomon served as a Venture Partner at SV Health Investors from December 2016 until December 2018 and as Chief Operating Officer at Decibel Therapeutics, Inc., a biotech company focused on hearing disorders, from 2015 until 2016, where he led the creation of Decibel’s business plan and its capital raise of $52 million. Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer at Ember Therapeutics, Inc. and Chief Business Officer at Link Medicine Corporation, a CNS company that was sold to Astra Zeneca. Dr. Solomon was a Founder and Vice President of Discovery at Epizyme Therapeutics, Inc. and Vice President of Discovery at Hypnion, Inc., a sleep disorder company that was sold to Lilly in 2007. He began his career at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, where he was a project leader for multiple programs. Dr. Solomon holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin; and completed postdoctoral work in synthetic organic chemistry at Scripps.

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BARRY FLANNELLY, PharmD, MBA

Director

Dr. Barry Flannelly has served on Protara’s board of directors since July 2020 and is currently the Executive Vice President and General Manager, North America at Incyte… 

Barry Flannelly, PharmD, MBA

Director

Dr. Barry Flannelly has served on Protara’s board of directors since July 2020 and is currently the Executive Vice President and General Manager, North America at Incyte.  Dr. Flannelly joined Incyte as Executive Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Planning, in August 2014 and was appointed General Manager, U.S., in June 2015. He began his career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer in 1997, which later became Sanofi-Aventis. Dr. Flannelly has held roles of increasing responsibility in medical affairs, strategic planning, and commercial operations at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Abraxis Oncology, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Nektar Therapeutics. Throughout his career, he has led the successful launch of several products in the U.S. and worldwide for oncology indications including breast, prostate, lung, and gastric cancers. Prior to joining the industry, Dr. Flannelly served as Manager of Pharmacy Services at The Johns Hopkins Oncology Center.

He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Baltimore, and his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy.

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Barry Flannelly, PharmD, MBA
Cynthia Smith

Cynthia Smith, M.S., MBA

Director

Cynthia Smith has served on Protara’s board of directors since January of 2021. She has more than 20 years of broad leadership experience within the healthcare industry.

Cynthia Smith, M.S., MBA

Director

Cynthia Smith has served on Protara’s board of directors since January of 2021. She has more than 20 years of broad leadership experience within the healthcare industry. Most recently she has served as chief commercial officer and a member of the executive team of ZS Pharma (acquired by AstraZeneca), where she led efforts to transition the company from the development stage to a commercial enterprise.

Prior to joining ZS Pharma, Ms. Smith served as vice president, market access and commercial development at Affymax, Inc. Earlier, she held various senior leadership positions in market access, corporate strategy, government relations and external affairs at Merck & Co. Before beginning her career in the biopharmaceutical industry, Ms. Smith served as a healthcare policy analyst in the White House Office of Management and Budget. Ms. Smith earned a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.B.A. from the Wharton School and an M.S. in public policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors at Spero Therapeutics, Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, and Akebia Therapeutics.

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ROGER GARCEAU, MD

Director

Dr. Roger Garceau has served on Protara’s board of directors since January 2019 and has more than 30 years of broad pharmaceutical industry experience in drugs, biologics and combination drug/device products for…

ROGER GARCEAU, MD

Director

Dr. Roger Garceau has served on Protara’s board of directors since January 2019 and has more than 30 years of broad pharmaceutical industry experience in drugs, biologics and combination drug/device products for orphan and non-orphan indications, both in the U.S. and Internationally. He previously served as Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since December 2008 and January 2013 respectively, until February 2015, when NPS Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Shire plc. At NPS Dr. Garceau led two successful orphan products through filing, Advisory Committees and registrations. Previously, he served in several managerial positions with NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi-Aventis and Pharmacia Corporation. He has been a non-executive director of Enterome SA since December 2016 and Entera Bio since March 2016. Dr. Garceau is a board-certified pediatrician and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He holds a BS in Biology from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and an MD from the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

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Roger Garceau, MD
Jane Huang

Jane Huang, MD

Director

Dr. Jane Huang has served on Protara’s board of directors since June 2021. Dr. Huang is an experienced biotech executive and proven leader throughout the development lifecycle…

Jane Huang, MD

Director

Dr. Jane Huang has served on Protara’s board of directors since June 2021. Dr. Huang is an experienced biotech executive and proven leader throughout the development lifecycle of multiple oncology therapeutics globally. She currently serves as Chief Medical Officer, Hematology at BeiGene, Ltd. At BeiGene, Dr. Huang oversees hematology drug development, and played a key role in the first approval of tislelizumab, BeiGene’s PD-1 inhibitor as well as zanubrutinib, BeiGene’s BTK inhibitor. Prior to joining BeiGene, Dr. Huang was Vice President and Head of Development at Acerta Pharma, where she oversaw global clinical development of the BTK inhibitor acalabrutinib. Previously, she served as Group Medical Director at Genentech where she played a leading role in drug development programs for several molecules at all stages of development, including venetoclax and obinutuzumab. Dr. Huang also currently serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor (adjunct), Thoracic Oncology, at Stanford University. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University and her M.D. from University of Washington School of Medicine. She is board certified in hematology, oncology, and internal medicine, and she completed her residency in Internal Medicine and fellowships in Hematology and Oncology at Stanford University.

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Greg Sargen, MBA

Director

Greg Sargen has served on Protara’s board of directors since November 2019 and is a licensed CPA (inactive) with extensive experience working within the healthcare industry. Greg currently serves as Chief Financial Officer…

GREG SARGEN, MBA

Director

Greg Sargen has served on Protara’s board of directors since November 2019 and is a licensed CPA (inactive) with extensive experience working within the healthcare industry. Greg currently serves as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Cambrex Corporation. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Expanets, Inc., and Vice President of Finance – Chemicals Manufacturing Division at Fisher Scientific International Inc. Prior to that, Greg held senior positions with Merck & Co., Inc., Heat and Control, Inc. and Deloitte & Touche LLP. His board experience includes his current role as a director of Avid Bioservices. Greg holds a BA in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

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Greg Sargen
Richard Levy, MD

Richard Levy, MD

Director

Dr. Richard Levy has served on Protara’s board of directors since December 2019 and has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries…

RICHARD LEVY, MD

Director

Dr. Richard Levy has served on Protara’s board of directors since December 2019 and has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology. Dr. Levy currently serves on the boards of directors of various biopharmaceutical companies, including Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Kodiak Sciences, Inc. and Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. Additionally, Dr. Levy recently served as a part-time Senior Advisor for Baker Bros. Advisors, L.P. Prior to Dr. Levy’s board experience, he held an array of executive positions in the pharmaceutical industry, including in drug development, regulatory affairs and pharmacovigilance, clinical research, as well as medical and commercial strategy. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Drug Development Officer at Incyte from January 2009 until he retired in April 2016. His extensive industry experience includes positions at Celgene Corporation, DuPont Pharmaceuticals Company, Sandoz and Novartis. Dr. Levy holds a BA in Biology from Brown University and an MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed his training in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

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