ABOUT US

Jesse Shefferman

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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Blaine Davis

Chief Financial Officer

Blaine Davis has served as Protara’s Chief Financial Officer since February 2020 and brings more than 20 years of experience in investor relations, corporate affairs, and sales and marketing at life sciences companies. Prior to joining Protara, Blaine served…

Blaine Davis

Chief Financial Officer

Blaine Davis has served as Protara’s Chief Financial Officer since February 2020 and brings more than 20 years of experience in investor relations, corporate affairs, and sales and marketing at life sciences companies. Prior to joining Protara, Blaine served as Vice President, Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Insmed starting in July 2017. Previously, Blaine held multiple executive leadership positions at Endo International, including Senior Vice President and General Manager, Specialty Pharmaceuticals; President of Endo Ventures; and Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications. Prior to Endo, Blaine held positions in corporate and business development and investor relations at Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Blaine holds a BA in Biology and Psychology with a minor in Economics from Middlebury College.

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Blaine Davis
Jacqueline Zummo

JACQUELINE ZUMMO, PhD, MPH, MBA

Co-founder, Senior Vice President R&D Operations

Dr. Jacqueline Zummo is a co-founder of Protara and has served as Senior Vice President, R&D Operations since March 2019 and previously served as the Company’s Vice President, Research Operations since November 2017…

JACQUELINE ZUMMO, PhD, MPH, MBA

Co-founder, Senior Vice President R&D Operations

Dr. Jacqueline Zummo is a co-founder of Protara and has served as Senior Vice President, R&D Operations since March 2019 and previously served as the Company’s Vice President, Research Operations since November 2017. Dr. Zummo has over 15 years of experience in senior leadership roles in the biopharma industry, with a strong track record of streamlining clinical development programs and driving successful regulatory outcomes. In addition to her work in clinical development, Dr. Zummo has been instrumental in the launch and commercialization of multiple products through strategic relationship building with KOLs, generating HEOR analytics, and communicating real-world value to managed care organizations.

Prior to joining Protara, Dr. Zummo was Assistant Vice President, Medical Affairs at Vyera Pharmaceuticals, LLC, with prior clinical development, operations and medical affairs roles at Alkermes, Inc., Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. (later acquired by Pfizer, Inc.). 

Dr. Zummo holds a BA from Penn State University, an MBA in Healthcare Marketing from Benedictine University, an MPH in Epidemiology from Benedictine University, and a PhD in Global Health Sciences from Nova Southeastern University.

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Julio Casoy, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Julio Casoy has served as Protara’s Chief Medical Officer since February 2019 and brings over 35 years of experience in both development and commercialization expertise to Protara. He has built and led multidisciplinary teams for small molecules …

JULIO CASOY, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Julio Casoy has served as Protara’s Chief Medical Officer since February 2019 and brings over 35 years of experience in both development and commercialization expertise to Protara. He has built and led multidisciplinary teams for small molecules and biologics in therapeutic areas including neurology, psychiatry, women’s health, and rheumatology. Dr. Casoy has been involved in several global, integrated drug development programs resulting in the approvals of more than twenty products including Enbrel and Effexor. His rare diseases experience includes playing a pivotal role in the research and development of several compounds for Gaucher Disease, ALS and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Dr. Casoy has previously held senior leadership positions in Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Velocity Fund Partners, Vyera Pharmaceuticals, Popsi Cube-Fovea, Synaerion Therapeutics, Inc., Alkermes PLC, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. (later acquired by /Pfizer, Inc.). Prior to joining Protara, Dr. Casoy was the Chief Medical Officer of InClinica, a global clinical research organization focused on early development.

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Julio Casoy
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