About Us

Cellphire has 2 products in clinical trials, CLPH-211 a Freeze-dried Platelet-derived Hemostat (FPH) for use in hospital operating rooms and CLPH-521, our Cryopreserved Platelet (CPP) Operating Room (OR) product. We believe the FPH hemostatic technology can address efficacy, safety, and availability needs across the globe. CLPH-521 - CPP can address availability unmet needs globally, limited only by the cold chain.
Learn more about our science
Next generation platelet-based therapeutics

Our Vision and Values

Our Vision
We will save lives by creating transformative, stabilized cellular therapeutics.  

Our Values
We treat all people with RESPECT.
We act with INTEGRITY, always.
We are ACCOUNTABLE for our actions and results.
We inspire CURIOSITY and harness INNOVATION.
We make DECISIONS based on the BEST AVAILABLE DATA.
We debate passionately and then move forward together AS A TEAM.

Cellphire supports innovation in veterinary transfusion medicine.

Through our veterinary subsidiary, BodeVet®, we developed and launched the company’s first commercially available product, StablePlate RX® Canine, a canine freeze-dried platelet product with demonstrated efficacy in stopping bleeding in dogs. We are developing additional innovative transfusion medicine therapies for companion animals, including freeze-dried canine plasma. BodeVet® is also expanding its platelet work to support equine patients, as well as exotic animals such as elephants.

Learn more about Bodevet®
Dog at the vet

Our Facility

From discovery to manufacturing, Cellphire has the tools to create transformative, stabilized cellular therapeutics.
We are located in Rockville, Maryland, our 32,000-square-foot facility includes 16,000 square feet of lab and clean-room manufacturing space.
Our research products are manufactured on site.
Our state-of-the-art cGMP facility consists of two separate manufacturing suites (one for preclinical and one for human products) that meet ISO 7 standards.
Our quality control laboratory is equipped with all analytical equipment necessary to test each lot for acceptability and to support our discovery team's research in new products.
We have a fully equipped discovery, research, and product development laboratory.

Leadership

Michael Gaffney
Michael Gaffney
Chief Executive Officer & President
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W. Allan Alexander, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
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G. Michael Fitzpatrick, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
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Angela Howerton
Vice President of Finance, Treasurer and Controller
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Keith A. Moskowitz, Ph.D., MPM
Vice President of Discovery
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Board of Directors

pamela b. conley, ph.d

Dr. Conley was previously Senior Vice President, Head of Research, responsible for Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacology, DMPK and Toxicology at Portola Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Alexion in July 2020).  She has a proven track record in target identification and validation, lead optimization, translational biomarker development, and early and late-stage clinical development, resulting in multiple INDs and approval of two commercial products.  She has authored multiple INDs, BLAs and NDAs, FDA briefing packages, and Investigator Brochures, and she has been a key participant in meetings with regulatory agencies (CDER, CBER, EMA). Her expertise focuses on therapeutic areas of cardiovascular disease (thrombosis, hemostasis, atherosclerosis, coagulation, hyperlipidemia), inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and hematologic malignancies. Dr. Conley is experienced in small molecule drug discovery and development as well as biologic drug development and manufacturing. She is internationally recognized for her scientific accomplishments (publications, patents, and invited lectures) in the field of thrombosis and cardiovascular disease, having cloned the P2Y12 receptor, target of a $6B drug. Dr. Conley was the collaborative scientific leader in development and approval of andexanet alfa (approved May 2018), a first-in-class reversal agent for life-threatening bleeding due to FXa anticoagulation.  Dr. Conley received a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry from the University of Texas, Austin.
LinkedIn Bio

    Thomas I.H. Dubin, J.D., MPH, Executive Chairman

    Tom Dubin is a pharmaceutical executive and attorney. From 2001 through 2013, he was the Chief Legal Officer and a member of the core executive team that grew Alexion Pharmaceuticals from development stage to membership in the S&P 500. At Alexion, Tom led legal, government affairs, pricing and reimbursement, corporate communications, and other functions, and held commercial responsibility for the company’s Australasia region. Prior to Alexion, Tom served as Vice President and General Counsel of ChiRex, Inc., and Assistant General Counsel of Warner-Lambert Company. Tom began his career as a corporate attorney with Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City. He is a past board director of BioBlast Pharmaceuticals (NASD: ORPN), a member of the advisory board of Mythic Pharmaceuticals, a trustee of American Jewish World Service, Vice Chair of Norwalk Hospital, a member of Yale School of Public Health’s Leadership Council and a board director of Connecticut Innovations. He received his J.D. from New York University School of Law, his M.P.H. from Yale University School of Public Health, and his B.A. from Amherst College, cum laude.
    LinkedIn Bio

    Michael Gaffney, Chief Executive Officer & President

    Michael Gaffney

    Mr. Gaffney brings deep health sector insight, extensive operational experience, and proven strategy and capital markets expertise to Cellphire Therapeutics. His 30-year career includes serving in executive leadership positions, including as Executive Chairman and interim CEO for over 10 healthcare organizations. In these roles, he oversaw and contributed to strategy development and execution, talent recruitment, business development, growth, and capital raising.

    Prior to joining Cellphire, Mr. Gaffney founded Bancroft Group, LLC, a strategy and operational consulting business focused on middle market companies and their investors. In addition to founding Bancroft Group, he is a co-founder of EDG Partners, LLC, a healthcare-focused private equity firm. Prior to Bancroft Group and EDG Partners, Mr. Gaffney was a partner at Allied Capital (NYSE: ALD) where he led the healthcare investment strategy. Before joining Allied, he was a consultant at McKinsey & Co., Inc. Mr. Gaffney also served in the U.S. Navy as a Submarine Officer.

    Mr. Gaffney received a Master of Arts from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and a Bachelor of Science from the United States Naval Academy, where he serves on the A&S Board of Trustees.
    LinkedIn Bio

    David I. Hirsh, Ph.D.

    Dr. Hirsh is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. He has served as Chairman of the Department and as Executive Vice President of Research at Columbia University. Dr. Hirsh also worked as the Executive Vice President and Director of Research at Synergen Inc. He is Chairman of the Board of the New York Structural Biology Center and a Member of the Boards of Rockefeller University and the Agouron Institute. Dr. Hirsh formerly served as the Chairman of Life Sciences Advisory Board at Warburg Pincus LLC and as a Director of several biotechnology companies. He received a B.A. degree from Reed College, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Rockefeller University, and did postdoctoral studies at the Medical Research Council in Cambridge, England.

    Rafael Jorda, M.S.

    Mr. Jorda has extensive experience in the life sciences industry as a scientist and business leader. For more than 25 years, he has managed the research and development, production, intellectual property, and business development operations within both pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Mr. Jorda is a co-founder of Flamel Technologies. He led the company’s research and manufacturing operations, helping take Flamel public in 1996. Mr. Jorda also worked in the polymer research group of Rhône-Poulenc. In research, he has focused chiefly on developing technologies based on nano- and microparticles for targeted oral and injectable drug delivery systems. Mr. Jorda holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech for which he wrote his thesis on biodegradable polymers. He also received a Master of Science in Chemistry from ENSCM, University of Montpellier (France).
    LinkedIn Bio

    James B. Peake, M.D., Lt. Gen. (Ret.)

    Dr. Peake is Senior Vice President of CGI Federal. Previously he served as U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and served as the Army Surgeon General. As Army Surgeon General, Dr. Peake commanded 50,000 medical personnel and 187 army medical facilities worldwide. Prior to that, he served as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School, one of the largest medical training facilities in the world with 30,000 students annually. In addition, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Project Hope. Dr. Peake received his Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1966. Following service in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division, where he was awarded the Silver Star, a Bronze Star with “V” device and the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster, Dr. Peake received his Medical Doctorate from Cornell University.
    LinkedIn Bio

    Derek E. Woods, Ph.D.

    Dr. Woods served in executive leadership roles within the life sciences and biotechnology fields for 20 years. Dr. Woods most recent position was CEO of Atto Bioscience, a start-up company focused on developing high resolution single-cell imaging products. Prior to Atto, he was the Senior Vice President of Research & Development (R&D) and Corporate Development at Life Technologies. Dr. Woods had previously spent 15 years with Johnson & Johnson, serving in several different management roles including in Diagnostic R&D, Biotech Pharmaceutical R&D, and Business Development. Before entering the biotech industry, he was an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Woods received his Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

    Scientific Advisors

    Terry B. Gernsheimer, M.D.

    Dr. Gernsheimer is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and an Adjunct Professor of Laboratory Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She is also the Medical Director of Transfusion at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington. Her clinical and research interests include immune platelet disorders and thrombocytopenia in pregnancy and management of bleeding in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and acute leukemia. Dr. Gernsheimer earned her Medical Doctorate at the State University of New York and trained in internal medicine at the New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. She lectures nationally and internationally on platelet transfusion therapy, immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP), and thrombocytopenia in pregnancy and has authored and co-authored over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and educational materials on thrombocytopenia and transfusion management.
    LinkedIn Bio

    Louis Katz, M.D.

    Dr. Katz is an infectious disease specialist who has extensive experience in HIV medicine and in transfusion medicine and blood banking. Dr. Katz currently serves as an adjunct clinical professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa and as Acting Chief Medical Officer for the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC) in Davenport, Iowa.  Dr. Katz practiced infectious disease and HIV medicine at Genesis Medical Center in Davenport, where he was also the hospital’s epidemiologist. He founded the Quad City Regional Virology Center (a Ryan White Comprehensive HIV Care Center) in 1995, serving as Director until 2009. In 1986, Dr. Katz joined MVRBC as Assistant Medical Director, subsequently being promoted to Medical Director and then Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs until 2012. He served as Chief Medical Officer of America’s Blood Centers (2012–2019), an association representing U.S. and Canadian community blood centers.

    Since 1991, Dr. Katz has been a member of the Transfusion Transmitted Diseases Committee at the AABB, where he currently serves as chair. He is a member of the editorial board of the journal Transfusion and is an associate editor of the AABB Technical Manual 20th Edition. Dr. Katz has twice been a member of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Blood Products Advisory Committee, serving as chair from 1994–1995. He is a current member of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue Safety and Availability. Dr. Katz received his Medical Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Medicine.
    LinkedIn Bio

      Roy A. beveridge, M.D.

      Dr. Beveridge was previously Chief Medical Officer, McKesson Specialty Health, The US Oncology Network, Executive Vice President/Medical Director and Chairman, Public Policy and Bone Marrow Transplantation, at US Oncology, and Chief Medical Officer at Humana, Inc.  He also served as Co-Director of Bone Marrow Transplant Program, INOVA Fairfax Hospital.   Dr. Beveridge’s research has focused on oncology, stem cells and cord blood, and he is the author of more than 180 peer reviewed publications in these fields.  He is currently Senior Healthcare Advisor at Avalere Health, and a member of the American Society of Hematology.  Dr. Beveridge received a Doctor of Medicine from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts in cell biology from John Hopkins University.
      LinkedIn Bio

        Partners

        Cellphire collaborators include scientific and clinical leaders in our space, including the U.S. government research agencies, research universities, leading medical centers and blood centers, and industry partners to advance the development of novel cellular therapeutics. Applications include the treatment of acute and chronic bleeding, improved imaging, and regenerative medicine.

        Government

        • Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
        • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
        • United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
        • United States Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA)

        Academia

        • Weill Cornell Medicine
        • University of California San Francisco
        • University of Maryland
        • Kansas State University
        • Georgetown University
        • University of Wyoming

        Medical Centers & Blood Centers

        • Helse Bergen Haukeland University Hospital (Norway)
        • MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
        • MD Anderson Cancer Center
        • Rambam Medical Center (Israel)
        • Vanderbilt Medical Center
        • City of Hope
        • Johns Hopkins University
        • University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
        • University of Florida - Gainesville
        • Maine Medical Center
        • Atlanta Blood Services
        • LifeShare Blood Center
        • Memorial Blood Centers
        • Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center
        • New York Blood Center
        • Northern California Community Blood Bank
        • Shepeard Community Blood Center – Augusta
        • South Texas Regional Blood & Tissue Center

        Partnering Opportunities

        Cellphire is actively seeking partners within industry and academia to evaluate applications for stabilized cellular therapies in a wide range of clinical, therapeutic, and diagnostic fields.

        To learn more, contact Partner@cellphire.com.

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