Thompson Oncology and the UNLEASH® Device
Thompson Oncology Devices LLC was formed in 2018 to advance the immunotherapy device invented by Mark D. Howell, Ph.D., at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. With support from CSU Research Foundation, Dr. Howell’s discoveries led to the UNLEASH® technology, a powerful experimental tool that represents a new approach to treating a wide spectrum of cancerous tumors. The extracorporeal device effectively up-regulates immune system signaling molecules (cytokines) by selective filtration of inhibitor proteins from plasma. The company seeks to gain FDA and CE approval for the device.
LLC Membership and Management
Chris Kay, Chief Executive Officer
Chris was appointed CEO at the company’s founding in 2019. Chris is an entrepreneur, having led several companies. His career has included key business management positions in software, life sciences, medical devices, and other industries. Chris earned his B.B.A at U Texas Arlington.
Larry M. David, Chairman
Larry served as Chairman of CytoLogic Inc.,, predecessor of Thompson Oncology Devices LLC, from 2007 to 2018 and CEO from 2011 to 2018. Larry’s background involves real estate , educational publishing, consulting, international relations, and medical devices, having held positions of principal, partner, owner, president/CEO, and/or chairman in more than a dozen enterprises including both profit and non-profit enterprises.
Patricia J. Wheeler, Chief Financial Officer
Patty Wheeler has over 30 year’s experience in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries including 21 years at COBE Laboratories, a global leader in medical devices for extracorporeal applications and apheresis products. At COBE, she served 10 years in corporate accounting and 11 years on the Management Team of the Cardiovascular Division. Patty graduated Cum Laude from Regis University in Denver, CO, with a degree in Business. She has been a member of Financial Executives International since 1996.
Joel W. Graff, Chief Science Officer
Joel joined Thompson Oncology as an advisor in 2019. He holds a B.S. in Biotechnology and a Ph.D in Veterinary Molecular Biology from Montana State University. He is an Assistant Professor at Montana Tech of the University of Montana.
Randall J. Daughenbaugh, Science Advisor
Randy joined the board of Cytologic, Inc., predecessor of Thompson Oncology Devices, LLC, in 2008. He was co-founder and president of Hauser Chemical Research, a Boulder, CO, firm that produced the chemotherapy compound Taxol. He earned a B.S. from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and a Ph.D in chemistry from the University of Colorado.
Bernard Kasten, Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Kasten has been engaged with Thompson Oncology Devices, LLC and its predecessor companies since 2001. A graduate of Ohio State University College of Medicine with fellowships at National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute, Dr. Kasten is a Diplomat of the American Board of Pathology with Certification in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and sub-specialty Certification in Medical Microbiology. He is the former Chief Laboratory Officer of Quest Diagnostics, Chairman of the Board of Cleveland Biolabs, Inc., and Chief Executive Officer of SIGA Technologies Inc.
Keren Stertz, MD, Science Advisor
Dr. Stertz is based in Colorado where she practices internal medicine and hematologist/oncology. he is a graduate of the Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine and has over 20 years of clinical experience.