About 20/20 GeneSystems
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20/20 GeneSystems, Inc. focuses on the development and commercialization of innovative, unique diagnostic products for the early detection of disease and the selecton and monitoring of opmtimum, personalized therapies. We utilize two proprietary multiplex platform technologies to detect multiple protein biomarkers in tissue sections and blood samples. (A "biomarker" is a detectable gene, protein or other biomolecule that signals the presence or characteristic of a disease.) Founded in 2000, the company is privately held and headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.
The company uses several proprietary protein array technologies including a technique for multiplex tumor profiling that is a platform for “companion diagnostics” that predict patient response to targeted therapies.
20/20 technologies are being utilized in the development of a blood test for the early detection of lung cancer in tandem with Johnson & Johnson. Published data using the biomarkers--for which 20/20 has exclusive rights--suggest accuracies greater than 80%, far better than screening tests used for prostate and other cancers.
20/20 BioResponse, is a profitable business unit of our company selling kits to emergency responders for screening suspicious powders.
Jonathan Cohen, President & CEO
CEO of 20/20 since 2000, spearheaded the company's launch of its successful BioCheck product, raised over $4 million in equity investments, and procured nearly $3 million in funding from government and corporate sources. Before starting 20/20 Mr. Cohen was patent and general counsel for two publically traded companies: Ventana Medical Systems Inc. (acquired by Roche diagnostics, 2008) and Oncor Inc. Mr. Cohen is a registered patent attorney with over 18 years experience in biotechnology patents and licensing matters.
Gerard (Jerry) Troy, V.P., Operations & Finance
VP for Operations and Finance since 2001, manages the company's BioCheck product manufacturing, packaging and distribution operations. He also heads up the company's finance operation and oversees 20/20's accounting and investor relations. Mr. Troy serves on the company's Board of Directors as Secretary/Treasurer. Jerry is an accountant with over 25 years of experience in the financial planning and analysis of diagnostics and biotech companies. He spent 13 years at Becton-Dickenson (BD) Corp. in various positions including Financial Manager of the Diagnostics Instruments Systems Division and the Advanced Diagnostic Division. He has also been Vice President, Finance and Administration at Point of Care Technologies as well as a consultant to Sienna Biotech Inc. and MRL Reference Laboratories.
John Gillespie, M.D., Director of Medical Affairs
joined 20/20 in late 2009. He received his M.D. degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine and continued his training at the George Washington University Hospital in anatomic and clinical pathology. He has since become board-certified in anatomic and clinical pathology. He then joined the Pathogenetics Unit of the National Cancer Institute where he was involved with the development of laser capture microdissection and made contributions toward the development of other technologies for molecular analysis of cancer tissue samples. He received several technology transfer awards for his efforts. He has authored 43 peer-reviewed articles, 9 review articles, and 3 book chapters and is also an editor for a book. He is a current member of the College of American Pathologists and the American Association of Cancer Research.
Michael S. Lebowitz, Ph.D., Director of R & D
has over 20 years research experience in the biomedical sciences including 10 years involved in the development of cancer biomarkers for diagnostic testing. Prior to joining 20/20, Dr. Lebowitz was the Director of Research at Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. where he was instrumental in the formation of an in-house CLIA-approved laboratory and the launch of three immunoassays for the early detection of cancer and one companion diagnostic, a gene expression-based test to predict the efficacy of a molecular-targeted therapy. He has experience working with diagnostic regulatory submissions and the FDA. Dr. Lebowitz was trained at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine where he did graduate work in biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology and postdoctoral work in immunopathology.
Michael A. Hertzberg
currently serves on the Board of 20/20 Gene Systems Mr. Hertzberg was a Senior Partner at Howrey, LLP from 1989 to June, 2008 where he practiced International Trade Law. Prior to Howrey, Mr. Hertzberg was a founding partner of the Graham & James Washington, D.C. office, a partner at Rollinson & Schaumberg and began his legal career at Tanaka & Walders as an associate in 1971. In 2000, Mr. Hertzberg established Trade Logistics & Strategies, LLC, an international business development company specializing in development of strategic relationships across borders. Throughout his career, Mr. Hertzberg has been heavily involved in entrepreneurial efforts and has been an active angel investor. Mr. Hertzberg is a Director and Vice President of the Columbia Foundation a section 501(c)(3) organization that supports active charities in the Washington metropolitan area. . Mr. Hertzberg is a graduate of Colgate University and has a Juris Doctor degree from the National Law Center of George Washington University. He also served as a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation before commencing his legal practice and worked at the Securities & Exchange Commission while attending law school.
Bill James, Ph.D., Research & Development
received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University, Illinois and completed his postdoctoral work at Yale University. He has more than 12 years experience in designing and developing biotechnology products. Dr. James is an author of numerous publications and is an inventor on two issued patents.
Alysa Dortort, Investor Relations & Sales
joined 20/20 in May 2008. She has professional experience spanning 30 years in the non-profit, private and government sectors. She has been employed by the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Environmental Division and the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA). Most recently Alysa was the Executive Director for the Washington Institute for Israel Health Policy Research.
Mr. Donald M. Wallach
Mr. Wallach is the president and founder of Wallach Associates., Inc., an internationally known Technical and Executive Search Firm. He is also a founder and member of the board of directors of The Institute for the Analysis of Global Security and is a member of the board of advisors of Congressional Bank. Potomac, MD. During the past 42years, Mr. Wallach has earned a reputation as one of the leaders in the high technology recruitment industry. He has qualified and testified as an expert witness in Maryland courts;before Maryland's Commissioner of Labor and Industry,and before House and Senate committees in the Maryland legislature. Mr. Wallach has shared his decades of expertise in employment and economic issues through numerous interviews on network radio, television, and for print media. Mr. Wallach was educated at Case Institute of Technology and the Harvard Business School.
Donald R. Rogers, Esquire
Mr. Rogers is a partner in the law firm of Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, P.A. Maryland’s largest law firm outside of Baltimore. Mr. Rogers' practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, tax and business planning. Mr. Rogers, over the past 20 years, has worked with many business entities, including start-up and early-stage business enterprises to assist them in achieving their business objectives. Mr. Rogers has assisted his clients in obtaining required resources such as seed capital, venture capital, and strategic alliances, developed various stock option plans for key employees and assisted clients in implementing succession plans for transition to the next generation of owners. Mr. Rogers serves on the board of directors of both private and publicly held companies and has acted as a significant resource to those companies in that capacity. Prior to joining Shulman Rogers, Mr. Rogers was an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division. He was also an associate professor at the American University Washington College of Law and has served on the American Bar Association Committee on Real Estate Tax Problems and Section of Taxation.
Richard Crawford
Richard Crawford is a Managing Partner of Virginia Active Angel Network, LLC. Established in 2005, the Virginia Active Angel Network provides equity and convertible debt financing to seed and early stage companies throughout Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region including a range of companies in the healthcare sector including diagnostic companies. Richard has been an entrepreneur, consultant and academic for the last 20 years. Prior to this, Richard spent 10 years in the management of major financial service organizations including Citibank, Crocker National Bank (merged with Wells Fargo in 1987) and Dean Witter (now part of Morgan Stanley). Richard holds three degrees from the University of Virginia (B.A. in Economics-1967, M.B.A.-1975 and J.D-1975). He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.has served on the American Bar Association Committee on Real Estate Tax Problems and Section of Taxation.