Sept. 17, 2023

Dr Jim Woody - CEO of 180 Life Sciences

In this episode of Life Science Success, my guest is Dr. Jim Woody, CEO of 180 Life Sciences.Dr. Woody leads a pioneering team of scientific innovators at 180 Life Sciences, a clinical stage biotechnology company with three families of novel biologic...

Show Notes
Guest Profile

Background and Career: Dr. Jim Woody is a pediatric immunologist with a diverse career, including military service and venture capital experience. He was instrumental in the development of anti-TNF drugs, a class of biologics with a market value of about $40 billion per year.
Focus on Patient-Centricity: Dr. Woody emphasizes the importance of patient benefit in drug development. He served on the board of Stanford Children's Hospital and aims to develop therapies that significantly improve patients' lives.
Current Work at 180 Life Sciences: The company is focused on finding new indications for anti-TNF drugs. They are working on conditions like Dupuytren's contracture, frozen shoulder, and post-operative dementia, aiming to prevent disability and improve quality of life.
Challenges and Future Plans: Regulatory hurdles and clinical trials are the next steps for 180 Life Sciences. Dr. Woody estimates that drug approvals could take a couple of years, depending on feedback from agencies like the FDA.
Personal Insights: Dr. Woody advises aspiring professionals to seize new opportunities and emphasizes the role of luck in biotechnology. He is excited about the next generation of anti-inflammatory agents that could offer more targeted treatments.

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Jim Woody

CEO & Director, 180 Life Sciences

Dr. Woody has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as a director since the Closing of the Business Combination in November 2020. Dr. Woody has served as the CEO of 180 since July 2020, and as a director of 180 since September 2020. Dr. Woody was a founder and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Viracta Pharmaceuticals, a lymphoma therapeutic company (July 2014 to December 2020). With the company undergoing a reverse merger into a public company, he resigned his Board member position and continues as a Board observer. He served as a General Partner of Latterell Venture Partners (February 2006 to December 2019) then moved to a Venture Partner position, for the one remaining LVP legacy company, PerceptiMed, a Pharmacy management company, where he continues to serve on the Board as they plan their IPO. He served as an interim CEO for MaraBio Systems Inc., a startup autism diagnostic company, from November 2018 to December 2022, when a new full time CEO was selected. He continues to serve as Vice Chairman, on the Board of Directors. He also serves as Chairman of the Board for Enosi Life Sciences, a next generation TNF inhibitor company, which position he has held since July 2020. He served as a Board member of IntegenX Inc. (2012 to 2018), and Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (February 2009 to December 2019). Dr. Woody was the founding CEO and Chairman of the Board of OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2004 to 2014), a NASDAQ listed company with a focus on antibodies targeting cancer stem cells. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of Prote… Read More