About|Trevi Therapeutics

Passionate about Progress

We are developing nalbuphine ER to treat serious neurologically mediated conditions by targeting the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Nalbuphine ER is an oral, extended-release formulation of nalbuphine, which has a long history of efficacy and safety, having been approved for more than 20 years in the United States and Europe as a subcutaneous injection for relief of moderate to severe pain in the hospital setting. Our novel oral formulation has the potential to unlock new market opportunities and significantly improve the quality of life of patients who currently have few treatment options.

Nalbuphine ER has a dual mechanism of action, acting as both an antagonist (blocker) to the body’s mu opioid receptor and as an agonist (activator) to the kappa opioid receptor. The kappa and mu opioid receptors are known to be critical mediators of the urges to scratch and cough, as well as of certain movement disorders. Nalbuphine’s mechanism of action also mitigates the risk of abuse associated with mu opioid agonists because it blocks the mu opioid receptor. Nalbuphine is currently the only opioid approved for marketing that is not a controlled substance in the United States or Europe.

We are developing Nalbuphine ER for the treatment of chronic pruritus, chronic cough in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in patients with Parkinson’s disease. These conditions share a common pathophysiology that is mediated through opioid receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Our pivotal Phase 2b/3 clinical trial of nalbuphine ER (PRISM) is currently enrolling patients with severe pruritus associated with prurigo nodularis (PN). In addition, we initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial of nalbuphine ER for the treatment of chronic cough in patients with IPF and we are preparing to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial of nalbuphine ER for the treatment of LID in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Founded in 2011, Trevi Therapeutics is headquartered and proud to be part of the vibrant life science community in New Haven, CT.

leadership

Backed by expert scientific and medical advisors and dedicated to our stockholders, the Trevi leadership team is highly engaged and experienced in life science clinical development, successful commercialization, and building value.

Management Team

Jennifer Good

Co-Founder,
President and CEO

Thomas Sciascia, M.D.

Co-Founder,
Chief Medical Officer

Helena Brett-Smith, M.D.

Chief Development Officer

Christopher J. Seiter

Chief Financial Officer

Board of Directors

David Meeker, M.D. – Chairman

David Meeker, M.D. has served as a member of our board of directors and our chairman since July 2017. Dr. Meeker has served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since July 2020. Most recently, Dr. Meeker served as President and Chief Executive Officer of KSQ Therapeutics, Inc. from September 2017 to July 2020. Prior to joining KSQ, Dr. Meeker worked at Sanofi Genzyme from October 2011 to June 2017, in a variety of roles, including as president and chief executive officer of Genzyme from October 2011 until June 2017, as a member of Sanofi’s Executive Committee from 2012 to June 2017 and as executive vice president and head of Sanofi Genzyme, Sanofi’s specialty care unit with responsibility for rare diseases, multiple sclerosis, oncology and immunology franchises, from January 2016 to June 2017. Prior to the acquisition of Genzyme by Sanofi in 2011, Dr. Meeker worked at Genzyme Corporation, beginning in 1994 as medical director, and held positions of increasing responsibility, ultimately serving as chief operating officer. Prior to joining Genzyme, Dr. Meeker was director of the Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and an assistant professor of medicine at Ohio State University. Dr. Meeker has served as a director of Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since November 2015 and as its chairman of the board since April 2017. Dr. Meeker has also served as a director of MyoKardia, Inc. since April 2017. Dr. Meeker holds a medical degree from the University of Vermont Medical School and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2000. He completed his internal medicine training at Harvard University’s Beth Israel Hospital and pulmonary/critical care training at Boston University.

James Cassella, Ph.D.

James Cassella, Ph.D. has served on our board of directors since February 2020. Dr. Cassella has served as Chief Development Officer for Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since February 2015. Prior to joining Concert, Dr. Cassella served as Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer of Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from July 2012 to January 2015 and served as its Senior Vice President, Research and Development from June 2004 to July 2012. From April 1989 to April 2004, Dr. Cassella held various management positions at Neurogen Corporation. Prior to Neurogen, Dr. Cassella was Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Oberlin College. Dr. Cassella received a Ph.D. in Physiological Psychology from Dartmouth College, completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of New Haven.

Dominick Colangelo

Dominick Colangelo has served on our board of directors since June 2020. Mr. Colangelo has served as President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Vericel Corporation since March 2013. Mr. Colangelo has more than 20 years of executive management and corporate development experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, including nearly a decade with Eli Lilly. During his career, he has held a variety of executive positions of increasing responsibility in product development, pharmaceutical operations, sales and marketing, and corporate development. He has extensive experience in the acquisition, development and commercialization of products across a variety of therapeutic areas. During his tenure at Eli Lilly, he held positions as Director of Strategy and Business Development for Eli Lilly’s Diabetes Product Group and also served as a founding Managing Director of Lilly Ventures. Mr. Colangelo received a B.S.B.A. in Accounting from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a J.D. from the Duke University School of Law.

Jennifer Good

Jennifer Good is our co-founder and has served as a member of our board of directors and as our President and Chief Executive Officer since our inception in March 2011. Previously, Ms. Good served at Penwest Pharmaceuticals, where she held various positions including President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Good currently serves on the board of Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded rare disease company, and chairs their Compensation Committee. Ms. Good previously served on the board of Juniper Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded healthcare company, from September 2017 until it was acquired in August 2018. Ms. Good also serves as a board member of the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), a patient advocacy group advancing treatments for the cure of Friedreich’s Ataxia. Ms. Good is also the Treasurer for a non-profit organization, Newtown Youth and Family Services, which provides mental health services and programs to support the community. Ms. Good received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in accounting from Pacific Lutheran University in 1987 and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed by the State of Washington, although her license is currently inactive.

Michael Heffernan

Michael Heffernan has served on our board of directors since February 2017. Mr. Heffernan served as the president, chief executive officer and director of Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc., a publicly traded pharmaceutical company, from October 2002 until July 2018, at which time he transitioned to the role of chairman of the board of directors. He also founded Precision Dermatology, previously Onset Therapeutics, LLC, a dermatology-focused company, and served as its president and chief executive officer from 2005 to 2010. Mr. Heffernan previously founded and served as president and chief executive officer of Clinical Studies Ltd., a pharmaceutical contract research organization that was sold to PhyMatrix Corp., and subsequently served as president and chief executive officer of PhyMatrix. Mr. Heffernan started his career at Eli Lilly and Company, where he held numerous sales and marketing roles. Mr. Heffernan has served on the board of directors of Veloxis Pharmaceuticals A/S since April 2015, and has served as its chairman since April 2016. Mr. Heffernan has also served on the board of directors of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. since April 2016. Mr. Heffernan previously served on the board of directors of Ocata Therapeutics, Inc., Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc. (now known as Chiesi USA, Inc.), and several privately held companies. Mr. Heffernan graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in pharmacy in 1987 and is a registered pharmacist.

Ed Mathers

Edward Mathers has served on our board of directors since July 2017. Mr. Mathers has been a partner at New Enterprise Associates, Inc., a private venture capital firm, since August 2008. Mr. Mathers has served as director of ObsEva SA since November 2015, as a director of Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Inc. since March 2013, as a director of Ra Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since 2010, as a director of Liquidia Technologies, Inc. since 2009, and as a director of Synlogic, Inc. since October 2012. He is also on the board of a number of private life sciences companies. Mr. Mathers earned his B.S. in chemistry from North Carolina State University.

Anne VanLent

Anne VanLent has served on our board of directors since October 2018. Since May 2008, Ms. VanLent has been President of AMV Advisors, providing corporate strategy and financial consulting services to emerging growth life sciences companies. Ms. VanLent was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Barrier Therapeutics, Inc. from 2002 through 2008. From 1997 to 2001, she was the Executive Vice President – Portfolio Management for Sarnoff Corporation, a multidisciplinary research and development firm. From 1985 to 1993, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Liposome Company, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that was acquired by Elan Corp. plc. Ms. VanLent has served as a member of the board of directors and audit committee chair of Applied Genetics Technologies Corporation since August 2016. Since May 2013, Ms. VanLent has also served as a member of the board of directors of Vaxart, Inc. (formerly Aviragen Therapeutics, Inc.). During the past five years, Ms. VanLent served as a director of Ocera Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company acquired by Mallinckrodt plc, from 2011 to December 2017; Novelion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (formerly Aegerion Pharmaceuticals), from March 2013 to June 2017; and Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. from June 2013 to May 2016. Ms. VanLent received a B.A. degree in physics from Mount Holyoke College.

Jennifer Good

Co-Founder, President and CEO

Jennifer Good is our co-founder and has served as a member of our board of directors and as our President and Chief Executive Officer since our inception in March 2011. Previously, Ms. Good served at Penwest Pharmaceuticals, where she held various positions including President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Good currently serves on the board of Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded rare disease company. Ms. Good previously served on the board of Juniper Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded healthcare company, from September 2017 until it was acquired in August 2018. Ms. Good also currently serves as a board member of the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), a patient advocacy group advancing treatments for the cure of Friedreich’s Ataxia, and is as the Treasurer for a non-profit organization, Newtown Youth and Family Services, which provides mental health services and programs to support the community. Ms Good is also one of the board members of the newly-formed Executive Women in Bio, CT Chapter. Ms. Good received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in accounting from Pacific Lutheran University in 1987 and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed by the State of Washington, although her license is currently inactive.

Christopher Seiter

Chief Financial Officer

Chris Seiter has served as our Chief Financial Officer since May 2018. Prior to joining us, Mr. Seiter served as Chief Financial Officer of Millendo Therapeutics. Previously, Mr. Seiter worked for 17 years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and held various roles of increasing seniority, most recently serving as Managing Director, Head of Life Sciences Investment Banking. Prior to joining Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Mr. Seiter worked in the healthcare investment banking groups at UBS, Dillon Read and Kidder Peabody. Mr. Seiter also served in the U.S. Navy as a Nuclear Submarine Officer for five years. Mr. Seiter received a B.A. in economics cum laude from the University of Rochester and completed a graduate level program in nuclear engineering at the U.S. Naval Nuclear Power School.

Thomas Sciascia, M.D.

Co-Founder, Chief Medical Officer

Thomas Sciascia, M.D. is our co-founder, and has served as our Chief Medical Officer since our inception in March 2011. Previously, Dr. Sciascia was the Senior Vice President of Clinical Developmentand Regulatory and Chief Medical Officer at Penwest. Prior to joining Penwest, Dr. Sciascia worked at Quintiles, Inc. as a consultant to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Dr. Sciascia also worked as Medical Director at Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc. (later acquired by Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc). Dr. Sciascia received a B.S. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a medical degree from Columbia University. He is a board-certified neurologist licensed to practice medicine in the state of Massachusetts.

Helena Brett-Smith, M.D.

Chief Development Officer

Dr. Brett-Smith has served as our Chief Development Officer since September 2017. Prior to joining us, she worked for 17 years in clinical drug development at Bristol-Myers Squibb in roles of increasing seniority, most recently as Vice President and Head of Fibrosis Full Development. While at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Dr. Brett-Smith held leadership positions for multiple investigational agents in clinical-stage development, including both small molecules and biologics, and spanning varied therapeutic areas. Dr. Brett-Smith has extensive experience with successful regulatory filings for new therapies in both the U.S. and Europe. Prior to joining Bristol-Myers Squibb, Dr. Brett-Smith was Director of the HIV Program and outpatient care center at the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven, Connecticut. Dr. Brett-Smith earned her undergraduate degree from Yale University and her M.D. from the Stanford University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the Yale School of Medicine.