BioNTX, the bioscience and healthcare innovation trade organization serving North Texas, is pleased to introduce D. Jeff Keyser, RPh, JD, PhD as the recipient of the 2024 Dennis K. Stone Award. The award recognizes an individual’s contributions to the North Texas biotechnology industry, and the recipient is introduced at the annual iC³® Life Science & Healthcare Innovation Summit. This year, Dr. Keyser will be acknowledged as the recipient at the Summit on Thursday, October 3 at 5:25 p.m. The 10th Annual iC³® Life Science & Healthcare Innovation Summit will take place on October 3-4, 2024, at the Loews Arlington Hotel & Convention Center at 888 Nolan Ryan Expressway, Arlington, TX 76011. Registration for the Summit can be completed here.
Dr. Keyser is a veteran of the pharmaceutical industry with 40 years of leadership experience in developing and commercializing new medical therapies. He currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer for Renibus Therapeutics and Chairman of the Board for Lantern Pharma. Throughout his career, Dr. Keyser has invented products leading to significant improvements in patient care and has numerous patents issued by the USPTO in healthcare. He has a track record of success in developing new companies from start-up, through IPO and M&A exits.
Dr. Keyser is President and CEO of Renibus Therapeutics, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to treating, improving, and extending patients’ lives by developing products to prevent disease progression, improve outcomes and protect against organ damage associated with cardio, renal and metabolic diseases. He also co-founded ZS Pharma, which was acquired by AstraZeneca in 2015 for $2.7 billion. He invented the Mucinex product line for Adams Respiratory Therapeutics and developed and executed the R&D and Regulatory strategy for Adams Respiratory Therapeutics as Vice President of Development and Regulatory Affairs.
“Jeff has been a steadfast and energetic leader and mentor for our industry and for the teams that have been fortunate enough to work alongside him,” says Panna Sharma, CEO of Lantern Pharma. “His energy and productivity in biopharma is contagious and inspiring, and many of the milestones at Lantern would not have been possible without his guidance and acute insight. The bioscience community in North Texas is grateful to him for the impact he has made on the industry.”
Dr. Dennis K. Stone was an accomplished scientist and pivotal figure in biotechnology development at UT Southwestern and throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. His leadership in life sciences, commitment to training physician-scientists, and transformative work continues through his wife and colleague, Dr. Helen H. Hobbs, who shares his dedication to advancing the field. Every year, BioNTX honors Dennis K. Stone’s memory and work by awarding an individual who has positively affected the North Texas biotechnology industry and contributed awareness and funds to life science research.
For more information about the Dennis K. Stone Award and iC³® Life Science & Healthcare Innovation Summit, visit biontx.org.