Chris Rivera has spent more than 30 years in numerous leadership roles in the biotechnology industry, including Chairman, CEO and President of EMulate Therapeutics. Mr. Rivera is also the Chairman, President & Founder of Hapbee Technologies, Inc. (TSXV:HAPB), a publicly traded consumer wearable technology company.
Prior to EMulate, Mr. Rivera was the founder and CEO of Hyperion Therapeutics, which was acquired by Horizon Pharma in 2015; Senior Vice President (SVP) at Tercica, where he led the cross-licensing transaction between Tercica and Ipsen, and SVP at Genzyme Therapeutics, where he helped build and ran Genzyme’s US renal Commercial Operations, and helped launch Genzyme’s renal division globally. Prior to Genzyme, he helped build Cephalon and Centocor’s commercial infrastructures.
Mr. Rivera has extensive early stage and turnaround experience and success, in addition to a proven track record in building successful biotech companies. From 2009 – 2015, Mr. Rivera was the President & CEO of Life Science Washington (formerly Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association – WBBA), where he was responsible for building the biotechnology industry in Washington state. While at the WBBA, he oversaw one of Washington’s largest and fastest growing economic industries, including mentoring more than 400 life science start-up companies, and co-founding WINGS – Washington’s Medical Technology angel network.
He has also been recognized as a state and national leader through his appointments as; co-Chair for the (WA state) Governor’s life science and global health advisory committee, (WA state) Governor’s Higher Education Task Force, the Washington Global Health FundingCommission, and Chairman for the National Council of State Bioscience Associations.
Mr. Rivera holds a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State University; and studied marketing and management at the Albers Graduate School of Business and Economics at Seattle University.
Program Notes by Ryan Hamilton:
EMulate Therapeutics is a fascinating company which he describes as being in a new sector called “Digital Therapeutics.” The idea is this:
Our proprietary ultra-low radio frequency energy (ulRFE®) technology produces a cognate by measuring and recording the oscillating magnetic field produced by molecules in solution. The ulRFE cognate is delivered locally and non-systemically via a medical device. Pre-clinical and clinical studies suggest the ability to specifically regulate metabolic pathways and replicate known mechanisms of action for proven commercial drugs.
This technology is targeted to treat a variety of severe afflictions, such as brain cancer and tumors, down to less life-threatening ailments such as sleep issues.
How this is used by a customer/patient is a specific WAV file is uploaded to a small device similar to an iPod. A halo-like device is connected to the iPod device and it is placed locally to the area being treated—say around your head or over a knee. Apparently, the magnetic frequency generated by the WAV file delivers some of the benefits of the actual drug from which the wave file was generated. The process emulates the actual drug, hence the name of the company. Generating the WAV files is performed on a proprietary electromagnetic recording device.
Hapbee is a spinoff from EMulate using the same technology, but focusing on the consumer market. One wears the $400 device. The user uploads various WAV files that are part of a monthly subscription. The WAV files are targeted to represent many compounds including caffeine or CBD or nicotine or alcohol.
EMulate is planning more spinoffs as they develop their technology.