Our Team

Jeffery Ledbetter, Ph.D

CEO

“I have been studying immunology and cancer since the 1980’s and have made significant contributions to basic biology. My peer-reviewed publications have been cited over 50,000 times, referencing pioneering work on T cell and B cell receptors, functions, and interactions.

I have also been fortunate to help in the discovery of therapies that have improved the lives of many people. I am an inventor of over 90 patents, including the first chimeric CD20 mAb (US patent 5500362), creation of abatacept (US patent 5434131), and the first antibody to CTLA-4 (US patent 5844095).

My career has been characterized by research and discoveries that were not recognized at the time. For example, the patent for chimeric CD20 mAbs was not valued, and was divested. This patent later became a key intellectual property component of the rituximab franchise with hundreds of thousands of patients treated and with total sales in the billions. CTLA4-Ig (abatacept) was developed and approved for therapy of rheumatoid arthritis in 2005, almost 15 years after its discovery.

I believe that Theripion’s paraoxonase fusion proteins are ahead of the field and are not yet fully appreciated for their therapeutic potential. Theripion is looking for a partner that will help develop paraoxonase therapies that will improve the lives of many patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

I have many years left to make more contributions. I started running again in my 60’s and have run the last 6 Seattle Marathons. I am a time-qualifier for the Chicago marathon in October, 2025, and I hope to run the Boston marathon in April, 2026. I still work in the lab with Martha and find time for dog walks and writing.”

Martha Hayden-Ledbetter, Ph.D

Chief Scientific Officer

“My name is Martha Hayden-Ledbetter and I serve as the CSO and Vice President for Research and Development at Theripion, Inc. I received my PhD in Genetics from the University of Washington in 1990. During my undergraduate and graduate education, I witnessed and participated in the emergence of molecular biology as a powerful tool that transformed the study of biological processes in health and disease. My postdoctoral studies in antibody engineering, cell biology, fusion protein design and expression, and recombinant enzyme expression allowed me to further develop my skill set in novel approaches to the expression of fusion proteins for research and biologic drug development.

I have worked in both academia and the pharmaceutical industry, and have developed unique skills that include broad multi-disciplinary laboratory expertise to develop core intellectual property, working closely with legal counsel to draft patent applications and defend broad claims, administrative tasks, grant writing and submission, and management of other lab personnel and functions. I am an inventor on over 100 patent applications or issued patents.

The name of our startup “Theripion” is derived from the Latin word “eripio” or rescue. Our goal is to design, express, and develop novel fusion protein therapeutics that rescue patients from inflammatory diseases, helping to reverse disease processes, either alone or in combination with existing standard of care therapies.”

Vince Montes, MD​

Chief Medical Officer
Senior VP for Research and Development

“I am Dr. Vince Montes, MD, a board-certified Endocrinologist. I have 20+ years of clinical experience along with basic, translational, and clinical research experience.  I have a significant background in biochemistry, molecular biology, and experience in drug design.

I enjoy seeing patients in my clinic, helping them one at a time, which is why I originally chose medical school as a career path.  Another of my true passions lies in utilizing my skills to develop therapies that can help multiple patients all at once.  I have a strong desire to help patients using all the skills I have developed over my career.

This is why I still practice medicine and why I helped create Theripion.  We truly have a vision to discover therapies that can help patients with ailments that continue to exhibit a significant unmet clinical need.”

Randall B. Riggs, MBA

Business Development Advisor

Randall B. Riggs has over twenty-seven (27) years of corporate strategy and business development experience within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. From 2016 – present he actively provides strategic business development consulting services for several innovative biotechnology companies.

From 2007 – 2016, he was the President & CEO of Advanced Cancer Therapeutics where he created the infrastructure, in-licensed several novel anti-cancer products and raised $15 million. From 2005 to October of 2007 he was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Development for BioCryst Pharmaceuticals and was responsible for approximately $1 billion dollars in strategic partnerships with multi-national firms including Hoffman-La Roche, Shionogi & Co., Mundipharma International LTD, and Green Cross Corp. Prior to BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Riggs held the position of Senior Vice President of Corporate Development for Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (1998 – 2004). As a member of the Executive Management Team, over $200 million was raised through their initial public offering in April 2000. In addition to his key role in Lexicon’s successful IPO, Mr. Riggs oversaw an increase in strategic partnership revenue from less than $2 million to over $60 million each year.

Mr. Riggs began his career in the pharmaceutical industry at Eli Lilly & Company in 1992 in sales and sales management, and was quickly promoted to Manager in Corporate Business Development at corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. During his career at Eli Lilly, he played a leading role in the evaluation of several strategic acquisitions, product in-licensing opportunities, and establishment of several collaborations with biotechnology companies.

Mr. Riggs received his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Management cum laude from Texas A&M University and his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from the University of Houston.