About Us

Dr. Sidransky serves as the chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board for Xcovery. As a world-renowned oncologist, Dr. Sidransky is well known for his research in cancer biomarkers for early detection and therapy. He was profiled by TIME magazine in 2001 as one of the top physicians and scientists in America. Dr. Sidransky was formerly Vice Chairman of ImClone Systems until its acquisition by Eli Lilly for $6.5B in 2008. He founded several biotechnology companies, including Oncormed Pharmaceuticals, (NASDAQ: OMED), a genetic testing company that was sold to Gene Logic in 1998 and Champions Oncology (NASDAQ:CSBR) an Oncology testing platform company. He currently serves on the board of directors of several public companies including Ayala pharmaceuticals (Chairman), Galmed (lead director), Champions Onoclogy (lead director) and Advaxis (Chairman).
Dr. Sidransky received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in 1984, where he also completed a residency in internal medicine. He came to Johns Hopkins in 1988, where he completed a clinical and research fellowship in oncology. Dr. Sidransky joined the Hopkins faculty in 1992 and is currently a Professor in Oncology and Otolaryngology. He has over 560 peer-reviewed publications, and has contributed more than 65 cancer reviews and chapters ,also has numerous issued biotechnology patents based on detection of genetic biomarkers for cancer bodily fluids and testing platforms for drug discovery.

Dr. Mao serves as a member of the board of directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Xcovery.  Prior to joining Xcovery, Dr. Mao was the vice president and head of the Johnson & Johnson China Lung Cancer Center. Before that, Dr. Mao served as the chair of the Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences and the associate dean for research at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Dr. Mao also served as the leader of the Experimental Cancer Therapeutics Program at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. Previously, Dr. Mao was a tenured professor in the Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Mao has made significant contributions in oncology, molecular biology and precision therapy, and has completed many basic and clinical research programs in the molecular pathogenesis, molecular subtyping, and chemoprophylaxis of chest, head and neck cancer. He has authored and co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, and served as the editor for multiple scientific journals.

Dr. Selvaggi held global positions of increasing responsibility in clinical development at various global pharmaceutical companies prior to joining Xcovery in March 2019.  Dr. Selvaggi joined the pharmaceutical industry in 2010 as Medical Director in the MAGE-A3 lung cancer vaccine program at GSK. He then played an instrumental role in the successful development and approval of ceritinib (Zykadia) in ALK-translocated NSCLC at Novartis in 2013. Most recently, Dr. Selvaggi was part of the immunotherapy team at Bristol-Myers Squibb, serving as a program lead in thoracic malignancies, with a focus on SCLC and mesothelioma, leading to the approval of nivolumab (Opdivo) in third line SCLC indication with NDA in 2018. Dr. Selvaggi received his medical degree at the University of Torino School of Medicine, in Torino, Italy, in 1992 and served as staff physician of thoracic oncology at the University Hospital in Torino, participating in several clinical trials in lung cancer and mesothelioma over a span of 16 years.

Dr. Mao serves as a member of the board of directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Xcovery.  Prior to joining Xcovery, Dr. Mao was the vice president and head of the Johnson & Johnson China Lung Cancer Center. Before that, Dr. Mao served as the chair of the Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences and the associate dean for research at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Dr. Mao also served as the leader of the Experimental Cancer Therapeutics Program at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. Previously, Dr. Mao was a tenured professor in the Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Mao has made significant contributions in oncology, molecular biology and precision therapy, and has completed many basic and clinical research programs in the molecular pathogenesis, molecular subtyping, and chemoprophylaxis of chest, head and neck cancer. He has authored and co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, and served as the editor for multiple scientific journals.

Dr. Selvaggi held global positions of increasing responsibility in clinical development at various global pharmaceutical companies prior to joining Xcovery in March 2019.  Dr. Selvaggi joined the pharmaceutical industry in 2010 as Medical Director in the MAGE-A3 lung cancer vaccine program at GSK. He then played an instrumental role in the successful development and approval of ceritinib (Zykadia) in ALK-translocated NSCLC at Novartis in 2013. Most recently, Dr. Selvaggi was part of the immunotherapy team at Bristol-Myers Squibb, serving as a program lead in thoracic malignancies, with a focus on SCLC and mesothelioma, leading to the approval of nivolumab (Opdivo) in third line SCLC indication with NDA in 2018. Dr. Selvaggi received his medical degree at the University of Torino School of Medicine, in Torino, Italy, in 1992 and served as staff physician of thoracic oncology at the University Hospital in Torino, participating in several clinical trials in lung cancer and mesothelioma over a span of 16 years.

Dr. Liang is a cofounder, a member of the board of directors and Chief Scientific Officer of Xcovery . He is a leading scientist in the design of protein kinase inhibitors who has authored more than 40 scientific publications and secured more than 50 patents. While serving as Director of Medicinal Chemistry at SUGEN, Dr. Liang codeveloped sunitinib malate (Sutent), an FDA-approved multikinase inhibitor for resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumors; advanced renal cell carcinoma; and advanced, progressive, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. SUGEN and Sutent were later acquired by Pfizer. Additionally, Dr. Liang served as Director of Medicinal Chemistry at Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, before starting Xcovery. Dr. Liang’s research focuses on the design of protein kinase inhibitors by combining computational modeling, medicinal chemistry, and broad knowledge in other areas of drug discovery. His recent work has focused on the reduction with toxicity in existing multikinase inhibitors. Dr. Liang holds a Ph.D. in theoretical chemistry from Princeton University.

Dr. Zhu serves as a member of the board of directors and the Chief Business Officer of Xcovery. He has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for over 20 years and completed >30 licensing transactions. Before joining Xcovery, he served as the senior director of transaction at Johnson & Johnson Asia Pacific Innovation Center.  Prior to JNJ, he was senior director of Business Development at Cerenis Therapeutics, a French based biopharmaceutical company. Before joining Cerenis, he was the head of Licensing & Development for Esperion division of Pfizer, and a member of the Pfizer Global Cardiovascular Licensing Leadership Team until October 2005. Prior to Pfizer, he was the senior manager of business development for Esperion Therapeutics and participated in all partnering activities that led to the US$1.3 billion acquisition of Esperion by Pfizer in 2003.

Mario Gobbo serves as Chief Financial Officer of Xcovery.  His over 35 years of expertise encompass investment banking and strategic advisory as well as venture capital and private equity. He is on the Supervisory Board of  Zavarovalnica Triglav, the largest listed Slovene insurance company, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Cinkarna Celje, a quoted fine chemicals company and was Chairman of the Board and Chair of the Audit Committee of Helix BioPharma, a Toronto listed biotech company developing novel anti cancer drugs. With Natixis Bleichroeder in New York, he secured and worked on transactions for the bank’s M&A and equity capital markets life sciences group, including IPOs for Jazz and Biodel.  When with the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, he led several highly successful biotech and pharma equity and loan investments in China, India, and Central Europe, such as Fosun Pharma, Bharat Biotech, a vaccine manufacturer, BVCF, the first biotech Chinese fund, Venture East, a life sciences fund from Hyderabad and Dabur Pharma, an Indian chemotherapy drug producer, later sold to the German Fresenius.  While with Lazard in London, he advised on M&A, fundraising and privatization efforts several key firms in Central and Eastern Europe, including transactions for the pharmaceutical companies Pliva, Lek and Krka. Prior to Lazard, with Swiss Bank Corporation International Ltd. in London, he worked on  the IPO of Ares Serono, subsequently sold to Merck KgaA.