Dr. Morris co-founded (April 2020) & is the CEO & President the biotherapeutic co., Azoth Immune Medicines (AIM), Inc.
Dr. Morris led teams (& with collaborators) discovered, patented, described new uses for, new mechanisms of action &/or was first to publish on: the anti-transplant (Tx) rejection, anti-GvHD &/or anti-restenosis & anti-Tx graft vascular disease activities of 5 (1st-in-class) drugs:
1. Sirolimus (mammalian target of rapamycin [mTOR] inhibitor; Rapamune®).
2. Mycophenolate mofetil (IMPDH inhibitor; CellCept®).
3. Tofacitinib (Janus kinase inhibitor; Xeljanz®).
4. Efalizumab (anti-CD11a mAb; Raptiva®).
5. FK778 (MNA715, DHODH inhibitor; analog of leflunomide's active metabolite [teriflunomide, Aubaigo®]).
Approx. 25 MM patients have been treated for > 9 approved indications generating annual peak sales of approx. > $10B & cumulative sales, to date, of approx. $80B (on-& off-label) (e.g., indications: suppression of kidney, liver &/or heart Tx rejection, co-inventor [patent issued] of the first effective & widely implanted mTOR inhibitor drug-eluting stent for the prevention of coronary artery restenosis after angioplasty, treatments for rheum. arthritis & psoriasis, etc.). No royalties were received by Dr. Morris.
Dr. Morris was the Founder & Director of the Laboratory of Tx Immunopharmacology is a Research Professor in the Dept. of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford Univ. School of Medicine (Emeritus), & was Global Head of Tx Therapeutic Area Discovery Research & Head of Tx Translational Medicine (Novartis Inst. of BioMedical Research) & Head of Tx Sciences (Immunology & Tx Business Unit) at Novartis AG in Basel, Switzerland.
Dr. Morris published > 400 papers, abstracts & chapters & given > 550 lectures. Awards include NIH Medical Scientist Trainee, Stanford Medical Alumni Award, American College of Surgeons Schering Research Award, Karolinska Institute Tx Medal (Stockholm), Royal Soc. of Medicine (U.K.) Visiting Fellowship, elected Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians & named Lectureships. Dr. Morris was the President of the International Congress on New Trends in Experimental and Clinical Immunosuppression & served two terms as an elected Councilor of The Transplantation Society, now as Historian on the Council.
