Meet Our Team

John Simard graduated from the biochemistry program at the University of Saskatchewan in 1992 and went on to study immunology at the prestigious department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto. In 1994 Simard left graduate studies to work with the Amgen Research Institute, where he collaborated with acclaimed scientist Tak W. Mak to write a textbook of immunology and co-author numerous publications. Simard co-authored a seminal manuscript with Nobel Laureate Rolf Zinkernagel on the biology of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which lead to Simard launching CTL ImmunoTherapies Corp. in Toronto in 1997.

Mr. Simard created a partnership between CTL ImmunoTherapies and Alfred Mann’s MiniMed Inc., to use the latter’s technology as a delivery system for cancer vaccines. This resulted in Mr. Simard migrating CTL Immunotherapies to Los Angeles, where he built the company’s operations. Based on technologies being developed for cancer vaccines, in 1999 Mr. Simard spun-out the company Allecure to facilitate commercialization of allergy treatments. In 2001 Mr. Simard merged Allecure and CTL Immunotherapies, together with a third company, to create MannKind Corp., a namesake company for Alfred Mann.  Mr. Simard served on the board of MannKind and was President of its Immunotherapy division until 2002.

In 2005 Mr. Simard founded XBiotech. The Company began by establishing laboratory operations in Boston, Copenhagen and Zurich. Mr. Simard moved to Switzerland to manage European operations and in 2008 established XBiotech USA, Inc., and built laboratories and manufacturing infrastructure to facilitate clinical development of its therapies. In 2015 Mr. Simard lead XBiotech through an initial public offering without conventional underwriting. In 2019, Mr. Simard orchestrated the sale of  True Human antibody for cash and milestones of $1.35 billion. Simard is inventor of over 300 issued and pending patents relating to immunotherapies for cancer and infectious disease, and with regard to molecular identification and genetic cloning of human antibodies.

Dr. David Soffer, B.Sc. DMD, has a distinguished background in both science and healthcare. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Soffer was a researcher at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, where his work on autoimmune disorders led to a published study in the European Journal of Immunology entitled “Factors Outside the Major Histocompatibility Complex Influence Susceptibility to Acquired Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.”Following his scientific work, Dr. Soffer pursued dentistry, graduating with a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from the University of Saskatchewan in 1996.

Over the next two decades, he practiced dentistry in rural Canada, where he owned and operated clinics. He also founded a hospital dentistry program to treat pediatric patients under general anesthesia, enhancing access to care in underserved communities. Dr. Soffer continues to practice dentistry and serve outlying communities that require specialized care.

Beyond his clinical work, Dr. Soffer is an active trader in the stock market. Drawing on his analytical background and commitment to fairness, he looks to contribute to broader discussions on equity and transparency, aiming to amplify the voices and concerns of retail investors in an increasingly complex biotechnology sector.

The Hon. Tevi D. Troy, M.A., Ph.D., is a Senior Fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute, Senior Scholar at the Straus Center at Yeshiva University, former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, White House aide and a best-selling author on presidential history. Dr. Troy is former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the chief operating officer of the largest civilian department in the federal government, with a budget of $716 billion and over 67,000 employees.

Dr. Troy has extensive White House experience, serving in several high-level positions, culminating in his service as Deputy Assistant and then Acting Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. Dr. Troy has held high-level positions on Capitol Hill as well, serving as Policy Director for Senator John Ashcroft, Senior Domestic Policy Adviser and later Domestic Policy Director for the House Policy Committee.

In addition to governmental work and health care expertise, Dr. Troy has written over 400 published articles for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Politico, The Atlantic, and many other publications. He is a frequent television and radio analyst, and has appeared on CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News, and The NewsHour, among other outlets. Dr. Troy has a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and an M.A and Ph.D. in American Civilization from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Kündig is a distinguished leader in academic medicine, currently serving as Director of the Department of Dermatology at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and Full Professor of Dermatology and Allergology at the University of Zurich. With over three decades of experience spanning clinical care, translational research, and institutional leadership, he brings a unique blend of scientific rigor, operational excellence, and strategic vision.

Dr. Kündig’s career is marked by pioneering contributions to immunodermatology, particularly in the development of intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT), which has significantly reduced treatment durations for allergy patients. His research group has also advanced preclinical models for cancer immunotherapy and allergen-specific monoclonal antibodies.

As a department head, Dr. Kündig has overseen substantial resources and complex clinical operations, leading initiatives in patient-centered care, including the integration of self-help programs to enhance health literacy. His leadership has positioned USZ’s dermatology clinic as a national and international reference center, reflecting his ability to elevate institutional performance and reputation.

Dr. Kündig’s governance experience includes board roles in the Swiss Society for Dermatology & Venereology and the European Dermatology Forum. As well, he is a recipient of the Swiss Technology Award and the Georg-Friedrich Götz Prize. Prof. Kündig has an M.D. from the University of Zürich.

Mr. Rademaker has over 25 years’ experience in the financial industry, covering a multitude of areas and industries, both private and public. These include institutional and retail brokerage, principal trading, equity and debt raising, mergers and acquisitions advice and venture capital as a facilitator and principal investor.

Mr. Rademaker started his career in venture capital at the age of 16, working in his father’s firm in Vancouver, B.C. At 23 Mr. Rademaker began working on trade desk and was quickly promoted the underwriting group, managing an international trade desk with focus on trading volatility and market making for public companies.

During his underwriting years, Mr. Rademaker was responsible for multiple initial public offerings, reverse take overs and mergers related to US, Canadian and international exchanges. After approximately 15-20 years in underwriting, Mr. Rademaker transitioned to become a capital markets leader at a Canadian private equity firm and opened a Canadian office for a European trust company group. Mr. Rademaker’ focus has evolved towards helping companies and investors build risk mitigating strategies, align competing interests and perfect capital stocks. Mr. Rademaker has a B.Sc. degree in economics from Simon Fraser University.