HANS KEIRSTEAD
CEO
AIVITA BIOMEDICAL
WHY: Internationally known stem cell expert who has led therapy development for late-stage cancers, immune disorders, motor neuron diseases, spinal cord injury and retinal diseases.
IN THE NEWS: His latest venture, Immunis, received approval from the FDA to start Phase 2 of a clinical trial for its investigational drug Immuna, which claims to reduce fat while preserving muscle.
NOTABLE: 2022 Business Journal Innovator of the Year Award winner.
QUOTABLE: About 30% of weight loss in drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is due to muscle atrophy, he says. “These drugs do shrink fat, but they also shrink muscle. That’s very bad for any age of human but especially bad people over 50 years old because your muscles do a lot more than help you to be strong.”
