Richard Lowenthal, MSc, MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer
ARS Pharma
Richard Lowenthal is a co-founder of ARS Pharma and has served as its President and a member of the ARS Pharma Board since ARS Pharma’s inception in August 2015 and as ARS Pharma’s Chief Executive Officer since September 2018. From November 2007 to August 2015, Mr. Lowenthal served as President of Pacific-Link Regulatory Consulting and Research, Inc., a medicinal product development consultancy founded by Mr. Lowenthal, where he provided leadership and mentoring on clinical development, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, licensing and investment opportunities, including supporting the clinical and regulatory development of Valtoco (diazepam nasal spray).
Prior to Pacific-Link Regulatory Consulting and Research, Inc., Mr. Lowenthal held many leadership roles at several biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical companies that included Chief Executive Officer and President of MTG Biotherapeutics Inc.; Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and quality assurance for Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Head of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance and Drug Safety for Maxim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance for AnGes, MG, Inc.; Global Project Leader and Global Director of Regulatory Affairs for Janssen Research Foundation; Director of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance for Somerset Pharmaceuticals Inc.; and New Drug Review Chemist for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the Division of Neuropharmacologic Drug Products and the Division of Oncology and Pulmonary Drug Products. Mr. Lowenthal holds an M.Sc. in organic chemistry from Florida State University and a Master’s in Business Science for Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego. He has served as past chair of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (San Diego region), as well as member of the USP Biotechnology Expert Committee, chair of the Virology Working group, member of the National Organization of Rare Disease Corporate Council and has worked with various PhRMA and ICH Working Groups.
Eric Karas
Chief Commercial Officer
ARS Pharma
Eric Karas has served as the Chief Commercial Officer of ARS Pharma since April 2022. From October 2018 to March 2022, Mr. Karas served as Vice President and General Manager of Commercial, North America at Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS). Prior to that, from December 2016 to October 2018, Mr. Karas led commercial initiatives for NARCAN® Nasal Spray at Adapt Pharma, Inc., which was acquired by Emergent BioSolutions in 2018.
Prior to Adapt Pharma, Mr. Karas spent eight years at Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. overseeing all global commercial objectives related to its urology portfolio. He also led the launch readiness planning and go-to-market strategy for the launch of XIAFLEX® for Peyronie’s disease. Auxilium Pharmaceuticals was acquired in 2015 by Endo International plc (Nasdaq: ENDP). Mr. Karas has also held cross-functional roles in government affairs, public relations, patient advocacy and sales leadership roles at Astellas Pharma Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK). Industry associations have recognized him for numerous disease awareness and branded campaigns targeting healthcare professionals and consumers. Mr. Karas received his M.B.A. in integrated management from Michigan State University, Broad School of Management, and a B.S. in accounting from Rutgers University.
Jonathan Spergel, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of the Allergy Program
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Jonathan M Spergel, M.D., Ph.D., is Chief of the Allergy Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania and co-director of Center for Pediatric Eosinophilic Disorders. He received his medical and graduate education at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and completed his pediatric residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital. His clinical and post-graduate research training in Allergy and Immunology were completed at Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Dr. Spergel is Board Certified in Allergy and Immunology.
His research interests have focused on all aspects of food allergy, eosinophilic esophagitis, atopic march and atopic dermatitis. He has published over 300 articles in the field. He has spoken national and international in the field of eosinophilic esophagitis, food allergy and atopic dermatitis. He is funded by NIH and multiple foundations. He has conducted over 30 clinical trials in the field of allergy.
He has served on international guidelines for food allergy, Eosinophilic Esophagitis and atopic dermatitis. He has served on the boards of American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. He is currently Deputy Editor for Annals of Allergy Asthma and Immunology.
Thomas B. Casale, M.D.
Professor of Medicine & Pediatrics and Chief, Allergy & Immunology
University of South Florida
Thomas B. Casale, M.D., is Chief of the Allergy & Immunology Division and a Professor of Medicine & Pediatrics at the University of South Florida.
Prior to his current position he was Professor of Medicine and Medical Microbiology and Immunology and Chief of Allergy/Immunology at Creighton University in Omaha. Dr. Casale did an Allergy/Immunology fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, where he was chief medical staff fellow. From 1984 to 1996 he was at the University of Iowa where he attained the rank of Professor of Medicine and Director of Allergy/Immunology.
Dr. Casale is a member of the American Thoracic Society and served on their Board of Directors as well as for the American Society for Clinical Investigation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and of both the American College and American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the World Allergy Organization, and past President of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology for which he also served as Executive Vice President for 10 years.
Dr. Casale has received Distinguished Service Awards from both the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the World Allergy Organization. He was a member of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology for which he was Chair in 2005.
Dr. Casale’s clinical and basic research interests have focused on determination and treatment of the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in asthma, COPD and allergic diseases and he has published over 425 scientific papers, reviews and chapters.