Leadership Advisors Our Story Collective Experience
Our Team

Built by the Team That Pioneered Aptamer Therapeutics

Drive's leadership team has been developing aptamer drugs since 2006. From co-founding Regado Biosciences through its IPO and acquisition, to discovering the anti-VEGF and anti-IL-8 aptamers at Vitrisa Therapeutics, this team has the experience and relationships to take D28L001 from the bench to the clinic.

30+ Years
CEO experience in biotech
20+ Years
Aptamer science expertise
3 INDs
Authored and accepted (Quick)
70+ Patents
Issued and pending (Rusconi)
3 Companies
Built together (Regado, Vitrisa, Drive)
Leadership

Core Leadership Team

Two co-founders with deep, complementary expertise in aptamer drug development, company building, and oligonucleotide manufacturing.

DG

Doug Gooding

Chief Executive Officer
MBA, Kenan-Flagler (UNC)

Doug has 30+ years of experience investing in and managing early-stage life science companies. He co-founded and served as CEO of Regado Biosciences, where he raised $50M across three venture capital financings and advanced a first-in-class aptamer therapeutic from discovery through Phase 2a clinical studies. Regado went public on NASDAQ, merged with Tobira Therapeutics, and was ultimately acquired by Allergan.

Prior to Regado, Doug was a Principal at Aurora Funds, an early-stage life sciences venture capital fund, where he led founding investments in Regado, Metabolon, and several other portfolio companies. He also served as President and CEO of Altiris Therapeutics and currently manages a $35M seed fund on behalf of Emory University investing in therapeutic innovations.

Company Building Fundraising IP Strategy Aptamer Clinical Dev
RQ

Ryan Quick

Chief Operating Officer
Co-Founder

Ryan brings 18+ years of experience in the life sciences industry, spanning both large pharma and biotech startups with hands-on expertise from GMP production to bench research. Before co-founding Drive, he was Head of Research Chemistry at Vitrisa Therapeutics, responsible for compound synthesis, analysis, and oligo conjugation supporting discovery, biology, and DMPK. His team manufactured and release-tested 1,900+ unique oligonucleotide compounds across 3,400+ documented lots.

Prior to Vitrisa, Ryan led analytical development and validation at Novan Therapeutics and was integral to advancing the lead candidate from Phase 2 to Phase 3 at Regado Biosciences — where his team was responsible for the largest commercial synthesis of an aptamer at the time (600 mmol). Ryan has deep relationships across the CDMO network and extensive experience in IND regulatory filings.

Education: B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, NC State University.

Oligo Manufacturing CMC Analytical Dev IND Filings
Advisory Board

World-Class Advisors in Aptamer Development

Drive's advisory board includes key opinion leaders in oligonucleotide drug development, clinical ophthalmology, finance, and CMC — providing strategic guidance to accelerate our path to the clinic.

CR
Chris Rusconi, Ph.D.
Scientific Advisor

Biotechnology entrepreneur and inventor with 20+ years of drug discovery experience in the oligonucleotide space. Co-founded and served as CSO of Regado Biosciences, leading the science from founding through IPO and $400M+ market capitalization. As CSO at Vitrisa Therapeutics, he led the discovery of the anti-VEGF-A and IL-8 aptamers that are the basis of D28L001. Inventor on 70+ issued and pending patents.

Previously: CSO, Regado Biosciences · CSO, Vitrisa Therapeutics · CEO, Ribometrix · CDO, DiNAQOR
CC
Chris Courts, CPA
Financial Advisor

Seasoned executive with 20+ years of leadership in public and private life science companies. As VP Finance and founding member of Regado Biosciences, Chris managed the S-1 process through the company's successful IPO on NASDAQ. Licensed CPA with deep expertise in strategic planning, investor relations, and capital markets.

Previously: VP Finance, Regado Biosciences (IPO) · CFO, Vitrisa Therapeutics · CFO, Pebble Labs
WM
Wendy Murahashi, M.D.
Clinical Advisor

Ophthalmology development consultant specializing in clinical strategy and study design. As a Medical Director at Genentech/Roche, Dr. Murahashi was directly responsible for clinical activities for LUCENTIS® — the first anti-VEGF therapy approved for retinal disease. A fellowship-trained vitreoretinal specialist, she brings direct clinical experience in the exact diseases Drive is targeting.

Previously: VP Clinical Development, Icon Bioscience · Medical Director, Genentech (Lucentis) · Vitreoretinal Fellow
JM
James McArdle, Ph.D.
CMC Advisor

A leading expert in oligonucleotide CMC with extensive FDA regulatory experience. As VP of CMC at Archemix Corporation and VP of Quality Assurance at Ionis Pharmaceuticals (7 years), Dr. McArdle developed and validated analytical methods and manufacturing processes for oligonucleotide drugs at commercial scale. His expertise in manufacturing planning and vendor selection is critical to Drive's CMC strategy.

Previously: VP CMC, Archemix · VP QA, Ionis Pharmaceuticals · Head of Production, Vitrisa · 16 years at SmithKline Beecham
Collective Experience Includes
Regado Biosciences
Vitrisa Therapeutics
Genentech / Roche
Ionis Pharmaceuticals
Archemix
Novan Therapeutics
Aurora Funds
Incyte Pharmaceuticals
Albert Einstein CoM
Duke University
Our Story

From Vitrisa to Drive — A Decade of Aptamer Innovation

Drive Therapeutics was founded in 2019 by Ryan Quick through the acquisition of intellectual property assets developed at Vitrisa Therapeutics. The anti-VEGF and anti-IL-8 aptamers that form the core of D28L001 were discovered by the same team that had pioneered aptamer development across two prior companies — Regado Biosciences and Vitrisa.

Doug Gooding joined as CEO in 2020, bringing a track record of building aptamer companies from pre-clinical discovery to clinical testing and public markets. Together, the co-founders pair the chemist who knows how to make aptamers at scale with the CEO who has taken aptamer therapeutics into the clinic before.

Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, Drive has assembled a network of world-class advisors, CDMOs, and collaborators to support its mission of developing a first-in-class bispecific aptamer therapeutic for diseases driven by dual angiogenesis and inflammation.

2002

Regado Biosciences co-founded by Doug Gooding and Chris Rusconi. Aptamer team forms in Durham, NC.

2006–2011

Regado advances aptamer anticoagulant through Phase 2a. Conducts largest commercial aptamer synthesis (600 mmol). Team members collaborate across discovery, CMC, and clinical operations.

2013

Regado IPOs on NASDAQ.

2016–2019

Core team reassembles at Vitrisa Therapeutics. The anti-VEGF and anti-IL-8 aptamers are discovered. Ryan Quick manufactures 1,900+ compounds.

2019

Drive Therapeutics founded. Ryan Quick acquires aptamer IP from Vitrisa. D28L001 bispecific construct program begins.

2020–2024

Doug Gooding joins as CEO. NSF SBIR Phase I grant awarded. Manufacturing process optimization continues. Preclinical characterization of candidate bispecific constructs advances.

2025

NSF SBIR Phase II awarded ($990,477, July 2025 – June 2027) to advance D28L001 preclinical development; $1.32M in competitively awarded non-dilutive grant capital to date.

2026

Formulation viscosity and biophysical characterization completed across the PEG-carrier panel; two co-finalist candidates carried forward to the rabbit PK study that selects the lead. Two US composition patents issued and the bispecific application allowed. NSF interim reports filed.

2026–2027 →

$10M Seed round to take D28L001 through the porcine PVR study and IND-enabling work to an IND.

By the Numbers

What This Team Has Done Together

The Drive team doesn't just have aptamer experience — they have aptamer company-building experience, from discovery through manufacturing, clinical trials, IPO, and acquisition.

3
Aptamer companies built together
3 INDs
Authored and accepted across the team
1 IPO
Regado Biosciences (NASDAQ: RGDO)
1 Acquisition
Regado → Tobira → Allergan
3 Phase 1 + 1 Phase 2a
Clinical studies completed (aptamer)
8 Lead Aptamers
Discovered to 4 targets at Vitrisa
70+ Patents
Issued and pending (Rusconi)
50+ Publications
Peer-reviewed scientific papers

The Same Team, a Better Molecule

This is not a team learning aptamer development for the first time. The core leadership has worked together across multiple companies for nearly two decades. They discovered the specific aptamers that form D28L001, they know how to manufacture them at commercial scale, and they have successfully navigated the regulatory and clinical pathway for aptamer therapeutics. What's different now is the molecule — D28L001 is a first-in-class bispecific with dual-target activity that no prior aptamer has achieved.

Get in Touch

Partner With Us

We're raising a $10M Seed to advance D28L001 through IND. If you're an investor, potential partner, or advisor who shares our vision of building a new category of bispecific aptamer therapeutics, we'd love to hear from you.

Contact Doug Gooding → View Platform View Pipeline

Drive Therapeutics, L.L.C.  ·  7020 Kit Creek Road, Morrisville, NC 27560