Dr. David Bearss
Dr. David Bearss is an accomplished biopharmaceutical executive, entrepreneur, and researcher with over 30 years of experience in the life sciences industry. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Halia Therapeutics, a company focused on new treatments for diseases caused by chronic inflammation, including Alzheimer’s disease, certain forms of cancer and obesity.
He has previously launched nine biotechnology companies and taken all of them through IPO or successful exit through acquisition. His most recent exit was in 2017 when he sold Tolero Pharmaceuticals to Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma.
As a scientist, Dr. Bearss has discovered numerous drugs and taken 17 of them from the laboratory into human clinical trials. Two of these drugs have received regulatory approval with many more awaiting market entries. He has won several awards for his entrepreneurial and scientific achievements, including the Utah Governor’s Medal of Science and BIO Utah Entrepreneur of the Year.
Dr. Bearss’s academic career is equally impressive. It led to his founding role as the Center for Investigational Therapeutics Co-Director at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at University of Utah. He also held academic positions as an Associate Professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah and as an Associate Professor of Physiology and Developmental Biology at Brigham Young University, demonstrating his deep knowledge and expertise in these fields.
Dr. Bearss’s academic career began following completion of a Ph.D. in cell biology from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas, and a post-doctoral fellowship at the Institute for Drug Development at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center also in Texas. His expertise extends to healthcare economics, policy, and the business of life sciences, making him uniquely qualified to discuss the complex forces shaping today’s healthcare landscape.
Through Good Medicine, Dr. Bearss uses his wealth of knowledge to engage in meaningful dialogue with leading experts and bring practical insights to audiences interested in the future of healthcare.
