leadership

Anthony Mack is a pharma and biotech entrepreneur with more than 35 years of experience founding, scaling, and exiting life-science companies. His leadership approach centers on breakthrough science, defensible intellectual property, disciplined execution, and strategic alliances where partners invest, serve on boards, and help build long-term value. 

Career Highlights

• ProSolus Inc. —  Founder and CEO of a transdermal drug-delivery company. Brought in Mission Pharmacal as a strategic investor and board participant, ultimately leading to the company’s acquisition. 
• Scilex Pharmaceuticals —  Chairman, President & CEO. Secured a strategic investment from Itochu Chemical Frontier (ITOCHU Corporation), which became the company’s largest investor with board-level collaboration. Scilex was later acquired by a publicly traded biopharma company. 
• Virpax Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRPX) —  Chairman & CEO. Completed a successful NASDAQ IPO (2021) and raised $60M (IPO + follow-on). Advanced multiple neuroscience programs, expanded intellectual property, and obtained NIH and DoD non-dilutive funding. 

As President & CEO of Pathways Neuro Pharma, Anthony is driving the development of next-generation gene therapies for Juvenile Parkinson’s Disease (JPD) and related rare neurological disorders.

The company’s strategy targets the two core biological drivers of early neurodegeneration:

1. Mitochondrial Gene Replacement

Focused on restoring mitochondrial quality-control pathways in patients with genetic deficiencies such as PINK1.

The goal is to engage upstream mechanisms of neuronal survival and reduce early cellular deterioration. (Patent pending)

2. Receptor-Level Dopaminergic Modulation

Focused on enhancing physiological dopaminergic responsiveness—without chronic overstimulation associated with L-dopa and dopamine agonists—aimed at reducing tolerance, dyskinesia, and psychiatric complications over time.

AAV Gene Therapy Delivery

Pathways’ programs utilize clinically established AAV delivery systems, selected for their relevance to CNS-targeted applications and translational continuity.

The company prioritizes modalities that:

• Support pediatric and young-adult patient safety
• Align with regulatory precedent
• Enable scalable, durable therapeutic expression
• Reduce complexity for future commercial distribution

This delivery approach allows Pathways to remain flexible, choosing the most appropriate capsid for the indication, regulatory environment, and clinical trajectory.

What Anthony Brings (for Investors & Strategic Partners)

• Strategic alliances that invest and govern
  Proven history of partnerships where capital, board participation, and operational collaboration accelerate growth.
• Capital formation expertise
  $100M+ raised across ventures, including public-market experience (IPO + follow-on).
• IP and non-dilutive funding
  Track record of building patent portfolios, securing NIH/DoD grants, and executing strategies aligned with rare pediatric regulatory frameworks.
• Operator discipline
  Translates complex science into clear milestones, partnering pathways, and development decisions designed to create value for patients, investors, and acquirers.

At Pathways, this approach is applied with urgency and purpose:

to develop durable therapies for families living with devastating neurological diseases, and to build enduring value for stakeholders.

All Pathways programs are investigational; safety and efficacy have not been established in humans.

Doug Centilli is an experienced executive with two decades of service at the United States Capitol in Washington DC where he held the positions of Chief of Staff to United States Congressman Kevin Brady and Director of National Econmic Policy for The Joint Economic Committee. He played key roles in healthcare policy including the areas of biotechnology and R&D. Doug is a Member of the Founders' circle of The Texas A&M Institute for Genomic Medicine, a cutting-edge genomic research center that houses the world’s largest library of embryonic mouse stem cells.  

Mr. Centilli’s public service began in the Texas Capitol in Austin where he held senior positions for members of the House of Representatives and served as a Special Assistant in the Office of Governor Bill Clements. He serves on the board of the Archer Center at the University of Texas and Sights Unseen, a unique program that provides vision care in developing countries. 

Doug also serves on the advisory board of Helping a Hero, an organization that provides specially adapted homes and community support for severely injured military personnel. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he was also a member of the Texas A&M football team.