Dr. Dallas Hack Appointed as CEO of VirTech Bio
VirTech Bio, creators of OxyBridge™, the most advanced human-derived Hemoglobin Based Oxygen Carrier (HBOC) platform currently in development, announced the appointment of COL(R) Dallas Hack, MD, as their new CEO, March 17, 2022.
“We are excited and honored to have Dr. Hack take over the helm,” said Matias Vidal, VirTech Bio’s Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, “His military and medical credentials are exceptional and his in-field experience as the Army Central Command (Forward) Surgeon, the Multinational Force (Iraq) Command Surgeon, and subsequently Director of the US Army Combat Casualty Care Research Program (CCCRP) uniquely positions him to lead our development efforts into the clinical stage.”
COL(R) Hack had joined VirTech as Director of Medical Affairs in 2017 when he discovered that VirTech had made substantial progress in meeting the need for an HBOC after many other companies had failed. Dr. Hack will continue in that role. He served as Senior Medical Advisor to the Principal Assistant, Research and Technology, US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) from 2014 to 2015. From 2008 to 2014, COL(R) Hack was the Director of the Combat Casualty Care Research Program (CCCRP) at USAMRMC where he coordinated trauma research across the Department of Defense. He oversaw 650 research projects and the application of $2 billion in federal funds for trauma research. COL(R) Hack helped establish the PROPPR series of trauma clinical trials that demonstrated optimal blood product ratios for massive blood loss.
“I am delighted to lead VirTech Bio and help advance the OxyBridge platform—a true life-line for those who have suffered severe blood loss or hemorraghic shock and the medical professionals who battle against the clock in those emergency situations,” said COL(R) Hack. “I know it’s the #1 priority for combat casualty care at the US Department of Defense. For civilians, too, it can help reduce the nearly 2 million deaths per year due to blood loss.” COL(R) Hack added, “This is personal for me, after what I experienced in Iraq and Afghanistan. I deeply understand how vital this science is.”
OxyBridge is a patented human hemoglobin-derived oxygen carrier solution that can be stockpiled for emergencies as it requires no refrigeration. It is universally compatible, requiring no crossmatch prior to IV administration, and can be utilized when blood is not an option. By delivering oxygen to tissues, it extends the critical life-saving timeline for cases of hemorrhagic shock and for donor organs prior to transplant, the two target indications to be addressed initially. OxyBridge manufacturing is currently being transitioned to cGMP under contract with FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies in Texas in preparation for the Phase I clinical trial with funding awarded by the US DoD through the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC).
For more information about VirTech Bio, visit www.virtechbio.com.