# Samuel Murphy

> Samuel Murphy is co-founder and CEO of Salubris Biotherapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech in Gaithersburg, Maryland developing complex biologics for cardiovascular, oncology, and neurodegenerative disease. A Penn-trained virologist who did his postdoc in the lab that became Spark Therapeutics, he spent a decade in pharma strategy consulting and life-sciences investment banking before joining Salubris in 2017 and taking the CEO seat in 2020. His lead program, JK07, is the first clinical-stage selective ErbB4 agonist aimed at being a disease-modifying biologic for heart failure. He also runs international business development for the company's Chinese parent, Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Salubris Biotherapeutics
- **Organizations:** Salubris Biotherapeutics, Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals, GO Therapeutics, Mercator MedSystems, IMS Health / IQVIA, PriceSpective
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology / Virology, University of Pennsylvania, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Gene Therapy and Translational Medicine (lab of Kathy High, later Spark Therapeutics), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- **Known for:** Co-founded Salubris Biotherapeutics and grew it into a clinical-stage company with a multi-program pipeline, Advanced JK07, the first and only clinical-stage selective ErbB4 agonist, into Phase 2 heart-failure trials, Secured first FDA IND approval enabling US clinical trials for JK07

## Career timeline

- **2004** — Completes Ph.D. in virology at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a gene-therapy postdoc at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- **2011** — Joins PriceSpective as a Director in pharma commercial strategy
- **2012** — Becomes Senior Principal at IMS Consulting Group (later IQVIA), including a stint as head of consulting in China
- **2014** — Named Managing Director of IMS Health Capital, focused on life-sciences investment banking
- **2017** — Joins Salubris Biotherapeutics as Chief Business Officer and co-founder
- **2020** — Becomes Chief Executive Officer of Salubris Biotherapeutics in November
- **2024** — Salubris raises $35M to push lead programs into Phase II testing
- **2025** — Reports positive interim Phase 2 data for JK07 in heart failure; completes HFrEF cohort enrollment and opens a pulmonary-hypertension study
- **2026** — Topline primary-endpoint readout for the Phase 2 RENEU-HF study expected in the first half of the year

## Achievements

- Co-founded Salubris Biotherapeutics and grew it into a clinical-stage company with a multi-program pipeline
- Advanced JK07, the first and only clinical-stage selective ErbB4 agonist, into Phase 2 heart-failure trials
- Secured first FDA IND approval enabling US clinical trials for JK07
- Raised $35M (Series A, 2024) to fund Phase II testing
- Built a functioning US-China biopharma operation bridging Maryland and Shenzhen

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Topline primary-endpoint readout for the Phase 2 RENEU-HF study of JK07 expected in the first half of 2026.
- **2025-09** — Salubris provides updates on JK07 and JK06 clinical programs; completes HFrEF cohort enrollment and initiates the Phase 2a RENEU-PH study in pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure.
- **2025-01** — Company announces positive interim data from the Phase 2 trial of JK07 in heart failure.
- **2024-04** — Salubris Biotherapeutics raises $35M to advance lead programs into Phase II clinical testing.

## Links

- Website: https://salubrisbio.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/samuellmurphy

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/samuel-murphy
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-06