About Us

Intrommune is a New York City-based biotechnology company dedicated to simplifying allergy immunotherapy.

Intrommune’s core technology enables immunotherapeutic agents to be delivered in a specially formulated toothpaste designed to incorporate and stabilize allergenic proteins, representing a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of peanut and other food allergies.

Conducting allergy immunotherapy via teeth brushing is referred to as oral mucosal immunotherapy (OMIT). OMIT delivers allergenic proteins to the areas of the oral cavity, potentially driving the immune system toward tolerance without ingestion of the allergen. OMIT may address a significant health care need in the industrialized world, where the spread of food allergies has been characterized as an “epidemic.”

Intrommune’s mission is to develop safe, effective, and easy-to-use health solutions for individuals suffering with food allergy so that they and their loved ones can live their lives without fear.

Company Leadership

Management

Michael Nelson, JD

CEO & Board Member

Michael Nelson, JD

CEO & Board Member

Mr. Nelson graduated from Cornell University and received his J.D. from New York University School of Law. He has a background in law, finance and management. Previously, he was an analyst at Barclays Capital and ING, was an investment banker at Westwood Capital and CIBC World Markets and practiced law at Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Dewey Ballantine.

Michael Holfinger, PhD

Chief Technology Officer

Michael Holfinger

Chief Technology Officer

With a decades-long proven track record of leadership and clinical success, Dr. Holfinger brings years of process and product development, manufacturing and supply operations experience, including analytical development and quality control for multiple small molecule and food allergy drug candidates in clinical development.

Before joining the Intrommune team, Dr. Holfinger served as Chief Technical Officer at Alladapt Immunotherapeutics and as Vice President of Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls at Pliant Pharmaceuticals, overseeing process and product development, manufacturing and supply operations, as well as analytical development and quality control for multiple drug candidates in clinical development. Dr. Holfinger spent five years as Senior Vice President of Aimmune Therapeutics with a focus on supporting the clinical development and commercialization of Palforzia®. Prior to this, Dr. Holfinger held increasingly senior roles with companies such as Alexza, Affymax, Pfizer, Pharmacia, and Upjohn.

He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Applied Science and Chemistry from Miami University.

Nicole Faris

Strategic Director, Medical Affairs & Clinical Development

Nicole Faris

Strategic Director, Medical Affairs & Clinical Development

Nicole Faris is an experienced medical business leader with over 15 years of experience in medical and clinical affairs and strategic communication. While occupying senior roles in a leading fortune 500 company for over a decade, Nicole consistently delivered groundbreaking insight in clinical, academic and commercial sectors across the US and EU.

Along with a keen commercial awareness and robust track record of success at global and national levels, Nicole blends a solid business acumen with a comprehensive understanding of the life sciences. Her clinical research expertise, thorough understanding of the clinical development pipeline and product commercialization, combined with a wealth of experience in medical marketing and sales within global enterprises has made her a key player in shaping Intrommune’s clinical journey.

Christopher R. Schuster, MBA

Chief Financial Officer

Chris Schuster

Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Schuster is the Managing Director at Banyan Asset Advisors, LLC, and a financial executive with over 30 years of hands-on accounting and operations management experience in high-tech, life sciences and pharmaceutical industries. Chris’ background includes both Fortune 500 and early-stage company experience with demonstrated accomplishments in mergers & acquisitions, fundraising, manufacturing, business development, Initial Public Offerings, and investor relations. Chris was a business partner to over 60 International operations, managed multi-billion-dollar investments and foreign currency portfolios, supported private placements, and managed public SEC filings. Chris has an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Babson’s F.W Olin Graduate School of Business, and a BS from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management.

Nandini Murthy

Head of Regulatory

Nandini Murthy

Head of Regulatory

Ms. Murthy is Principal and Founder of ENEM Consulting LLC, a regulatory consulting firm based in MA. As a Consultant with over 25 years of experience in industry, Ms. Murthy has worked with clients in industry and academia, on novel digital therapeutics, cardiovascular, gastroenterology devices and device-biologic and device-drug combination products.
Ms. Murthy has developed regulatory strategy, represented clients at FDA meetings and successfully authored FDA submissions for novel products, typically with no precedent regulatory pathway at the Agency. She has also led regulatory projects with inter-Center review, including neonatal device-biologic products, devices with GRAS components and drug delivery systems with mobile/digital applications. In addition to her core expertise in regulatory affairs, Ms. Murthy has designed and executed clinical trials and established quality systems to ISO and FDA Quality System requirements. This complementary work experience enables Ms. Murthy to provide the kind of comprehensive regulatory support crucial to novel, early-stage ventures, aligning the engineering and clinical support documentation with overall regulatory strategy.

Ray Forslund Ph. D, MBA

Head of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls

Ray Forsland Ph.D.

Head of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls

Dr. Forslund received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago and his MBA from Babson College. Ray has 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry working for both pharmaceutical and CRO/CMO companies. In his current role as Senior Vice President at Syner-G BioPharma Group, Ray leads the CMC Development, Project Management, and Quality Assurance business units. His combination of scientific and business knowledge allow him to deliver advice and solutions that not only work as a technical matter, but make sense for his client’s business. Specifically, Ray’s team at Syner-G BioPharma Group is made of a diverse group of scientists who follow his lead in providing practical scientific solutions for drug development programs including identifying and managing CRO/CMO/CDMOs for clients to support drug substance, drug product and analytical development activities in biologics, small molecules and peptides. Ray’s scientific team is also tasked with providing CMC strategy and Program Management oversight of development and clinical stage programs, while also leveraging Syner-G’s regulatory specialists as needed. Previously, Ray was part of the Senior Leadership team at Laurus Synthesis Inc. (LSI), a Boston based CRO/CMO where he led the Project Management group. He began his pharmaceutical career as a process chemist at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and then moved on to Ironwood Pharmaceuticals holding several scientific positions of increasing responsibility, leaving as a Senior Manager of Operations.

Miles McLennan

Head of Clinical Operations

Miles McLennan

Head of Clinical Operations

With over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Miles is a seasoned business executive specializing in sales, marketing, and clinical operations. Miles has a proven track record of building and leading high-performance teams both domestically and globally. Known for a collaborative approach and commitment to exceeding expectations, Miles consistently delivers high-quality business solutions across multiple functions as demonstrated in previous clinical and product management roles with high-powered organizations including Bayer, Allergan, AbbVie, Avira Digital, and PharmaPact Consulting.

Leveraging extensive corporate experience in new product development and commercialization, Miles has proven essential in guiding Intrommune’s pipeline products through clinical trials and brings a wealth of tried-and-true clinical program management experience to Intrommune’s management team.

Michelle Mantia

Controller

Michelle Mantia

Controller

With almost ten years of experience, Michelle brings a unique perspective to her role, stemming from her background in Actuarial Science and her diverse experience working with both innovative biotechnology companies and creative arts non-profit organizations.

Michelle works closely with the CEO and executive management to support overall financial operations and partners effectively with cross-functional departments to identify opportunities for cost reduction and efficient budget management. She is passionate about the intersection of finance and innovation, particularly in technologies aimed at societal betterment, and appreciates the creative spirit inherent in the biotech sector, which resonates with her involvement in the arts.