William Gerhart is Chair of Sanford Burnham Prebys Board of Trustees, and has served on the board since 2013.
He is chief executive officer of Kinevant Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company focused on treatments for rare inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and entrepreneur-in-residence at Roivant Sciences, an international healthcare company focused on applying technology to drug development.
Gerhart has more than 25 years of experience in launching, financing and building companies based on promising technologies, is principal inventor on 14 issued patents and has founded, co-founded or invested in more than a dozen companies.
Prior to Roivant and Kinevant, Gerhart was CEO of Respivant Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company seeking to improve the lives of persons with pulmonary fibrosis. From 2014 to 2018, he was co-founder and CEO of Patara Pharma, which was acquired in 2018 by Roivant Sciences.
From 2008 to 2012, Gerhart was co-founder, president and CEO of Elevation Pharmaceuticals, a San Diego–based biotech company that developed a novel inhaled therapy for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, now marketed as Lonhala® Magnair®. Elevation was acquired in 2012 by Sunovion, a subsidiary of Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma.
From 2002 to 2007, Gerhart was founder and CEO of Mpex Pharmaceuticals, developer of Quinsair®, an inhaled antibiotic treatment for cystic fibrosis.
Gerhart has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School.