Phlow

Phlow’s impact-driven team serves as a catalyst in the life sciences community, pushing the industry on a day-to-day basis to build better medicine for all. Making this bold mission possible, Phlow has assembled leaders in contract development and manufacturing, continuous flow and other advanced manufacturing technologies, policy and regulatory science, cybersecurity, and more. As proven experts in their fields, the people making up Phlow’s team represent a diverse range of experiences, from increasing access to lifesaving medications for HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other diseases around the world to lowering the cost of high-cost generic medicines at the pharmacy counter here at home. The individuals who make Phlow possible have unmatched experience in research, development, and commercialization of APIs, pharmaceuticals, and medical device products. In addition to having a deep understanding of the challenges associated with building complex products using new technology and advanced manufacturing facilities, Phlow’s team recognizes that the quality, efficiency, and affordability of medicines are paramount to a stable healthcare system.

Examples of the brilliant minds and servant leaders who make up Phlow’s team include:

Dr. Eric Edwards: Dr. Edwards is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Phlow Corp. As CEO, Dr. Edwards has assembled a world-class team committed to providing a solution to the broken essential medicines supply chain and over-reliance on foreign manufacturers for our Nation’s highest-priority medicines. Dr. Edwards was previously the co-founder of Kaléo, Inc., a pharmaceutical company in Richmond, VA. During his 16 years at Kaléo, he held several executive management positions, including Chief Science Officer, where he was responsible for overall scientific strategy and all pharmaceutical development programs; Chief Medical Officer, where he was responsible for developing a medical affairs team and capability while operationalizing the company’s clinical program strategy; and Vice President of Innovation, overseeing Kaléo’s research and development pipeline and overall new product strategy. Dr. Edwards is the co-inventor of multiple marketed products, including AUVI-Q, an epinephrine auto-injector for the treatment of allergic emergencies (anaphylaxis). He is named on over 215 issued and patent-pending applications and is a published author on numerous scientific publications. Dr. Edwards also continues to serve his community by volunteering on a local rescue squad, including responding to 911 calls and training paramedics in pre-hospital emergency care. He obtained his B.S. in Biology, Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Doctor of Medicine degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia.

Dr. Frank Gupton: Dr. Gupton is a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and holds joint appointments in the Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Life Science Engineering. He is the Floyd D. Gottwald Chair of Pharmaceutical Engineering and also serves as Department Chair of the Chemical and Life Science Engineering Department. His thirty-year industrial career centered on the development and commercialization of chemical processes for pharmaceutical applications. Dr. Gupton’s research group is currently focused on the development of continuous processing technology to facilitate the discovery, development, and commercialization of drug products. Prior to joining the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University, Dr. Gupton served as the Executive Director of North American Process Development for Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and led the commercialization of the widely prescribed HIV drug nevirapine. Dr. Gupton received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Richmond and graduate degrees in Organic Chemistry from Georgia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University. His research efforts have focused on streamlining pharmaceutical processes, particularly in the area of active ingredients, by employing the principles of process intensification, which include the use of innovative chemistry, novel continuous manufacturing platforms, and new and more efficient catalysts for pharmaceutical applications. The research group’s efforts are guided by both financial and economic impacts that can be derived from this work. Dr. Gupton is the recipient of the 2018 American Chemical Society Award for Affordable Green Chemistry, and in the same year, he received the Presidential Award for Green Chemistry. In 2019, he received the Peter J. Dunn Award for Green Chemistry and Engineering Impact in the Pharmaceutical Industry from the ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Round Table. These awards were associated with Dr. Gupton’s work on the development of a highly efficient process to produce nevirapine, a first-line treatment in HIV therapy.

About the Author

Taye Shobajo