Derek Small
Derek Small has served as a member of our Board of Directors since April 2024. Mr. Small is the founding Managing Director of Luson Bioventures, a mental health and neuroscience focused biopharmaceutical venture creation firm founded in 2007, and has been CEO or Chairman of 7 of Luson’s new ventures.
Mr. Small is an accomplished biotechnology entrepreneur who has founded and grown multiple companies focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapies for challenging health conditions. In 2014, Mr. Small co-founded an infectious disease and GI focused company called Assembly Biosciences (Nasdaq: ASMB), serving as President and CEO through 2019, and continued on the board of directors until 2020. During this time, Mr. Small also served as founder and CEO of Assembly China, based in Shanghai, China, established to develop and commercialize Assembly’s novel Hepatitis B therapies in Asia. From 2008 to 2014, Mr. Small served as a founding director, President and CEO of Naurex, Inc., a privately held company developing novel therapies for central nervous system (CNS) and psychiatry disorders. From 2009 to 2012, Mr. Small served as a founding director, President and CEO of privately held biotechnology company Coferon, Inc. In addition to these ventures, Derek serves on the board of directors for Biocrossroads, a non-profit life sciences organization, and other private companies, and serves as an advisor to multiple academic institutions. Mr. Small received a BS degree in business from Franklin College and studied global business at Harlaxton College in England.