David Lucchino

A Pittsburgh native, Lucchino graduated in 1987 from Central Catholic High School.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=lucchi000dav|title=David Lucchino Career Stats Leagues Statistics & History Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=2018-02-09}} He is the son of Judge Frank Lucchino and is the nephew of former Boston Red Sox president Larry Lucchino.{{Cite web |title=Lucchino had rooting interest |url=https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2002/01/28/cape-cod-times-sports-lucchino/50990577007/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=Cape Cod Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |first=Jonathan |last=Saltzman |date=February 2, 2018 |title=Five things you should know about David Lucchino |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2018/02/02/five-things-you-should-know-about-david-lucchino/jC4pXsXTB9sH2e4hwt3joK/story.html |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US}}

Lucchino obtained an MBA degree from MIT Sloan School of Management as an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/2d0cc00a-6c3e-11e1-b00f-00144feab49a|title=A degree of choice for the older and wiser student|date=2012-03-19|website=Financial Times|access-date=2018-02-09}} Lucchino also holds a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Denison University.{{Cite web |title=FREQ Company Profile & Executives - Frequency Therapeutics Inc. - Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/FREQ/company-people/executive-profile/152174267 |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=www.wsj.com}}

David began in the life sciences in 2000 as a co-founder at LaunchCyte, a biotechnology investment entity backed by the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.{{Cite web |last=Freese |first=Peter |date=2016-04-24 |title=David Lucchino |url=https://synapse.mit.edu/2016/04/24/david-lucchino/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=SYNAPSE |language=en-US}} LaunchCyte has founded and backed numerous companies. These include a portfolio firm that partnered with Biogen to develop a clinical-stage candidate for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and a contract research organization, Reaction Biology, that was sold in 2022 to a private equity firm.{{Cite web |title=Semprus Biosciences CEO David Lucchino makes use of his scientific curiosity |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/print-edition/2011/09/09/semprus-biosciences-ceo-david-lucchino.html |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}{{Cite web |title=Reaction Biology Announces Closing of Growth Investment from Cobepa and Chief Executive Officer Transition |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reaction-biology-announces-closing-of-growth-investment-from-cobepa-and-chief-executive-officer-transition-301503880.html |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}

In 2006, while earning his MBA at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Lucchino joined a team led by Professor Robert S. Langer to create implant surface technology that prevents blood clotting and infection. Based on that work, Lucchino co-founded, along with Langer, Semprus BioSciences.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2012/06/25/semprus-biosciences-launched-mit-lab-finds-buyer-for-medical-device-technology/617v0I3fOJlRRPk5UIOwVN/story.html|title=Semprus Biosciences, launched in MIT lab, finds buyer for medical device technology |work=BostonGlobe.com|access-date=2018-09-11}} Lucchino secured $28.5 million in venture capital financing and $5.4 million in federal funding to advance the technology and the company.{{Cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/business/healthcare/articles/2010/12/13/semprus_biosciences_lands_another_18m/|title=Semprus BioSciences lands another $18m|last=Kirsner|first=Scott|date=2010-12-13|work=Boston.com|access-date=2018-09-11}} The team ultimately gained FDA marketing and European CE marketing clearance for the medical device.{{Cite web |title=Creating a permanent bacteria barrier |url=https://news.mit.edu/2013/semprus-biosciences-1010 |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=Massachusetts Institute of Technology |language=en}} Teleflex (NYSE: TFX) acquired Semprus in 2012.{{Cite web |title=Teleflex Incorporated Buys SEMPRUS BioSciences for Up to $80 Million |url=https://www.biospace.com/article/teleflex-incorporated-buys-semprus-biosciences-for-up-to-80-million-/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=BioSpace |language=en-US}}

Lucchino also worked at the Boston-based venture capital firm Polaris Partners, where he focused on healthcare investing.{{Cite web |title=Movers and shakers in tech and biotech |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/techflash/2013/09/movers-and-shakers-in-tech-and.html |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}

In 2013 Lucchino co-founded Frequency Therapeutics, first serving as chair and subsequently taking on the president and CEO roles alongside co-founders Langer and biomedical engineer Jeffrey Karp from Harvard Medical School.{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Stefani |date=2017-04-17 |title=Frequency Therapeutics Receives $32 Million Funding for Drug to Treat Hearing Loss |url=https://hearingreview.com/inside-hearing/industry-news/frequency-therapeutics-receives-32-million-funding-drug-treat-hearing-loss |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=The Hearing Review |language=en-US}} Frequency Therapeutics is a regenerative medicine company focused on developing therapeutics to activate a person's innate potential to restore function within the body. The company initially focused on cochlear restoration.{{Cite web |title=Reversing hearing loss with regenerative therapy |url=https://news.mit.edu/2022/frequency-therapeutics-hearing-regeneration-0329 |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=MIT News {{!}} Massachusetts Institute of Technology |language=en}} Lucchino took Frequency public in October 2019. The company is listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol FREQ.{{Cite web |date=January 21, 2020 |title=Frequency Therapeutics Making the Right Noises, IPO Lockup Expires on Mar.31 |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/frequency-therapeutics-making-the-right-noises-ipo-lockup-expires-on-mar.31-2020-01-21 |access-date=January 21, 2020 |website=Nasdaq.com}}

A merger with Korro Bio was announced on November 3, following scandals amongst David Lucchino and other board officials for inside trading prior to the disclosure of the real FX-322 results.https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52745-New-drug-cocktail-may-be-future-treatment-for-sensorineural-hearing-losshttps://ir.korrobio.com/news-releases/news-release-details/korro-bio-and-frequency-therapeutics-announce-closing-merger-and Frequency Therapeutics promptly dissolved afterwards.

From 2018 to 2020, Lucchino was chair of MassBio, a 1500-member biotechnology trade association based in Cambridge, MA. During his term, Lucchino led the founding of "Project Onramp", a program that provides internships in life science companies for students from underserved communities.{{Cite web |title=David Lucchino |url=https://www.massbio.org/about/board-of-directors/david-lucchino/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=MassBio |language=en-US}} The program has served hundreds of students and has expanded to Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Diego, and New York City.{{Cite web |first=Ryan |last=Cross |date=February 6, 2023 |title=Boston biotech internship program aims to increase diversity through expansion |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/06/business/boston-biotech-internship-program-aims-increase-diversity-through-expansion/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US}}

Former Governor Charlie Baker appointed Lucchino to the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council; Lucchino is also a member of the College of Fellows for the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering.{{Cite web |title=Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council {{!}} Mass.gov |url=https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-stem-advisory-council |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=www.mass.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=David Lucchino Dr. David Lucchino Inducted into Medical and Biological Engineering Elite - AIMBE |url=https://aimbe.org/dr-david-lucchino-inducted-into-medical-and-biological-engineering-elite/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |language=en}} Lucchino is on the boards of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and was part of a NOLS expedition that summited Denali.{{Cite web |title=David L. Lucchino |url=https://themmrf.org/about/board-of-directors/david-l-lucchino/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=themmrf.org |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=David Lucchino {{!}} NOLS Profile |url=https://www.nols.edu/en/employee_directory/profile/david-lucchino/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=www.nols.edu}}

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Category:1969 births

Category:Living people

Category:Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh) alumni