Keith Murphy
Matinas BioPharma HoldingsAbout Keith Murphy
Keith Murphy (age 54) joined Matinas BioPharma’s Board in March 2025 as an independent director. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from MIT and is an alumnus of UCLA Anderson, with a 30-year biotechnology operating background including Amgen and Alkermes, and founding/executive leadership at Organovo and Viscient Bio .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organovo Holdings (Nasdaq: ONVO) | Executive Chairman; Director | Re-joined Board July 2020; Executive Chairman since Sept 2020 | Led product/platform strategy; governance leadership at a public biotech |
| Viscient Bio (private) | CEO & Chairman | Founded 2017; ongoing | Drug discovery in 3D tissue/multi-omics; operating leadership |
| Organovo, Inc. (pre-going public) | President, CEO & Chairman | Aug 2007–Feb 2012 | Built NovoGen MMX bioprinter platform; early partnerships |
| Organovo Holdings | President & CEO; Chairman | Feb 2012–Apr 2017 (CEO); Chairman to Aug 2017 | Grew company via investments and pharma partnerships |
| Amgen | Global Operations Leader, denosumab (Prolia/Xgeva); various roles | Aug 1997–Jul 2007 | Led commercial ops on >$6B franchise; supply/launch ops |
| Alkermes | Development team member (Nutropin Depot) | Jul 1993–Jul 1997 | Contributed to first approved product development |
| Kintara Therapeutics (Nasdaq: KTRA) | Director; Compensation & Nominating/Gov’t Committees | Aug 2020–Feb 2022 | Committee service at a public biopharma |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Patient Left Behind | Co-Chair, Board | Current | Healthcare policy advocacy |
| California Life Sciences | Board Member | Current | State industry policy/advocacy org |
| Organovo Holdings (ONVO) | Executive Chairman; Director | Current | Public biotech directorship |
| Viscient Bio | CEO & Chairman | Current | Private company leadership |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; Member, Compensation Committee .
- Independence: Board determined Murphy is independent under NYSE rules and meets heightened independence for compensation committee membership under SEC/NYSE standards .
- Governance structure: Board has Audit, Compensation, and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees; Audit Chair is Evelyn D’An (financial expert); related-party transactions reviewed by Audit Committee .
- Attendance: Company disclosed 2024 directors met ≥75% attendance; Murphy joined in 2025—no 2024 attendance applicable .
Fixed Compensation
- Standard non-employee director compensation plan: Murphy to be compensated per Company’s standard plan; specific cash retainer/fee amounts not disclosed in 2025 filings for current directors .
- Director award limit (policy): Annual accounting value cap of $300,000 for non-employee directors; $500,000 in initial year; subject to customary adjustments .
Performance Compensation
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Exercise Price | Fair Value | Vesting | Expiration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Options (Non-Employee Directors) | Apr 30, 2025 | 11,600 options | $0.59/share | $24,609 | Fully vests on earlier of one-year anniversary or change in control | 10 years | Awards subject to shareholder approval of 2025 Plan |
- Performance metrics: No performance-based metrics disclosed for director equity; vesting is time-based with single-trigger acceleration upon change in control .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Listing | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organovo Holdings | Nasdaq: ONVO | Executive Chairman & Director | Separate public biotech; Company disclosed no related-party transactions with Murphy |
| Viscient Bio | Private | CEO & Chairman | Private entity; no related-party transactions disclosed |
| Kintara Therapeutics | Nasdaq: KTRA (prior) | Director; committees | Prior service only; no current interlock at Matinas |
- Purchaser nomination rights: Preferred stock purchasers hold Board nomination rights (initially Robin L. Smith); Murphy was appointed independently; provides context for Board composition dynamics .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technical/operational background: Chemical engineering (MIT); executive training (UCLA Anderson). Product development leadership (denosumab at Amgen; Nutropin Depot at Alkermes) and 3D bioprinting platform co-inventor at Organovo .
- Governance: Prior committee service (compensation, nominating/governance) and current chair of Matinas’ Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Murphy | – | Less than 1% | As of May 9, 2025; options granted Apr 30, 2025 were not exercisable within 60 days and thus not counted |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep biotech operating experience; chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance, supporting board refresh and oversight; meets heightened independence for compensation committee .
- Alignment: Director options grant creates some equity alignment; annual director award limits cap compensation; clawback/recoupment provisions apply under 2025 Plan .
- Risks/RED FLAGS: Low current beneficial ownership reduces “skin in the game” alignment . Single-trigger acceleration of director options upon change in control is shareholder-sensitive and can be viewed as a red flag in some governance frameworks . Board composition influenced by preferred holders’ nomination rights—continued monitoring warranted for independence and potential conflicts .
- Related-party and conflicts: Company states no related-party transactions with Murphy; Audit Committee oversees related-party approvals, mitigating conflict risk .