Isaac Manke
About Isaac Manke
Isaac Manke, Ph.D., is an independent director of OKUR, with more than 15 years in life sciences as an investor, research analyst, consultant, and scientist; he has served on the Legacy OnKure board since March 2021 and continued on OKUR’s Board following the merger closing . He holds B.A. degrees in Biology and Chemistry (Minnesota State University, Moorhead) and a Ph.D. in Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Structure (MIT), with discoveries published in Science and Cell and four issued patents . As of April 2025, he is 48 and also serves on the board of Q32 Bio (NASDAQ: QTTB) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acorn Bioventures | General Partner | Since Apr 2020 | Focus on small-cap public/private biotech investing |
| New Leaf Venture Partners (NLV) | Investor; led public investments | ~2008–2019 | Oversight of NLV Biopharma Opportunities Funds (2014–2019) |
| Sanford C. Bernstein | Associate, Global Biotechnology Equity Research | Prior to NLV | Sell-side biotech research |
| Deutsche Bank | Associate, Biotechnology Equity Research | Prior to Bernstein | Sell-side biotech research |
| Health Advances | Senior Analyst (biopharma/med device strategy) | Prior to DB/Bernstein | Strategy consulting |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q32 Bio (NASDAQ: QTTB) | Director | Since Oct 2020 | Director nominee age 48 as of Apr 16, 2025 |
| Addex Therapeutics Ltd (NASDAQ: ADXN) | Director | Since 2016 | Board independence affirmed under Nasdaq; audit committee service at Addex |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (OKUR post-merger): Audit Committee member; Compensation Committee member; Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Chair .
- Committee independence: Audit, Compensation, and Nominating/Corporate Governance committees composed of independent directors and compliant with Nasdaq and SEC rules .
- Independence: Determined independent under Nasdaq in prior public board service (Addex), supporting independence profile; OKUR committees meet Nasdaq independence requirements .
- Board leadership: Andrew Phillips appointed Chair of the Board (OKUR) .
| Committee | Role | Members (incl. Manke) | Independence/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Member | R. Michael Carruthers (Chair), Andrew Phillips, Isaac Manke | Nasdaq/SEC-compliant; financial expert designated |
| Compensation | Member | Andrew Phillips (Chair), Isaac Manke, Edward T. Mathers | Independent under Nasdaq |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Chair | Isaac Manke (Chair), Valerie M. Jansen | Independent under Nasdaq |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Option Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (OKUR) | 14,752 | 247,557 (ASC 718 grant-date fair value) | 262,309 |
Notes:
- Option award fair values computed under ASC 718; amounts do not reflect actual realized value upon vesting or exercise .
- Outside Director Compensation Policy was adopted/ratified around the merger; Pearl Meyer engaged to benchmark director pay .
Performance Compensation
| Performance Component | Disclosure | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| PSUs/Performance-based equity for directors | None disclosed | Filings indicate director compensation comprised cash fees and stock options only for 2024 (no PSUs/metric-tied awards) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Overlap/Interlock Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Q32 Bio (NASDAQ: QTTB) | Director | Concurrent public directorship; elected to receive annual cash director fees in stock options in 2024 at Q32 Bio |
| Addex Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ADXN) | Director | Independent director; prior audit committee service |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Scientific credentials: Ph.D. in Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Structure (MIT); publications in Science and Cell; 2003 “Signaling Breakthroughs of the Year”; four issued patents .
- Investment and governance: General Partner at Acorn Bioventures; led NLV public investing programs; multiple board/observer roles in biotech, providing capital markets and portfolio oversight expertise .
- Sector breadth: Experience across private/public biotech, equity research, and strategy consulting—useful for audit and compensation oversight in development-stage biopharma .
Equity Ownership
| As of Dec 31, 2024 (OKUR) | RSUs Outstanding (shares) | Options Outstanding (shares) |
|---|---|---|
| Isaac Manke, Ph.D. | — | 15,300 |
Notes:
- Vested vs unvested breakdown, ownership % of outstanding shares, pledging/hedging disclosures not provided in cited excerpts .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent director with chair role on Nominating & Corporate Governance, suggesting active influence on board composition, governance framework, and evaluations .
- Audit and Compensation committee membership supports alignment with financial oversight and pay governance; committees meet Nasdaq/SEC independence standards .
- Balanced director pay at OKUR (~$262k total; ~94% equity by ASC 718), indicating at-risk orientation typical for small-cap biotech governance .
-
Potential Conflicts / Red Flags:
- Affiliation with Acorn Bioventures, a significant legacy OnKure shareholder (8,567,245 Series C Preferred shares as of May 31, 2024); Manke may be deemed to have voting/investment power via Acorn’s GP, though he disclaims beneficial ownership beyond any pecuniary interest. This represents a related-party proximity and potential conflict risk that warrants ongoing audit committee oversight of related-party transactions .
- No disclosed director attendance metrics for OKUR in available filings, limiting assessment of engagement/meeting participation .
-
Compensation structure signals:
- OKUR director comp comprised cash fees and stock options; no performance-metric-linked equity (PSUs) disclosed for directors, consistent with early-stage biotech norms but reduces explicit performance alignment through quantified targets .
- Policy benchmarking with Pearl Meyer suggests attention to market comparability; details of vesting schedules and ownership guidelines not surfaced in excerpts, so monitoring is advised .
-
Independence and process safeguards:
- Audit committee chartered to review related-party transactions; committee composition satisfies Nasdaq/SEC independence and includes a designated financial expert, mitigating conflict risks from investor-affiliated directors .