Marc Hertz
President & Chief Executive Officer GRI Bio, Inc.
Dr. Hertz is a biotechnology executive and entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience leading public and private life sciences companies. He is Co-Founder, President, and CEO of GRI Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: GRI), and has previously served as CEO of Pharmexa, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of a publicly traded European biotech, and co-founded multiple biotechnology companies across disease areas. Dr. Hertz has deep scientific expertise in immunology, autoimmunity, fibrosis, and oncology, with a track record of advancing novel therapeutics — including biologics, DNA-based therapies, and small molecules — from concept through Phase 3. He holds a B.A. from Bowdoin College and a Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbiology from the University of Colorado Medical School.
Seminars
As antifibrotic developers aim to intervene earlier in disease, traditional endpoints such as FVC, eGFR, biopsy, and long-term clinical outcomes may be too slow, invasive, or insensitive to demonstrate early therapeutic benefit. This workshop will explore how biomarker, imaging, and endpoint strategies can be integrated to detect antifibrotic efficacy sooner, enrich the right patients, and build confidence in early proof of disease modification.
Discussion Topics Include:
- Integrating multi-omic approaches combining proteomics, spatial transcriptomics, and single-cell sequencing to capture the complexity of fibrotic disease progression, improving trial success rates and accelerating paths to approval
- Defining what earlier proof of antifibrotic efficacy should look like across lung, kidney, liver, gut, and skin fibrosis, and where traditional endpoints such as FVC, eGFR, biopsy, and long-term outcomes fall short
- Evaluating how circulating biomarkers, imaging, digital pathology, collagen turnover markers, and molecular signatures can be integrated to detect treatment response earlier
- Utilizing non-invasive biomarker strategies including blood-based assays and advanced imaging to enable frequent longitudinal monitoring, improving patient recruitment and retention while detecting drug activity with greater sensitivity
- Navigating regulatory hurdles in endpoint acceptance
- Examining the evolution of antifibrotic drug development over the past decade, including scientific advances, regulatory progress, and persistent challenges
- Discussing lessons learned from clinical successes & failures that can inform future development strategies
- Envisioning the next decade: breakthrough opportunities in fibrosis resolution, precision medicine, and cross-indication therapeutic development
