Management Team

Dr. Bisgaier is BioSavita’s Chairman and CEO. He has an extensive 40 years of experience in drug discovery, research and preclinical and clinical development in both large (Parke-Davis/Warner-Lambert and Pfizer) and small pharmaceutical companies. His experience has led to multiple successful pharmaceutical, medical device projects or startup companies. 

He and his teams developed or discovered key cardiovascular, metabolic disease, neurological and oncology assets including those for prevention and treatment of common and rare diseases. Assets he participated in developing include LOPID® (gemfibozil), Lipitor® (atorvastatin calcium), NEXLETOLTM (bempedoicAcid), Gemcabene, the dNAVTM medical device, PNT-2258, CETP inhibitors, ETC-216, DT-678, and BF-844. 

He also serves on the board member of Diapin Therapeutics and Hygieia Medical, is a scientific advisor to Imagine Pharma and to the Usher III Initiative. 

He co-founded Esperion Therapeutics, Michigan Life Ventures, Michigan Life Therapeutics, Gemphire Therapeutics, and recently GeneToBe. GeneToBe focuses on rare diseases and utilization of next-generation Crisper/Cas9 technology He is a named inventor on many patents, patent applications, and has published around 100 peer reviewed manuscripts and reviews. Dr. Bisgaier is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan and has served on the board of The Michigan Society for Medical Research (MISMR), a non-profit organization. He received his B.A. degree in Biology at the State University College at Oneonta, NY (1974), his M.S (1977) and Ph.D. (1981) in Biochemistry at George Washington University, Wash., D.C., and his Post-Doctoral Training (1983) in Lipoprotein Metabolism within a Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) for atherosclerosis at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY, NY.  

Dr. Motwani has over 30 years of experience in biomedical research. As a founder of BioSavita, she has been successful in receiving NIH grant funding and has invented patented novel yeast platform technologies that describe the rapid and cost-effective production of complex biological proteins. The production platform which includes genetically engineered yeast and plug-and play system is now applied for rapid and cost-effective production of vaccines for pandemic infections like Covid-19.

Dr. Motwani’s extensive experience includes:immunology, cell and molecular biology, microbiology and protein expression in S.cerevisiae and Pichia yeast and mammalian cells.  Dr. Motwani played a key role in the start-up of three biotechnology companies, Delta Biotechnology, Strohtech/Apex Bioscience and ApoLife/BioSavita.  Delta Biotechnology developed a process for the secretion of recombinant human serum albumin in yeast which lead to the product candidate, Albuferon(Human Genome Sciences). At Apex Bioscience, Nalini’s team was responsible for the development of S.cerevisiae yeast platform technology for the production of low cost, high volume recombinant products such as hemoglobin. 

Apex Biosciences moved its operations to RTP, North Carolina and Dr. Motwani negotiated an arrangement with Apex to start ApoLife, Inc. in Detroit and the company was reorganized as BioSavita in 2012.  She has been successful in securing NIH-SBIR and state grants, private funds for the company. Under her leadership, the BioSavitascientific team developed a proprietary plug-and play expression system for cost-effective production of recombinant proteins including heterodimer of cytokines,  monoclonal antibodies and vaccines in yeast. Nalini’s experience at the Technology Transfer office at the University of Michigan has helped her set up successful collaborations and licensing with researchers at academic institutions and at biopharma companies. Nalini has been serving as a reviewer for the NIH for SBIR, R01, U19 grants for the past ten years. 

She received her Master’s degree from Haffkine Institute in Bombay, a premier technology Institute for vaccine research in India. She received her Ph.D. in Immunology at Wayne State University (MI), completed her post – doctoral research with National Research Service Award from NIH.  Nalini was a visiting scholar at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

Mr Riegger has over 35 years of experience as successful entrepreneur and venture investor. He has launched and funded medical device companies for diagnostics and healthcare IT. 

He is a venture investor and senior executive, has experience developing business strategy for early stage companies. By focusing on the core capabilities and competitive positioning of the firm, Mr. Riegger creates and harvests value for shareholders. 

He was responsible for achieving strategic and financial objectives including two-time INC 500 company Intelliseek. 

He founded two and successfully sold four technology companies. 

He has been responsible for Profit and Loss responsibility and operating experience for leading companies in the stages from startup to $25 Million in sales. He raised an aggregate $138M of equity financing in operating roles. 

He is currently invested in six life sciences companies and on the board of two nanoMAG and OcuSciences. Kurt received his BS in Molecular Biology and Mathematics and Masters in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan. 

Dr. Srivastava is an experienced leader in research and drug discovery & development for the past three decades in multiple therapeutic areas and advancing several NCEs and biologics through preclinical and clinical testing. Dr. Srivastava served in multiple leadership positions including; head of preclinical pharmacology at Tularik Pharma (now Amgen), Sr. Principal Scientist at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Executive Director at Esperion Therapeutics (ESPR), and  Sr. Director at Gemphire Therapeutics (GEMP, now NRBO). As an Executive Vice President at Piramal Life Sciences (India), Dr. Srivastava led the joint international drug discovery efforts with Merck and Eli Lilly.

Recently, as  a consultant, Dr Srivastava helped optimize the dendritic cell therapy to treat solid tumors, which is in phase 3 clinical trial, and coordinated preparation of pre-IND briefing book for non-replicating recombinant adeno-associated virus expressing anti-influenza antibodies. Prior to joining the industry, Dr. Srivastava served for 10 years on the faculty of the Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine (MO) and carried out gene regulation studies that influence lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis. His doctoral studies was on microbial biochemistry and optimization of the fermentation process for industrial enzyme production from B. stearothermophilus and purification of the secreted enzyme. Dr. Srivastava’s postdoctoral studies revealed the presence of a processome like structure in the inner membrane of E. coli where RNA processing of rRNA, tRNA and small stable RNA take place, which may influence production of secretory proteins.  He received his  Ph.D. in Microbial Biochemistry from DDU University, India, and a Diploma in MBA from IICT, India. He has authored 90 peer-reviewed research papers, 4 book chapters, 3 patents, and 60 presentations in international conferences and symposia.