David R. Gastfriend, M.D.

David R. Gastfriend, M.D. is a psychiatrist and internationally recognized addiction treatment researcher, policy expert and technology developer. Gastfriend led research on the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria for placing patients in addiction treatment programs, which is now standard in more than 30 U.S. states. After 25 years at Harvard Medical School and directing the Addiction Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, he was Vice President for Scientific Communications at the pharmaceutical company Alkermes® from 2004 to 2013. Gastfriend has authored over 150 scientific publications and consulted to the governments of Belgium, China, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Russia, and the U.S.

"I teamed up with BioCorRx because patients suffering from substance use disorders need more treatment options and better treatments. Substance use disorders have myriad causes and vulnerabilities. They're constantly changing over time. People and their life circumstances are diverse. BioCorRx wants to help meet these challenges. The company was willing to explore new ideas, new sources, and to consider whatever works - different pharmacologic agents, new formulations, new delivery models, and even integration of medication with behavioral approaches. These directions could be groundbreaking for patients and their loved ones."

Michael Howcroft, Pharm.D.

Michael Howcroft, Pharm.D., is currently a consulting pharmacist. Mr. Howcroft’s credentials include a B.S. in biology, an M.Sc. in biology, and is a registered pharmacist in the state of Ohio. Mr. Howcroft’s education includes Xavier University in Cincinnati, the University of Cincinnati and a fellow of the Kellogg School of Management. Mr. Howcroft was a co-founder of one of the first Pharmacy Benefit Management Companies, currently is known as Anthem. Mr. Howcroft’s experience is in drug formulary management, preferred drug list management, rebate contracting, outcomes and value-based contracts, benefit analysis and design, disease state management, drug utilization review management, data analysis, experience in writing legislative administrative code policies, an acute understanding of medical and pharmacy coding, management of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee and drug utilization review board. Mr. Howcroft also served as secretary to the Chief Medical Officer in the development and implementation of the Ohio Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team (GCOAT) which developed policies in Ohio for Opioid prescribing guidelines. Mr. Howcroft has worked with Governor Mike DeWine’s office to develop provider education programs on opioids.

"Why did I want to join and be an active partner with BioCorRx.

Addiction is on the rise in the United States and the around the world and COVID-19 has contributed to the rise in addiction. In fact, there have been recent reports of medications to treat chronic diseases being laced with small amounts of fentanyl.

Well, BioCorRx is a healthcare solutions company that is designed to help those that have addictions to alcohol, and other substances such as opioids. The company is totally focused on doing what is right for the addict. Addiction is a chronic disease and is treatable, just like any other chronic disease.

As a pharmacist I practice by a code of ethics which states that I devote my education and skills to hold the health and safety of my patients to be my first consideration.

Therefore, I enjoy working for organizations that are committed to improving the health and safety of individuals / patients.

As a pharmacist, I have seen firsthand the devastating effects of addiction on the individual, to families, friends, and co-workers. I have witnessed individuals transforming from a productive, healthy, happy life to an individual struggling with addiction, losing their job, in/out of prison, being homeless, begging for money on the street and stealing to satisfy their addiction.

People may get addicted through no fault of their own.

So, I go back to BioCorRx. Through a mutual professional colleague, I was introduced to BioCorRx and after working two years as a consultant pharmacist I can attest that all the people I work with are fully devoted to improving the health and life of addicts, there are very moving testimonials, and I am honored to be on this team."

Priya Jambehekar, M.Sc. in Organic & Biochemistry and M.S. in Pharmacy

Priya Jambehekar, M.Sc. in Organic & Biochemistry and M.S. in Pharmacy is a drug development entrepreneur with over 25 years of executive experience in worldwide regulatory, quality, clinical and pharmacovigilance operations, as well as early and late-stage development product registration and commercial support. She has held positions including Global Senior Vice President of Regulatory & Quality Operations at Paramount BioSciences, Global Vice President at Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson company, and Worldwide Vice President of Regulatory and Government Relations at Alkermes. She is certified by the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society and the New Jersey Pharmaceutical Quality Control and Assurance Society.

"Most of us know someone struggling with alcohol or opioid addiction and it is rewarding to be a part of the BioCorRx team, who is dedicated, committed, and best positioned to find a solution."

Evgeny M. Krupitsky, M.D., Ph.D., D.M.Sc.

Evgeny M. Krupitsky, M.D., Ph.D., D.M.Sc., serves as a Vice-Director for Research and the Chief of the Department of Addictions at Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology and Chief of the Laboratory of Clinical Psychopharmacology of Addictions at St. Petersburg State Pavlov Medical University, Russia. Krupitsky has received multiple national and international awards He has been published extensively in Russian and international peer reviewed psychiatric journals has been a Co-Principal Investigator of several NIDA and NIAAA grants.

"That's my personal statement: To increase efficacy of treatment of OUD!
In Russia agonist-based treatment for OUD is forbidden by the law. So the only way to increase efficacy of relapse prevention in patients with OUD is development of longer acting extended release formulations of antagonists (naltrexone)."

Jie Shen, Ph.D., Drug Delivery Expert

Jie Shen, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemical Engineering at the University of Rhode Island (URI). Prior to joining URI, Dr. Shen was a postdoctoral fellow and then Assistant Research Professor at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Shen’s current research areas of interest include: 1) sustained and/or targeted brain and ophthalmic drug delivery to improve bioavailability and reduce side effects of a variety of therapeutics; 2) in vitro dissolution testing, as well as the development of in vitro-in vivo correlation (IVIVC) for complex dosage forms such as microspheres, implants, and nanoparticles; and 3) manufacturing of advanced drug delivery systems such as liposomes, and microspheres. Dr. Shen was the recipient of AAPS Postdoctoral Fellow Award in 2014 and IPEC-Americas Foundation Emerging Researcher Award in 2017. Dr. Shen received her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China. She is also an editorial board member of the International Journal of Pharmaceutics and Frontiers in Drug Delivery-Oral Drug Delivery, and a reviewer for several scientific journals.

"The Substance Use Disorder crisis has been one of the top public health priorities in the United State. Developing safe and effective long-acting drug products is imperative to improve treatment adherence and outcomes. BioCorRx’s BICX104, a 3-month implantable naltrexone formulation, is designed for the treatment of opioid and alcohol use disorders."

Jeffrey M. Witkin, Ph.D.

Jeffrey M. Witkin, Ph.D. is a Research Fellow with RespireRx Inc, and the co-founder of the Laboratory of Antiepileptic Drug Discovery where he holds a research appointment at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI. He heads the Witkin Consulting Group that advises companies working on the development of novel therapeutics in the areas of neurology and psychiatry. For 17 years prior, Dr. Witkin headed a laboratory in Neuroscience Discovery at the Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to working at the Lilly Research Labs, he headed the Drug Development Group for the intramural research program of the NIH for 14 years. He is a world class scientist with over 250 peer-reviewed publications and multiple scientific awards and honors.

"I was very excited to receive an invitation to join the scientific advisory board of BioCorRx
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. I had previously worked with them on a potentially new treatment modality for opioid use disorder and found the team to be deeply dedicated to helping patients. As the former head of the Drug Development Group of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s intramural research program, I am fully aware of the serious medical need that exists in this patient community. For several years, I worked one-on-one with homeless people in my community where I became more personally aware of the devastating impact of drug dependence on the lives of adults, children, and our communities. Seeing firsthand, the loss of life to drugs and guns, children without parents, parents without homes, and back and forth incarceration has no words. But a positive change in just one person ripples – a three-year-old now has a mother, a homeless man now has an apartment, and a healthy example becomes a light to guide others. Being aware of these realities and knowing the pipeline of BioCorRx and the devotion of the company to implementing health and honoring life, I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the team."

George E. Woody, M.D.

George E. Woody, M.D., is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania and Principal Investigator of the Delaware Valley Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network. He is a reviewer for many journals and has authored or co-authored over 200 publications including a recent JAMA publication on Suboxone treatment of opioid addicted youth. He was a member of the DSM-IV Work Group on Substance Use Disorders and the FDA Drug Abuse Advisory Committee, has been co-editor of Treatment Improvement Protocols on methadone maintenance, and is a member of research groups studying the abuse liability of prescription opioids.

"I decided to join the advisory board of BioCorRx because it is developing a naltrexone implant that blocks or attenuates opioid effects for three months and will be submitted to the FDA for approval.  I participated in studies of a similar implant in Russia where results were positive and published in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals.  I wanted to contribute to the BioCorRx work because if successful, it will add a treatment option that can help patients with opioid use disorders who choose naltrexone treatment and is not currently available in the U.S."