Dario C. Altieri, M.D. is an internationally recognized cancer biologist and biotech innovator with a distinguished career advancing breakthrough oncology research. He is the Co‑Founder of Accanito Therapeutics, where he applies decades of expertise in cancer biology and translational science to guide the company’s therapeutic strategy.
Dr. Altieri serves as President and CEO of The Wistar Institute, a global leader in cancer and biomedical research, and is Director of the NCI‑designated Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center. A pioneering scientist, he leads a laboratory focused on the survival mechanisms of tumor cells—work that has identified new therapeutic targets across multiple cancer types and advanced a first‑in‑class anticancer agent into a phase 1 clinical trial.
With more than 260 scientific publications and leadership roles across major academic and research institutions, Dr. Altieri brings unparalleled scientific insight and a lifelong commitment to translating cutting‑edge cancer biology into transformative therapies for patients
Umar Hayat, Ph.D. is a seasoned biotech entrepreneur and scientific leader with a distinguished career spanning drug discovery, pharmaceutical development, regulatory strategy, and therapeutic commercialization. As the Founder and CEO of Accanito Therapeutics, Dr. Hayat is advancing a new frontier in oncology through the development of mitochondrial‑targeted cancer therapies.
Dr. Hayat serves as Chairman of Hayat HealthCare Inc., providing strategic leadership to HPC LLC and Trials360 LLC and is the Founder and Managing Partner of Revive Pharma US, a company focused on innovative 505(b)(2) drug‑repurposing programs.
Dr. Hayat’s leadership portfolio includes serving as Chief Technology Officer of Gladius Therapeutics and holding senior scientific and operational roles at Relypsa, Anacor, and Transcept Pharmaceuticals—organizations collectively involved in multibillion‑dollar acquisitions. His contributions have played a pivotal role in the approval and commercialization of several important therapies,
His scientific and operational contributions have supported the approval and commercialization of several important therapies, including Veltassa® for the treatment of hyperkalemia, Intermezzo® for the treatment of middle of the night insomnia (MOTN), Kerydin®, for the treatment of onychomycosisEucrisa® for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, and Unafra® non-Opioid drug for the treatment of post-surgical pain management.
Dr. Hayat holds a Ph.D. in Process Engineering from INP‑Toulouse, France, completed a post‑doctoral fellowship at École Polytechnique de Montréal, Canada and earned an M.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of the Punjab, Pakistan
