Pharmaceutical POOL
Deirdre CONNELLY
GlaxoSmithKline Selects Head of North American Pharma Business
Deirdre Connelly, former president of U.S. operations at Eli Lilly, has joined GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) as president, North American pharmaceuticals. Ms. Connelly was appointed president of U.S. operations at Eli Lilly in 2005. Previously, she was senior VP for human resources for Lilly. She had joined Lilly in 1983 as a sales representative. “As an accomplished senior leader within our industry, Deirdre is somebody who truly understands the needs of patients and our customers and can drive the efforts we are making to reshape this business and improve future growth," says Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ms. Connelly graduated from Harvard University’s advanced management program in 2000. She was recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the 50 most powerful women in business in 2006 and 2007. Albert ROS Boehringer Ingelheim Promotes Marketing VP Boehringer Ingelheim has promoted Albert Ros to executive VP of sales and marketing for the company’s prescription medicines business. Mr. Ros is responsible for leading the U.S. sales and marketing strategy for Boehringer Ingelheim’s core brands. Mr. Ros has been with Boehringer Ingelheim for 14 years, most recently serving as head of the corporate division for marketing of prescription medicines. He holds a pharmacy degree from the University of Barcelona, an MBA from ESADE Business School in Barcelona, and a postgraduate degree in general management from IESE Business School in Barcelona. Dr. Lisa SHIPLEY Merck Selects Pharmacokinetics VP Merck has named Lisa Shipley, Ph.D., VP of drug metabolism/pharmacokinetics (DMPK) of its Merck Research Laboratories (MRL) business. Dr. Shipley has joined Merck after 20 years at Lilly Research Laboratories, where she most recently served as VP of drug disposition and PK/PD and trial simulations. Dr. Shipley is responsible for overseeing MRL’s global DMPK organization, providing DMPK expertise throughout the product life cycle for Merck’s portfolio of vaccines and pharmaceuticals products and working with the company’s six therapeutic franchises to improve the speed and efficiency of drug discovery and development. Dr. Shipley received a doctorate in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. She has served as a National Research Council Research Fellow at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and is a member of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics, among other organizations. Biopharmaceutical POOL Dr. Daniel BOLLAG Kelly SCHMITZ Dr. Andreas WOPPMANN Ariad Pharmaceuticals Expands Management Team Ariad Pharmaceuticals has appointed three senior executives to newly created positions on its management team as it prepares to file a new drug application for oral deforolimus in patients with metastatic sarcomas. Ariad discovers and develops medicines to treat cancer by regulating cell signaling with small molecules. Daniel Bollag, Ph.D., has joined Ariad as senior VP, regulatory affairs and quality. Dr. Bollag previously served as VP, regulatory affairs, for Genzyme. Dr. Bollag received a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Cornell University and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Princeton University. Ariad has selected Kelly Schmitz as VP, information technology and operations. Mr. Schmitz previously served as VP, solutions practice, for Maxiom Consulting Group. Andreas Woppmann, Ph.D., has been named VP, manufacturing operations. Most recently, Dr. Woppmann was VP, pharmaceutical development, operations, and quality, at Indevus Pharmaceuticals. He received a doctorate from the Free University of Berlin for research conducted at the Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin. Samantha MILLER New VP at Jennerex Clinical-stage oncology biotherapeutics company Jennerex has appointed Samantha Miller VP of corporate development. Ms. Miller has more than 15 years of biotechnology and pharmaceutical business development experience and has negotiated, executed, and managed numerous global partnerships, as well as regional partnerships in the United States, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere. She has been involved in executing more than 30 partnerships and licenses with companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Astellas, and others. Ms. Miller has held senior positions in business development, including the title of VP, for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies such as Anesiva, Theravance, Scios, Onyx, and Procter & Gamble. She holds an MBA and a master’s degree in immunology from the University of Rochester. Specialty POOL Barry LEE Cumberland Expands Product Team Cumberland Pharmaceuticals has appointed Barry Lee product director, with responsibility for leading the prospective launch and commercialization of new products. In this role, Mr. Lee will draw upon his 24 years of pharmaceutical sales and marketing experience to lead the prospective launch and commercialization of new products for the company. Mr. Lee joins Cumberland after more than two decades with Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, where he held a variety of sales and marketing roles, including overseeing the launch of Yasmin, a birth-control product. Cumberland is a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops and markets branded prescription products for targeted physician segments, including hospital acute care and gastroenterology. Generic POOL Christine MUNDKUR Former Barr Labs Chief Joins Sandoz as Head of U.S. Operations Sandoz, the generic pharmaceuticals division of Novartis, has selected former Barr Laboratories CEO Christine Mundkur to serve as CEO of its U.S. generics operations and head of commercial operations for North America. Ms. Mundkur joined Barr in 1993 as associate counsel, moving on to positions of increasing responsibility in legal, regulatory affairs, and quality before assuming the top position at Barr Laboratories. She holds a J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law and a B.S. in chemistry from Saint Louis University. Emerging POOL Michael GREY Industry Veteran Joins Auspex as CEO Auspex Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage company developing next-generation medicines with improved safety and performance through the targeted deuteration of clinically validated drugs, has appointed Michael Grey president and CEO. Mr. Grey has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, most recently as president and CEO of SGX Pharmaceuticals, which has been acquired by Eli Lilly. Media POOL Barbara AMSTUTZ Quadrant Adds Medical Education Director Medical-journal publisher Quadrant HealthCom has selected Barbara Amstutz as director of medical education. In this role, Ms. Amstutz is working closely with the publishing teams of Cosmetic Dermatology, Cutis, Pulmonary Reviews, and The American Journal of Orthopedics. Most recently, Ms. Amstutz was director of strategic planning and program development at Ascend Institute for Medical Education, where she was responsible for continuing medical education sales. Service POOL Brenda DAVID Bill MCKENNA Sheritta SESSION ScienceFirst Adds, Promotes Staff Medical communications and data services provider ScienceFirst has announced two new hires and one promotion to its staff. Brenda David has joined ScienceFirst as senior meeting planner. She was previously senior sourcing and contracting manager for Advogent Group. Bill McKenna has been promoted to senior program manager. In his time with ScienceFirst, he has played a strategic role in the start up of a speakers’ bureau operation. Sheritta Session has been appointed program coordinator for ScienceFirst. Ms. Session previously worked at Veritas Institute for Medical Education. Dr. Scott ROYAL Abt Appoints Domestic Health Lead Consulting firm Abt Associates has promoted Scott Royal, Ph.D., M.P.H., to division VP, leading the domestic health division. In this role, Dr. Royal is responsible for overseeing Abt’s behavioral health, health policy, and public health and epidemiology practices. He received a Ph.D. and M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. F Send your personnel announcements to [email protected]. talent pool executive appointments and promotions in the healthcare industry Pharmaceutical POOL Dr. Howard FELDMAN Bristol-Myers Squibb Strengthens R&D Leadership Howard Feldman, M.D., has joined Bristol-Myers Squibb’s research and development organization as VP and therapeutic area head, global clinical research, neuroscience. Dr. Feldman previously served as professor with University of British Columbia and head of the Division of Neurology for Vancouver Coastal Health. Dr. Feldman earned an M.D. from McGill University and received a FRCP(C) in neurology after completing a fellowship in neuromuscular diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at the University of British Columbia. Biotechnology POOL Dr. David KING Dr. Steve NEBEN Hamza SURIA AnaptysBio Expands Senior Management Team AnaptysBio, a privately held therapeutic antibody platform and products company, has appointed three recognized experts in antibody therapeutics, business development, and project and alliance management to its senior management team as part of its strategic growth plan for 2009 and beyond. David King, Ph.D., has joined AnaptysBio as VP, research. Dr. King has more than three decades of R&D experience in therapeutic antibodies, most recently as senior director, molecular biology & biochemistry, for Medarex. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom and was a Glaxo Group Research postdoctoral fellow. AnaptysBio has appointed Steve Neben, Ph.D., senior director, project and alliance management. Dr. Neben is an expert in immunology and the discovery and development of biologics, including therapeutic antibodies. He most recently served as director of project and alliance management for Xoma. Dr. Neben received a Ph.D. in biophysics and medical physics from the University of California at Berkeley and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School. Hamza Suria has been named VP, corporate development. Mr. Suria was previously senior director, business development, at Maxygen. He received an M.S. in immunology from the University of Western Ontario in Canada and an executive MBA from the university’s Richard Ivey School of Business. Dr. Michael KITT New Medical Chief at Nuon Nuon Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on novel therapies for autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases and pain, has named Michael Kitt, M.D., chief medical officer. Dr. Kitt was most recently senior VP, development, at Theravance. He earned an M.D. from New York University. Dr. Steven ZELENKOFSKE Regado Biosciences Names Medical Affairs Chief Steven Zelenkofske, D.O., F.A.C.C., has joined Regado Biosciences as senior VP, clinical and medical affairs, and chief medical officer. Dr. Zelenkofske most recently served as VP, cardiovascular/thrombosis medical unit – U.S., at Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Zelenkofske earned a master’s degree in biochemistry and immunopharmacology at Emory University and a medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and holds certifications in clinical cardiac electrophysiology, cardiology, and internal medicine. Regado is a spinout of the Department of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center focused on the discovery and development of acute-care injectable antithrombotics. Biopharmaceutical POOL Dr. Mark ERION Metabasis Taps Scientific Chief to Succeed Resigning CEO Metabasis Therapeutics has promoted Mark Erion, Ph.D., to president and CEO, succeeding Paul Laikind, Ph.D., who has resigned to pursue other opportunities. Dr. Erion, one of the founders of Metabasis, has served as executive VP of research and development since 1997, and was appointed chief scientific officer in 2005, a role he has retained following his transition to president and CEO. At Metabasis, Dr. Erion has been responsible for building the research and development teams that advanced five candidates into clinical development and for discovering the company’s HepDirect and NuMimetic technologies. Dr. Erion received a Ph.D. in chemistry from Cornell University and was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has authored more than 112 publications and is named as an inventor on 35 U.S. patents. Metabasis is a biopharmaceutical company using its proprietary technologies, scientific expertise, and unique capabilities for targeting the liver and liver pathways to develop novel therapies to treat metabolic and other diseases. William NEWELL CEO Shift at Sutro Biopharma Sutro Biopharma has appointed William Newell to succeed Daniel Gold, Ph.D., as CEO. Dr. Gold remains the company’s president and chief operating officer. Mr. Newell was previously president of Aerovance. Sutro Biopharma, formerly known as Fundamental Applied Biology, is a leader in the controlled synthesis of protein biotherapeutics using its patented open cell-free synthesis (OCFS) technology, which employs controlled, catalytically driven biochemical reactions to manufacture therapeutic proteins. Thomas TARLOW Hana Biosciences Adds Regulatory Affairs VP Thomas Tarlow has joined Hana Biosciences as VP, regulatory affairs and quality. Mr. Tarlow most recently served as VP, regulatory affairs and document archives, for Tercica. He received an M.S. in comparative pathology from the University of California at Davis. Hana is a biopharmaceutical company focused on strengthening the foundation of cancer care. Emerging POOL Dr. Yaron HADARI Michael SCHMERTZLER Kolltan Strengthens Executive Team Kolltan Pharmaceuticals, a next-generation oncology therapeutics company, has added two executives to its leadership team. Yaron Hadari, Ph.D., has been named VP of research. Dr. Hadari has a rich background in receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) research and the development of monoclonal antibody therapeutics, the core of Kolltan’s technology platform. Before joining Kolltan, Dr. Hadari spent seven years at ImClone Systems, most recently as the senior director of the cell biology department. He received an M.S. from the Department of Chemical Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, and a Ph.D. from the Department of Molecular Cell Biology at the same institution. Dr. Hadari is a member of the American Societies of Cancer Research. Michael Schmertzler has joined Kolltan as CEO. Mr. Schmertzler brings to Kolltan more than 30 years of leadership experience in the biotechnology, private equity, and investment-banking industries, much of which he has spent building, financing, and investing in early-stage healthcare companies. He currently serves as chairman of PTC Therapeutics and as a director of Cytokinetics. Mr. Schmertzler holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Dr. Lilly KONG Dr. Ming-Chou LEE PrimeraDx Strengthens Leadership PrimeraDx, a company dedicated to the emerging field of molecular diagnostics, has appointed two senior managers to its leadership team. Lilly Kong, D.V.M., has been named chief scientific officer. Dr. Kong previously served as VP of research and development for Focus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics. A veterinarian, virologist, and molecular biologist by training, Dr. Kong holds a D.V.M. from National Taiwan University in Taipei. She also earned an M.S. in veterinary microbiology from Auburn University and had postdoctoral fellowship training in hematology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Ming-Chou Lee, Ph.D., has joined PrimeraDx as VP of assay development. Dr. Lee most recently was R&D director for Focus Diagnostics. He received an M.S. in microbiology from Texas Tech University and a Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Roman SKOWRONSKI AcelRx Adds Clinical Development VP AcelRx Pharmaceuticals has hired Roman Skowronski, M.D., Ph.D., as VP, clinical development. Dr. Skowronski was previously director of clinical development at Alza. AcelRx is an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of intermittent and acute medical conditions, with an initial emphasis on pain management. CRO POOL Dr. Barry TURNBULL BioBridges Strengthens Statistical Consulting Team Barry Turnbull, Ph.D., has joined clinical development consultancy BioBridges as principal consultant. Dr. Turnbull is responsible for providing BioBridges’ clients with statistical consulting services, including clinical trial design and protocol development and CRO biostatistical and data management oversight. Dr. Turnbull was most recently a principal staff member at BattelleCRO, formerly CareStat. He received a doctorate with a concentration in biostatistics and experimental design from Boston University, and completed a Charles Dana Human Research postdoctoral fellowship at Tufts-New England Medical Center. Dr. Richard WALOVITCH New Medical Chief at WorldCare Clinical Imaging CRO WorldCare Clinical (WCC) has named Richard Walovitch, Ph.D., chief medical officer. Dr. Walovitch was previously senior VP of clinical research at Acusphere. Dr. Walovitch provides medical leadership for the entire organization by acting as the company’s liaison to its network of physicians and teaching hospitals as well as to its in-house medical expertise through parent company, ProScan Imaging. He received a doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Addiction Research Center in the neurochemistry section. Service POOL Henry CHE Axel HAGEL Drug Safety Experts Join Intrasphere Intrasphere Technologies, a technology-consulting firm with a core focus on the life-sciences industry, has added two subject matter experts to its drug safety practice. Henry Che joins Intrasphere from CSS Informatics, where he served as a principal consultant. Axel Hagel brings to Intrasphere extensive experience in the delivery of pharmacovigilance solutions, including seven years as VP of Relsys International. Technology POOL Dr. Hussein AL-KHALIDI Former P&G Statistician Joins Statking Statking Consulting, a provider of data-related services for clinical trials, has hired Hussein Al-Khalidi, Ph.D., as director of biostatistics. Dr. Al-Khalidi has more than 15 years of statistical experience in all phases of preclinical and clinical development, most recently as a statistician with Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals. He received a Ph.D. in statistics from Texas A&M University. Ruth DESMOND Stream57 Taps Healthcare VP Stream57, a provider of fully customizable Webcasting and streaming media communications, has selected pharmaceutical industry veteran Ruth Desmond as VP, healthcare. Ms. Desmond has nearly three decades of experience, most recently serving as Merck’s executive director, global e-marketing. F