Pharmaceutical POOL
Dr. Anders EKBLOM Dr. Briggs MORRISON AstraZeneca Bolsters R&D Leadership Global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has tapped Anders Ekblom, M.D., to build and lead the science and technology integration office within the company’s R&D organization. In addition to this new responsibility, Dr. Ekblom remains CEO of AstraZeneca Sweden AB. Briggs Morrison, M.D., has been named to succeed Dr. Ekblom as executive VP, global medicines development (GMD), responsible for medicines from early development to approval and beyond. Biotechnology POOL Holger KUNZE Accera Appoints Chief Executive Accera, a privately held, commercial-stage healthcare company focused on the discovery and development of innovative therapeutics to treat central nervous system disorders, has appointed Holger Kunze CEO. Mr. Kunze was most recently regional business unit head for Nestle Health Science’s HealthCare Nutrition business unit in the Africa, Oceania, and Asia (AOA) territories. John VARIAN Xoma Names CEO John Varian, who has served as interim chief executive for Xoma since August 2011, has been named CEO of the biotech firm. The move comes as Xoma, which focuses on the discovery and development of novel antibody therapeutics, transitions from a purely discovery and development-focused entity to one with a commercial capability. Biopharmaceutical POOL Dr. Kenneth CARTER NexImmune Announces Leadership Change NexImmune, an early-stage biopharmaceutical company developing immunotherapies based on the Artificial IMmune (AIM) nanotechnology, has appointed Kenneth Carter, Ph.D., president and CEO. Dr. Carter was previously president, CEO, and co-founder of Noble Life Sciences. Dr. Eric ROWINSKY Stemline Therapeutics Appoints Medical Chief Stemline Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel oncology therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), has named Eric Rowinsky, M.D., executive VP, chief medical officer and head of research and development. Before joining Stemline, Dr. Rowinsky was executive VP and chief medical officer for Imclone Systems. He received an M.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. James WEISSMAN Dicerna Pharmaceuticals Names Business Chief Dicerna Pharmaceuticals has appointed James Weissman chief business officer, responsible for corporate development, strategy, and other operational functions. Mr. Weissman joins Dicerna from MannKind Corporation, where he was VP of business development. Dicerna is a second-generation RNA interference (RNAi) company developing novel therapeutics using its proprietary Dicer Substrate Technology and Dicer Substrate siRNA (DsiRNA) molecules. Association POOL Yvonne D’AMELIO HBA Names First Operations Chief The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) has appointed Yvonne D’Amelio its first chief operations officer. Ms. D’Amelio brings to the HBA more than 26 years of accumulated experience in finance, operations, management information systems, and human resources in the service and manufacturing environments. Before joining the HBA, Ms. D’Amelio served as the chief financial officer for Vox Medica and controller for subsidiaries of CSS Industries and Allied Signal. She has served on the HBA board of directors since 2007 in several roles, including treasurer, director of new business development, and director of technology. She was awarded the president’s award as well as the innovation award for her outstanding leadership. Ms. D’Amelio earned an MBA from Rutgers University. Nicky DODSWORTH Premier Research Executive Appointed Chair of EFGCP’s Education Working Party Nicky Dodsworth, Premier Research Group’s VP of global quality assurance, has been appointed the new chair of the Education Working Party for the nonprofit European Forum for Good Clinical Practice (EFGCP). The EFGCP Education Working Party aims at promoting education among groups involved in clinical research. Founded in 1993 during a conference at the European Parliament with the support of the European Commission, EFGCP’s purpose is to promote GCP and encourage the practice of common, high-quality standards in all stages of biomedical research throughout Europe and globally. Since its creation, EFGCP has functioned as a leading European think tank for discussion, research, and critical evaluation in the development of European health research. Agency POOL Alane AMATO Olivia GANGUZZA Cristina GLEASON Meg GRISWOLD Tamra MICCO Grace THOMPSON Natrel Announces Promotions, New Hires Natrel Communications has made a number of promotions and additions to its accounts and copy teams. Alane Amato has been promoted to account executive from senior traffic coordinator. Ms. Amato supports upper management on the agency’s busy accounts, including launch preparation, client-relationship management, and budget and timeline development. Olivia Ganguzza has been elevated to account supervisor from senior account executive. Ms. Ganguzza is responsible for managing several key accounts, with specific focus on digital marketing, including Web-focused tactics and social networks. Natrel has appointed Cristina Gleason senior account executive, supporting upper management in day-to-day client services. Ms. Gleason has six years of experience in the development of professional and direct-to-patient advertising and promotion. Meg Griswold has been promoted to account group supervisor from account supervisor. Ms. Griswold’s responsibilities include partnering with clients to formulate and implement winning business strategies. She received an MBA in marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Tamra Micco has joined Natrel as senior VP, management supervisor, responsible for managing several high-volume accounts and exploring new business opportunities. During her 18-year healthcare marketing career, Ms. Micco has overseen several product launches, as well as a broad range of U.S. and global accounts. Grace Thompson has been appointed copy supervisor. With seven years of pharmaceutical advertising experience, Ms. Thompson has launched and supported a broad spectrum of brands. Drew DESJARDINS Dudnyk Names Account Management VP Drew Desjardins has joined healthcare marketing and advertising agency Dudnyk as senior VP, strategic planning and account management. Mr. Desjardins is responsible for leading strategic planning for Dudnyk clients and overseeing the agency’s account management practices. He brings to Dudnyk almost two decades in pharmaceutical marketing experience, first at Wyeth and then Pfizer. Pamela GOYKE Publicis Touchpoint Adds Client Operations VP Publicis Touchpoint Solutions, a division of Publicis Healthcare Communications group that provides multichannel message delivery solutions for the life-sciences industry, has appointed Pamela Goyke senior VP, client operations. Ms. Goyke brings to Touchpoint almost 25 years of experience leading technology and business process organizations to top performance with particular expertise in the contact center environment. She most recently served as chief information officer and senior VP for ICT Group. Bradley GRAETZ Andy MCAFEE AbelsonTaylor Promotes Two in Creative Team Restructuring Independent healthcare agency AbelsonTaylor has promoted Bradley Graetz to creative director, from associate creative director. Mr. Graetz, who has been with AbelsonTaylor for 14 years, is responsible for overseeing drugs for the treatment of osteoporosis, lupus, diabetes, and HIV. Andy McAfee has also been promoted to creative director, from associate creative director. Mr. McAfee is responsible for products in categories ranging from oncology and inflammatory disease to diabetes, nutrition, and orthopedics. He has been with AbelsonTaylor since 2003. Gary GRATES WCGC Strengthens Leadership WCGC, the recently formed parent company of independent global communications agency WCG, has named Gary Grates to its senior leadership team to further build its global presence and expand its capabilities and offerings to clients in change management, corporate positioning, corporate reputation, strategy development/planning, employee engagement, M&A, and labor management. Mr. Grates’ duties include leading WCGC’s emerging corporate practice. He also plays a key role in developing and implementing firm-wide quality management, training and development, and organizational design to facilitate continued integration, scaling, and globalization. Mr. Grates joins WCG from Edelman, where he established and was president and global managing director of the Edelman Change and Employee Engagement practice. Consulting POOL Dr. Jason ZHANG Burrill Adds Biotech Analyst Jason Zhang, Ph.D., has joined Burrill & Company’s Burrill Merchant Banking group as a senior research analyst covering the biotechnology industry. Dr. Zhang is responsible for providing proprietary research, insight, and analysis of a select list of companies as well as broader industry trends. Dr. Zhang most recently served as a managing director and senior analyst at BMO Capital Markets. He holds an MBA from Kelley School of Business at Indiana University; a Ph.D. in cell, molecular, and neurosciences/botanic sciences from the University of Hawaii, and an M.S. in plant pathology from China Agricultural University in Beijing. CRO POOL Mark BOLIN Camargo Expands Leadership Team Camargo Pharmaceutical Services, an end-to-end drug development service provider specializing in the 505(b)(2) process, has appointed Mark Bolin VP of corporate development. Mr. Bolin is responsible for advancing the company through strategic financial and technical partnerships to meet the needs of the marketplace. He most recently served as a founding member and chief financial officer of Ricetta Rx Holdings. David BROECKER Harlan Laboratories Bolsters Management Harlan Laboratories, a contract research organization and research models and services company, has named David Broecker president, research models and services (RMS). Mr. Broecker joins Harlan after serving as CEO of BioCritica. He earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and an M.S. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. David COGGIN Michael FILLIOS Cetero Expands Leadership Team Cetero Research, an early-stage contract research organization, has made two new appointments to its senior management team. David Coggin has been named VP, biometrics, responsible for overseeing the operational management of PK/PD, data management, biostatistics, and medical writing services. Mr. Coggin was previously global head, early clinical services, clinical data management, within the clinical data, analysis, and reporting organization at Covance. He holds an MBA from Hood College, a master of computer science from the Johns Hopkins University, and a master in entomology with emphasis in biostatistics from the University of Maryland. Michael Fillios has been appointed chief administrative officer, with leadership responsibility and oversight of human resources, information technology, project management, marketing, and client services. Mr. Fillios is a 21-year veteran of industries spanning pharmaceutical manufacturing, industrial engineering, and management consulting. He was most recently responsible for strategic business relationship management and process, as well as enterprise technology integration and all global business functions at ITT Corporation. Dr. Hua GONG Premier Research Adds Diagnostics Expertise Premier Research Group has appointed Hua Gong, M.D., Ph.D., executive director of medical diagnostics, with responsibility for overseeing the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) business within the contract research services company. Dr. Gong was most recently associate director, medical diagnostics at Prometheus Therapeutics and Diagnostics. She received a medical degree in preventive medicine from An Hui Medical University in Hefei, China, a doctorate in cancer biology from Wayne State University in Detroit, and a master of sciences in biostatistics from Sun-Yet-Sen University of Medical Sciences in Guangzhou, China. Service POOL Ian MCGUINNESS Qforma Appoints Business Development VP Qforma, a provider of healthcare analytics and predictive modeling for the health-sciences industry, has named Ian McGuinness VP, business development. Mr. McGuinness joins Qforma from IMS Health, formerly SDI, where he spent nine years, initially in a consulting role and then as a senior sales executive. Before SDI, he worked in financial services at Merrill Lynch, before moving into data warehousing and business analytics at Hired Brains. Biotechnology POOL Dr. John MONAHAN Adeona Pharmaceuticals Names Senior VP Adeona Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company focused on the emerging field of synthetic DNA-based therapeutics, has appointed John Monahan, Ph.D., senior VP of research and development. The move comes as Adeona has proposed changing its name to Synthetic Biologics to better reflect its new mission and primary business. Dr. Monahan was most recently founder and CEO of Avigen. He received a Ph.D. in biochemistry from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. Biopharmaceutical POOL David DRUTZ Dara BioSciences Names Permanent CEO Dara BioSciences has named David Drutz president and CEO. Mr. Drutz had previously served as interim CEO for the company. Dara is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical development company that acquires promising therapeutic molecules in early-stage development (late preclinical or Phase I). Dr. Howard LEVY Daniel REGAN Dr. Karen TUBRIDY Inspiration Announces Key Leadership Hires Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused exclusively on the development and commercialization of new treatment options for people with hemophilia, has expanded its leadership team with key hires. Howard Levy, M.D., Ph.D., has been named chief medical officer. Dr. Levy was previously chief medical officer at Sangart. He received a Ph.D. and an MBBCh from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Daniel Regan has been appointed chief commercial officer. Mr. Regan joins Inspiration from Genzyme, where he was most recently general manager, senior VP of the U.S. personalized genetic health business unit. Karen Tubridy, Pharm.D., has joined Inspiration as VP and Factor IX launch team leader. Dr. Tubridy was most recently executive director, clinical operations and regulatory affairs, translational medicine for Alexion Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Tubridy received a Pharm.D. from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences. Ronald MARTELL Former Poniard Chief Joins NeurogesX NeurogesX, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel pain management therapies, has named Ronald Martell president and CEO. Mr. Martell joins NeurogesX from Poniard Pharmaceuticals, where he was CEO. Device/Diagnostic POOL Peter ARDUINI Leadership Transition at Integra LifeSciences Medical device company Integra LifeSciences Holdings has appointed Peter Arduini president and CEO. Mr. Arduini joined Integra LifeSciences in November 2010 as president and chief operating officer. He holds a master’s in management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Dr. Angelo DE MARZO Predictive Biosciences Appoints Medical Chief Predictive Biosciences, a provider of molecular diagnostic tests, has named Angelo De Marzo, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer. Dr. De Marzo brings to Predictive an extensive background in prostate cancer research and urological pathology practice. He has served as a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine since 1998. Dr. De Marzo received an M.D. and a Ph.D. in experimental pathology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Generic POOL Christopher ARINGTON Chris GILMORE David VUCUREVICH Prasco Expands Key Executive Roles Prasco Laboratories, a privately held healthcare company specializing in authorized generics , has promoted Co-Founder Christopher Arington to vice chairman and CEO. In other promotions, Chris Gilmore has been named VP, strategic business ventures. Mr. Gilmore was previously a Prasco authorized generics busin ss executive. David Vucurevich, R.Ph. has been elevated to president, chief operating officer. Emerging POOL Dr. Jaime ESCOBEDO Dennis FRANCE Dr. Mark TEBBE Forma Therapeutics Strengthens R&D Team Forma Therapeutics has made three additions to its R&D team, greatly expanding the company’s oncology drug discovery capabilities. Jaime Escobedo, Ph.D., has joined Forma as VP, biology. Dr. Escobedo was previously head of translational biology and pharmacology at Novartis Oncology. He received a Ph.D. in genetics from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University in New York. Dennis France has been named executive director and head, biomolecular screening. Mr. France previously served as VP of oncology lead discovery at ArQule. Mark Tebbe, Ph.D., has been named VP, medicinal and computational chemistry. Dr. Tebbe has held multiple leadership positions at Lilly, including head of discovery chemistry in Hamburg, Germany, head of chemistry in Research Triangle Park, N.C., and manager of global operations for discovery chemistry. Consulting POOL Debbie WARNER Kantar Health Strengthens Oncology Expertise Kantar Health, a healthcare-focused global consultancy and marketing insights company, has appointed Debbie Warner as a VP in the commercial planning group. Ms. Warner is responsible for leading Kantar Health’s oncology commercial strategies team. Ms. Warner has more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as managed markets brand director, specialty care oncology growth brands for AstraZeneca. Dr. Andrew ZISKIND Huron Consulting Adds Healthcare Practice Director Business consulting services provider Huron Consulting Group has named Andrew Ziskind, M.D., a managing director in its Huron Healthcare practice. Dr. Ziskind’s duties include leading Huron Healthcare’s clinical solutions service line. Dr. Ziskind joins Huron Healthcare from Accenture, where he provided leadership for the accountable care organization and academic health system practices and was a senior executive in the health and public service operating group. He received a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and an MBA from the Sellinger School of Business, Loyola College of Maryland. Medical-Education POOL Megan BEAUCHAMP Megan GAINER Hye-Mi LLOYD Kelly OSELKA Alexandra STOJILJKOVIC Staff Promotions at Discovery Chicago Discovery Chicago has announced several promotions among its account staff. Megan Beauchamp and Megan Gainer have both been promoted to senior account manager. Hye-Mi Lloyd has been promoted to account director, advocacy, responsible for identifying advocacy opportunities and developing strategy, direction, and action plans. Ms. Lloyd also is responsible for establishing relationships with clients, key physicians, and community-based organizations advocates and relevant associations and/or advocates. Kelly Oselka and Alexandra Stojiljkovic have both been promoted to senior account managers. Service POOL Dr. Amar SETHI Pacific Biomarkers Promotes Scientific Chief Pacific Biomarkers (PBI), a provider of biomarker and specialty efficacy testing services to the drug development industry, has promoted Amar Sethi, M.D., Ph.D., to chief scientific officer, from VP, research and development. Dr. Sethi succeeds Co-Founder Elizabeth Teng Leary, Ph.D., who has assumed a senior scientific advisory role while remaining active in scientific and business development activities at PBI. Dr. Sethi trained as a physician at the University of Copenhagen and received a Ph.D. in genetic epidemiology from the same institution. Technology POOL Mitch LAWRENCE Victor MORRISON Former Teva Executives Join Next IT Next IT, a provider of intelligent virtual assistants for business, is expanding its sales team to address the significant customer support needs of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries by helping to tailor online self-service solutions that improve pharmaceutical compliance and healthcare outcomes. Mitch Lawrence has been named senior VP, sales of Next IT. Mr. Lawrence was most recently accountable for all of Teva’s formulary, contracting, and brand initiatives with third-party payer accounts in the western United States, overseeing and training the region’s staff of account managers. Victor Morrison has been appointed Next IT’s VP, sales, healthcare market. During his 22 years at Teva, Mr. Morrison played a critical role in defining Teva’s vision for pharmacy and specialty pharmacy interaction. He also conceived and developed the parameters for the clinical study of an enhanced interface between MS patients, specialty pharmacies, and physicians and its impact on compliance, adherence, and patient outcomes.
