People On The Move: Specialty Pharma Companies

Karen Reeves, M.D., has been appointed by AZTherapies as president and chief medical officer. Most recently, Dr. Reeves held the position of VP, head Global Clinical Submissions Quality and Innovation, Worldwide Research and Development, at Pfizer Inc. AZTherapies is an advanced clinical-stage drug development company that is discovering, developing, and commercializing novel Alzheimer’s disease and ischemic stroke treatments.

Saiid Zarrabian has been appointed interim CEO of DelMar Pharmaceuticals Inc. Jeffrey Bacha, cofounder of DelMar, will continue in his senior management role as president and in the newly created position of chief operating officer. Zarrabian and Bacha will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors. Zarrabian joined the DelMar board of directors in July 2017. DelMar is focused on the development and commercialization of new therapies for cancer patients who have limited or no treatment options.

Lorenz Muller has become chief commercial officer of Milestone Pharmaceuticals. Muller brings nearly 30 years of pharmaceutical industry experience to Milestone where he served startup-to-large multinational companies. Most recently, he held commercial leadership roles in the launch of multiple specialty pharmaceutical products for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, including Ranexa, Effient, and Savaysa. Muller joins Milestone from Exact Sciences Corp. where he served as VP, Marketing.

Edgar Braendle, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed executive VP, head of research and development and chief medical officer of Boston Biomedical Inc. Dee Mahoney is now senior VP and chief commercial officer. Dr. Braendle previously served as president and CEO of ARUP Laboratories. Mahoney was co-founder and president of DMH BioPharm Advisors. Boston Biomedical, founded in November 2006, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co. Ltd. and has a mission is to develop the next generation of cancer therapeutics by creating drugs designed to target cancer stemness pathways.

Alan Kimura, M.D., Ph.D., is now chief medical officer, Durga Bobba is chief business officer, and Aron Stein, Ph.D., is VP of Regulatory Affairs & Quality Assurance of SutroVax. Prior to joining SutroVax, Dr. Kimura served as VP, Clinical Development at Translate Bio and then as senior medical director of Global Clinical Development at Shire and Novartis Vaccines. Bobba was most recently the head of marketing for MyoKardia and VP, project team leader for Mavacamten, a Phase II orphan drug for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Bobba replaces the position held by SutroVax co-founder Ash Khanna, Ph.D., who has served as chief business officer since the company’s formation. Prior to SutroVax, Dr. Stein served as VP of Regulatory Affairs at Bavarian Nordic A/S. SutroVax is an independent vaccine platform and development company whose mission is to deliver best-in-class conjugate vaccines and novel complex antigen-based vaccines to prevent serious infectious diseases.

Laurent Fischer, M.D., has been appointed chairman of the board of CTI BioPharma Corp. Additionally, David H. Kirske has been promoted to chief financial officer and Bruce J. Seeley was named chief operating officer. Dr. Fischer has been a director at the company since July 2017. Dr. Fischer is currently senior VP, head of the Liver Therapeutic Area at Allergan following the acquisition of Tobira Therapeutics. Kirske joined the company earlier in 2017 and served as the principal financial and accounting officer. Seeley joined the company in 2015 and served as the chief commercial and administrative officer and secretary. CTI BioPharma is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of novel targeted therapies covering a spectrum of blood-related cancers that offer a unique benefit to patients and healthcare providers.