Pharma people on the move: Summer 2023 roundup
Pharma people on the move: Summer 2023 roundup
A review of the latest leadership moves in the pharma industry.
By Christiane Truelove
Perrigo appoints new president and CEO
Consumer healthcare giant Perrigo Company plc has named Patrick Lockwood-Taylor as its new president, CEO, and member of the board of directors. He succeeds Murray S. Kessler, who has retired.
Lockwood-Taylor joined Perrigo from Bayer AG, where he served a dual role as president of the approximately $15 billion revenue Bayer U.S. business and regional president of Consumer Health North America, achieving high single-digit growth during his tenure. As regional president of Consumer Health North America from 2018-2023, he returned the business to revenue and market share growth after multi-year declines, delivered strong compound annual growth rates, achieved best-in-class innovation-led growth, and expanded operating margins.
Before Bayer, Lockwood-Taylor served as president and CEO of The Oneida Group Inc., a private company. Prior to this position, he spent more than 20 years with Procter & Gamble in various roles, including brand franchise and general management leadership positions. During his tenure as senior VP for Procter and Gamble’s Personal Health Care business, he also served as chair of the Consumer Health Products Industry Association (CHPA).
In total, Lockwood-Taylor’s career spans more than 25 years of experience in global consumer product leadership roles, including positions in operations management, sales, marketing, country management, and general management across four continents. He holds first class joint honors degrees in economics and management studies from Leeds University, and a professional diploma in marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
According to Orlando D. Ashford, chairman of the board of directors, the appointment is the culmination of the company’s succession planning and a thorough global search process to identify the next Perrigo CEO.
“The entire board is confident that Patrick is the right leader to relentlessly execute on our Optimize & Accelerate strategy,” Ashford says. “Patrick is a proven winner with a deep knowledge of the consumer self-care industry who promotes a performance driven and inclusive culture centered around innovation, creates industry leading in-house digital marketing and e-commerce capabilities, fosters Rx-to-OTC switches, and transforms customer partnerships through mutual business development. The Board and I look forward to working with him and the leadership team to bring an intense focus on operational execution and drive long-term value for our shareholders.”
Ashford continued, “I would also like to thank Murray for his leadership over the past five years. We are grateful for his service and wish him the best in his retirement.”
Lockwood-Taylor says Perrigo is a “unique” consumer business with a strong portfolio of global brands and store brands, a meaningful presence in important self-care categories, and an “exciting” runway for growth.
“The company has earned the attention of many within the self-care industry, and I have closely followed its tremendous progress over the years,” he says. “I look forward to working with the board, leadership team and my 10,000 Perrigo colleagues around the world to achieve the company’s stated goals and deliver strong returns for shareholders.
Kyowa Kirin picks chief research officer, North America
Kyowa Kirin Inc. has chosen Gunnar Kaufmann, Ph.D., to be chief research officer. Dr. Kaufmann joins Kyowa Kirin North America (KKNA) from Oncternal Therapeutics, Inc., where he served as chief scientific officer. In his new role, Dr. Kaufmann will oversee KKNA’s team of researchers based in La Jolla, Calif., as well as the Open Innovation Department, which seeks external partnerships to accelerate drug discovery and the application of new biotechnologies. He also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at The Scripps Research Institute in the Departments of Chemistry and Immunology and Microbial Science.
“Dr. Kaufmann’s proven track record of leading drug discovery, research, and preclinical development will help Kyowa Kirin grow our future pipeline with new drug targets and therapeutic candidates that have the potential to address patients’ unmet needs,” says Yoshifumi Torii, Ph.D., global research head of Kyowa Kirin. “We look forward to continuing to grow our collaborations with academic and technology partners to fulfill our scientific and clinical ambitions.”
An immunologist and chemical biologist, Dr. Kaufmann has experience in discovery and preclinical development of small molecule and biotherapeutics drug product candidates, including monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, antibody drug conjugates, cellular therapies, and vaccines. He brings expertise in multiple therapeutic areas, including immunology and oncology, as well as preclinical research strategies. He has, throughout his career, taken projects from inception through non-clinical R&D into clinical trials.
Previous to his role as chief science officer at Oncternal Therapeutics, he held numerous roles of increasing responsibility at Sorrento Therapeutics Inc., most recently serving as senior VP of immunotherapy, head of research and global partnerships.
Dr. Kaufmann is an active member of the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Association of Immunologists, the Society for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, and the American Society for Clinical Oncology. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications. He received his Ph.D. in biology from The Scripps Research Institute, his master of science in human biology from the University of Greifswald, Germany, and his bachelor of science in human biology from The Philipps University, Germany.
“I am honored to join Kyowa Kirin and work on innovative projects and partnerships that can contribute to addressing unmet medical needs,” Dr. Kaufmann says. “I look forward to working with the incredible KKNA research team and our academic partners, including collaborators at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, to bring new therapies to patients, their families and caregivers, as well as the broader community that surrounds us all.”
I-Mab makes Raj Kannan CEO
I–Mab has appointed Raj Kannan as the company’s new CEO and a member of the board of directors. Executives say this appointment serves as a significant step towards further realizing I-Mab’s mission of delivering transformative therapies to patients worldwide.
Additionally, Dr. Andrew Zhu, who served as acting CEO, will continue to lead the company’s R&D as president of I-Mab and serve as a member of the board of directors.
“It is an exciting time to be joining I-Mab with the company’s advanced and differentiated clinical assets generating promising clinical data,” Kannan says. “I look forward to working with Dr. Zang and the talented team at I-Mab to further advance the robust pipeline to deliver on the full potential of the portfolio globally.”
Kannan has more than 30 years of industry experience in creating and developing global specialty medicine franchises as a biotech CEO. According to executives, he has successfully led blockbuster product launches across several therapeutic areas including oncology both in the United States and globally. More recently, as the CEO of Aerie Pharmaceuticals, and before that of Chiasma Pharmaceuticals, he delivered significant value to shareholders exiting both companies successfully while increasing the potential reach of approved and candidate medicines.
“Raj joins the company at a critical juncture to strengthen its strategic position as a U.S.-based global company,” says Dr. Jingwu Zang, founder and chairman. “Raj is a distinguished leader with the global experience and vision to drive sustainable growth and realize the full potential of our differentiated oncology portfolio as we move into our next phase of growth and innovation.”
New CEO for Leucid Bio
Leucid Bio has chosen Filippo Petti as CEO with immediate effect. Petti has also been named as a member of Leucid Bio’s board of directors.
Executives say Petti brings broad industry expertise to the organization across operations, finance, and research. He has experience working with biotech companies focused on oncology drug development in the United States and Europe.
Most recently, Petti was CEO and chief financial officer of Celyad Oncology SA.
Prior to Celyad, Petti spent several years as a healthcare investment banker at Wells Fargo Securities and William Blair & Company, where he specialized in working with cell and gene therapy companies. In addition, Petti has worked in equity research both at William Blair & Company and Wedbush Securities.
He began his career as a research scientist at OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. before transitioning to corporate development with the company.
Petti holds a master of business administration from Cornell University, a master of science from St. John’s University, and a bachelor of science from Syracuse University.
According to Ian Miscampbell, chairman of Leucid Bio, “Leucid will benefit immensely from Filippo’s proven leadership skills, extensive deal-making experience and in-depth scientific knowledge. Over the past year, Leucid has taken key steps to advance the company’s lead Lateral CAR program LEU011 towards the clinic. The board is confident Filippo will help guide Leucid during this critical next phase, as it pivots from a discovery company into a clinical organization, while accelerating our growth as a world-class CAR-T cell company focused on the treatment of cancer patients. Everyone is looking forward to working under his leadership and executing on his vision for the Company.”
Petti says Leucid’s unique approach to the field of CAR-T has “tremendous” potential to help cancer patients around the world. “The ability to combine the company’s proprietary Lateral CAR platform with other emerging technologies the team are developing is incredibly exciting.” he says. “I look forward to working with its exceptionally talented team to advance LEU011 and its other cell therapy program into the clinic and ultimately to the market.”
New CEO, CFO for Elevation Oncology
Elevation Oncology Inc. has appointed Joseph Ferra, M.B.A., as CEO and Tammy Furlong, M.B.A., C.P.A., as chief financial officer.
Ferra was previously Interim CEO and chief financial officer. Ferra will also join the Elevation Oncology board of directors. Furlong was promoted from her previous role as VP of finance and accounting.
“I am honored to formally take on the role of CEO at Elevation Oncology and thrilled to lead the company during this pivotal stage as we initiate our Phase I clinical trial evaluating EO-3021 in the U.S. this year,” Ferra says. “The preclinical and clinical data presented in recent months strengthen our conviction that EO-3021 is a potential best-in-class antibody-drug conjugate for treating patients whose solid tumors express Claudin 18.2. I look forward to continuing our work and building on our successes as we continue to drive growth and innovation in the field of selective oncology therapies.”
Furlong adds, “I have had the pleasure to witness firsthand the passion and dedication we bring to developing new therapies for patients in need, and am excited for the opportunity to continue working closely with our talented team in my new role.”
According to Steve Elms, chairman of the board of directors, “This is an exceptionally exciting time for Elevation Oncology as we drive EO-3021 toward the clinic to further demonstrate its potential to target Claudin 18.2 and improve clinical outcomes for patients. Joe and Tammy bring proven records of achievement as biotechnology executives and the Board is confident that they, along with the entire leadership team, have the expertise, passion and commitment to drive the Company to success.”
Ferra has more than 20 years of experience in financial, strategic, and leadership roles in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. He became chief financial officer of Elevation in 2021 and in January 2023, he was appointed interim CEO. He previously served as chief financial officer of Syros Pharmaceuticals, leading and coordinating financial and capital strategies and operational aspects for the company.
Prior, he spent more than a decade working in biotechnology and pharmaceutical investment banking, serving as managing director and co-head of healthcare investment banking at JMP Securities, and was a member of the investment banking groups at JP Morgan and UBS.
Ferra obtained a B.S. in chemistry with distinction from Purdue University and later completed his M.B.A. at The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Furlong has extensive leadership experience in accounting, financial reporting, information systems, financial transformation, global strategy, and management areas encompassing more than 20 years with Fortune 500 publicly traded companies. She has served as the VP of finance and accounting at Elevation Oncology, leading its financial and operational teams since 2021.
Prior to Elevation Oncology, she was a finance consultant where she focused on capital raising, strategic transactions, and finance operations for multiple biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Furlong received a B.S. in accounting from Adelphi University, an M.B.A. from Bentley University, and a graduate certificate in project management from the Boston University Metropolitan College. She is also a certified public accountant licensed in Massachusetts and a project management professional with the Project Management Institute.
New chief business officer for SonoThera
Genetic therapy company SonoThera expanded its leadership team with the appointment of Carolyne Zimmermann as chief business officer. Zimmermann brings more than 20 years of experience in leading innovative business development transactions with senior executive roles at Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, and 4D Molecular Therapeutics.
“We are thrilled to have Carolyne join our team at SonoThera,” says Kenneth Greenberg, Ph.D., co-founder, and chief executive officer of SonoThera. “She has a proven track record in pharmaceutical and biotechnology strategy and business development with deep expertise and understanding of the genetic medicines space. We look forward to her partnership as we continue to enhance and accelerate the development of our ultrasound-guided gene therapy platform.”
Zimmermann was most recently chief business officer for 4D Molecular Therapeutics (4DMT), an emerging clinical stage AAV gene therapy company. Prior to 4DMT, she served as VP of transactions and innovation partnering at the J&J Innovation Center in San Francisco where she led early-stage partnering across all of J&J’s therapeutic areas for western North America.
Zimmermann spent 14 years at Novartis Pharmaceuticals as a member of the Global Business Development Leadership Team, serving in numerous leadership roles in business development functions such as search and evaluation, negotiations, and alliance management across several of Novartis’ therapeutic areas. While at Novartis, she was also head of business development for the Novartis Global Cardiovascular and Metabolic Franchise, leading execution of franchise-wide partnering and growth strategies. Zimmermann was also a general partner and founding member of dRx Capital, a digital health-focused venture fund between Novartis and Qualcomm, leading the firm’s initial investments in Omada Health and Cala Health.
“I’m excited to be joining SonoThera at this important time in the development of our unique delivery platform for genetic medicines,” Zimmermann says. “SonoThera’s approach offers the ability to precisely target organs in ways that established viral and non-viral approaches have been unable to accomplish to do date. I look forward to working together with the team to further advance our innovative genetic medicine programs.”
Zimmermann holds a bachelor of science in engineering sciences from the University of California, San Diego, and a master of business administration from Columbia Business School, Columbia University.
New chief financial officer for PTC Therapeutics
PTC Therapeutics Inc. appointed Pierre Gravier to the role of chief financial officer (CFO). Gravier brings more than 17 years of experience as an investment banker, venture capitalist, and scientist to PTC. Most recently, he was a managing director in the healthcare group of Perella Weinberg Partners, a leading independent global advisory firm. At Perella Weinberg, he focused on advising companies in the biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical sectors on finance strategy and corporate development.
“We are incredibly excited to have Pierre as part of PTC’s leadership team,” stated Matthew B. Klein, M.D., CEO. “Pierre’s extensive global experience in finance and healthcare advisory will be incredibly helpful as we continue to build the PTC of tomorrow. Having known Pierre over the past several years, I am confident his knowledge, experience and passion to help patients make him a great addition to the PTC family.”
Before joining Perella Weinberg, Gravier worked as a healthcare investment banker at Barclays Capital in London. Previously, he was a venture capital analyst at Société Générale Asset Management in Paris, where he focused on early-stage investments in the biotechnology sector. Gravier began his career as a scientist at Ferring Pharmaceuticals. He holds a master’s degree in finance from ESCP Business School and a master of science in bioengineering from the University of Technology of Compiègne.
“I am excited to join the patient-focused and mission-driven PTC team and look forward to supporting our continued efforts to deliver transformational therapies to patients with high unmet medical need,” Gravier says.
Biosion appoints head of business development
Biosion Inc. has made Furqan Ahmed, VP and head of business development. In this position, Dr. Ahmed is responsible for all aspects of the company’s global business development efforts to maximize the value of Biosion’s platforms and innovative pipeline.
“Furqan brings a track record of successfully executed transactions along with a unique combination of scientific depth and business acumen to Biosion,” says Hugh Davis, Ph.D., chief business and development officer and president, Biosion USA Inc. “Furqan is joining us at a critical point, as we enter a growth trajectory building on our successful collaborations to date and expansive pipeline. We will look increasingly towards establishing external innovative collaborations to leverage our platforms and advance our programs as well as attracting investment from global firms. I’m confident that Furqan will be a key driver in leading these efforts.”
Dr. Ahmed was most recently the VP of business development at Immunome Inc., where he led the company’s business development efforts culminating in a transformative collaboration with AbbVie.
“I look forward to working with the Biosion team to contribute in its development to the next stage and beyond.” Dr. Ahmed says. “Biosion is a very exciting and uniquely positioned company with validated platforms, streamlined development capabilities, and a deep pipeline in immunology and oncology programs with the added ability to create and develop multiple therapeutics including mAbs, bispecifics, and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) that have the potential to address the unmet medical needs of patients worldwide.”
Throughout his 15-year career, Dr. Ahmed has held positions of increasing responsibility across medical affairs, business and competitive intelligence, corporate strategy, alliance management, and most recently business and corporate development in small and large cap global biopharma companies. Prior to Immunome he spent time at Eisai Inc., where he was a member of the corporate strategy and business development team and led multiple successful transactions across the entire business. He also helped lead business development initiatives at Antares Pharma.
He started his career at Merck & Co. and worked in a variety of areas including medical affairs, business intelligence, corporate development, alliance management, and business development. He received his Pharm.D.. from Rutgers University.
Rivus Pharmaceuticals announces leadership transition
Jayson Dallas, M.D., executive chairman for Rivus Pharmaceuticals Inc., has been appointed CEO. Allen Cunningham, who previously held the post, transitioned to the role of chief operating officer.
“I have been highly impressed by Rivus’ differentiated pipeline, the strength of the company’s team and operations, and the scientific rigor underlying our trial designs,” Dr. Dallas says. “I’m honored to now step into this role as chief executive and more directly apply my experience, in partnership with Allen and the Rivus team, to advance our programs and business, and deliver on our mission to bring next generation therapies for cardiometabolic disease to the millions of patients who need them.”
As chief operating officer, Cunningham will continue to drive day-to-day operations and clinical development of the company’s lead candidate HU6, a first-in-class controlled metabolic accelerator (CMA) designed to treat serious cardiometabolic diseases.
“This is an exciting moment in time for Rivus,” Cunningham says. “We have solid early clinical data supporting the use of HU6, to treat a broad range of cardiometabolic conditions and Phase II clinical trials in obese patients with HFpEF and type 2 diabetes will enroll this year, with data readouts anticipated next year. Jayson has been a partner and advisor to me and to the team for the past two years and brings considerable experience in building and scaling companies, navigating public markets, strategic partnerships and commercialization strategy. I am looking forward to elevating that relationship and to supporting the company and pipeline in this next phase of growth and development.”
Dr. Dallas has served as executive chairman of the board of Rivus since April 2021. He previously was president and CEO of Aimmune Therapeutics Inc. Prior to joining Aimmune, he served as the first chief commercial officer and executive VP of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., a publicly held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel products for rare and ultra-rare diseases. Before joining Ultragenyx, Dr. Dallas served as general manager of Roche, and held senior management roles at Genentech. Dr. Dallas holds an M.D. from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and an M.B.A. from Ashridge Business School in the United Kingdom. Dr. Dallas also serves on the boards of Galecto Inc. and Antag Pharmaceuticals.
Chief development officer tapped for SpliceBio
SpliceBio has appointed David Favre, D.V.M., Ph.D., as chief development officer (CDO).
“SpliceBio has built an impressive gene therapy platform that addresses one of the most fundamental challenges facing the gene therapy field today: the limited packaging capacity of AAV vectors,” Dr. Faver says. “I am thrilled to join the SpliceBio leadership team to lead the development of several novel programs aimed at diseases that have been elusive to gene therapy until today.”
Dr. Favre brings more than 25 years of experience in gene therapy, immunology and drug development throughout academia and the biopharma industry. He joins SpliceBio from Innoskel, where he served as chief scientific officer.
Prior to that, Dr. Favre was VP of translational medicine at Asklepios Biopharmaceutical, where he led the platforms and program resources to marshal preclinical, INDs and early clinical programs, particularly focusing on the immunogenicity and adjunctive immunotherapy of AAV gene therapy and metabolic diseases.
Previously Dr. Favre was the director of HIV biology at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he spearheaded that company’s portfolio of immunotherapy drugs. Dr. Favre has also served as adjunct associate professor at the University North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
“I am excited to welcome David to the SpliceBio leadership team at an exciting time of platform expansion as we begin preparations for clinical development,” says Miquel Vila-Perelló, CEO and co-founder of SpliceBio. “His extensive knowledge in gene therapy, immunology, and drug development will be invaluable as he takes the lead on development of the company’s therapeutic candidates from preclinical research to the clinic. David will focus on advancing the company’s lead AAV gene therapy program for Stargardt disease towards clinical development and expanding the company’s Protein Splicing platform and pipeline to other genes that exceed the packaging capacity of AAV vectors.”
Dr. Favre earned a D.V.M. from the Veterinary School of Nantes, France, and a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Paris, which focused on the immunology of AAV gene therapy and preclinical assessment in non-
human primates. He completed his post-doctoral studies in immunology at the Gladstone Institutes and at UC San Francisco.
Ethypharm appoints new chief commercial officer
Xavier Lasserre has become chief commercial officer of Ethypharm. Executives say he has strong experience and expertise in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in the European markets, both in the retail and hospital sectors.
Lasserre holds an advanced degree in neuroscience and is a graduate of ESCP (Paris Business School). With more than 25 years of experience, he has demonstrated remarkable leadership in various roles, contributing significantly to the success and transformation of businesses under his responsibility. Lasserre’s most recent position was as head of commercial operations at Zentiva Group.
Lasserre joins the executive committee of Ethypharm and leads the company’s head of affiliates UK, China, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy. Additionally, he will oversee the distribution and licenses businesses, as well as the business development functions.
“Ethypharm has a strong commitment to improving patient lives, and I am eager, with the talented team at Ethypharm, to contribute to the company’s growth and success,” Lasserre says. “I look forward to leading the commercial strategy, driving market expansion, and fostering collaborations to bring our valuable treatments to more patients worldwide.”
Denis Delval, CEO and president of Group Ethypharm, states he is confident in Lasserre’s ability to drive the company’s commercial growth.
“We are delighted to welcome Xavier to the Ethypharm Group,” Delval says. “His extensive experience and proven track record in the pharmaceutical industry make him an ideal fit for our organization. We are confident that Xavier’s commercial talent and expertise combined with his leadership will contribute significantly to our continued success. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to working together towards achieving our goals and further strengthening our position in the market.”
Damona Pharmaceuticals chooses CEO
Damona Pharmaceuticals has made John Reilly the company’s CEO and a member of the board of directors.
According to executives, Reilly brings two decades of leadership experience building and creating value for biotechnology companies, with deep knowledge and expertise in corporate strategy, business development, and leading teams in preclinical R&D and clinical development of innovative therapies.
“We feel very fortunate to have attracted John into the role of CEO for Damona,” says Etienne Sibille, Ph.D., co-founder and chief scientific officer. “He brings a wealth of biotechnology company-building experience and a vast network of North American investor and partner relationships, which will be essential in bringing our lead asset toward IND and clinical human proof-of-concept trials.”
Prior to joining Damona, Reilly co-founded and served as president and CEO of Apic Bio. At Apic, he secured multiple funding rounds, oversaw development programs, and orchestrated a global licensing agreement with uniQure for the company’s lead program to treat superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), a rare, genetic form of ALS. Previously, Reilly held a number of senior management positions at various biopharmaceutical companies, including VP of business development at Tetragenetics. Prior to Tetragenetics, he co-founded and served as CEO of Gendyne Therapeutics. Reilly holds a B.A. from Hamilton College and M.S. and M.B.A. degrees from Cornell University.
“I am very excited to join Damona as CEO and look forward to working with the board, management, and scientific team to continue the company’s impressive progress as we advance the preclinical pipeline and lead program for the treatment of cognitive symptoms associated with depression and diseases of aging into a Phase I clinical study,” Reilly says.
Heron Therapeutics gets chief development officer, chief financial officer
Heron Therapeutics Inc. has appointed William Forbes, Pharm.D., as executive VP, chief development officer and Ira Duarte as chief financial officer. Additionally, Kimberly Manhard, Heron’s executive VP, drug development, has resigned from her position.
Dr. Forbes joins Heron’s management team and will be responsible for leading clinical and product development for Heron’s acute care and oncology care franchises. “I am thrilled to welcome Bill to the Heron team as chief development officer,” says Craig Collard, CEO. “Bill has a proven track record of success in pharmaceutical product development, achieving many key regulatory milestones and marketing approvals across a wide range of therapeutic areas and markets. His extensive experience will be valuable as we grow our commercial franchises and advance our product pipeline in acute care and oncology.”
Dr. Forbes brings more than 30 years of pharmaceutical product development experience to Heron and has contributed to 14 marketing approvals spanning a diverse range of therapeutic areas in the United States and European markets. Prior to joining Heron, Dr. Forbes served as the chief development officer at Trevi Therapeutics Inc. from 2021 to 2022. From 2016 to 2020, Dr. Forbes served as the president and CEO of Vivelix Pharmaceuticals Ltd., where he was the founder and responsible for all strategic and operational aspects of the organization. Prior to that, Dr. Forbes served as the chief development officer at Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as the head of medical and R&D from 2005 to 2015. Earlier in his career, Dr. Forbes held various positions in clinical research and development at Metabasis Therapeutics Inc., Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Glaxo Inc. Dr. Forbes received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Creighton University, and he completed fellowships in cardiovascular research at Creighton Cardiac Center and in clinical research at Glaxo Inc.
“This is a very exciting time to join Heron, with a thriving commercial portfolio designed to address some of the most important unmet needs in oncology and postoperative pain management,” Dr. Forbes says. “My enthusiasm for Aponvie, Zynrelef, Sustol, and Cinvanti is very high, and I look forward to working with the accomplished team to achieve our product development goals and continue to deliver benefit to the patients we serve.”
Executives say Duarte brings significant experience and expertise in financial leadership to Heron. Prior to joining Heron, Duarte served in financial leadership roles from 2016 to 2023, most recently as chief financial officer, at Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Inc. Prior to that, she served as the corporate controller at BioDelivery Sciences Inc. from 2014 to 2016, and from 2009 to 2014 she was senior director of corporate finance for Chiesi USA Inc. and director of accounting and financial planning for Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc.
“Heron is a commercial-stage company with tremendous potential for growth in the post-operative pain and oncology markets, with four products that deliver relief to thousands of people worldwide,” Duarte says. “My immediate priority is to work with the accomplished management team and board of directors to identify ways to reduce our cash burn through improved operational efficacy. I am excited to join the team and believe that Heron has a bright future.”
Duarte has more than 25 years of experience in a variety of finance and accounting positions, including more than a decade in the pharma industry.
Duarte previously held various roles from staff to senior manager at Ernst & Young Global Limited. She currently serves on the board of directors of TerrAscend Corporation. Duarte is a certified public accountant and holds a BS in accounting from Florida Atlantic University.
“I had the pleasure of previously working with Ira and I look forward to her contributions as we continue to develop long-term plans aimed at maximizing the potential of Heron’s commercial portfolio,” Collard says.
New CMO for Versameb
Versameb AG has chosen Professor Roger Dmochowski to be its new chief medical officer. Executives say Dmochowski, a renowned urologist and researcher, is widely recognized for his contributions to the field of urologic health and clinical development. He is a published academician and a world leader in the fields of urology and incontinence.
“Roger joins Versameb at an important time of growth and development and his appointment marks a significant milestone as we advance towards clinical development with our lead candidate, VMB-100, for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI),” says Dr. Klaas Zuideveld, CEO. “Roger’s unrivaled experience in the field of urology will be instrumental as we look to transform the treatment landscape for SUI.”
Dmochowski has been working with Versameb since August 2021, serving as a valued member of the scientific advisory board. Versameb’s lead therapeutic candidate, VMB-100, for the potential treatment of SUI, is being prepared for IND filing in the second half of 2023 as the company expands its technology platform to include two new discovery programs for the treatment of solid tumors, with CTA/IND filing expected in 2026.
“I am eager to contribute my expertise to advance VMB-100 which has demonstrated functional recovery and tissue regeneration in preclinical models for the unmet medical need of SUI,” Dmochowski says. “SUI is a very common bladder problem which affects one in three women at some point in their lives with no current drug treatment approved that restores function and has a lasting effect. VMB-100 has the potential to be a game changer for women’s health and wellbeing.”
Dmochowski is a past member of the FDA’s Bone, Reproductive and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee (BRUDAC), and was involved in the FDA guidelines for regenerative medicine in urology. He has also led and participated in numerous incontinence clinical trials and is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Urodynamics Society for his accomplishments in the clinical treatment of incontinence.
Dmochowski is a trustee and past president of the American Board of Urology and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Urological Association and the International Continence Society. He has published more than 410 articles, 120 book chapters, 480 abstracts, and over 260 presentations at various national and international meetings. He is the immediate past
editor-in-chief of Neurourology and Urodynamics and serves on the editorial board for several scientific journals.
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Chris Truelove is contributing editor of PharmaLive and Med Ad News. |
