Pharma, biotech and medtech companies strengthen their executive ranks and boards with this week’s Movers & Shakers.
Pyxis Oncology – Ronald Herbst, a veteran of AstraZeneca’s Medimmune, was named chief scientific advisor of small immuno-oncology company Pyxis Oncology. Herbst, the former head of oncology research at Medimmune, is one of the latest Medimmune employees to find new jobs since it was folded into AstraZeneca. At Medimmune, Herbst also helmed the oncology research committee and was a member of its research leadership team. While there, the oncology group brought 10 novel targets to the clinic in the areas of immunotherapy and antibody drug conjugates. Prior to that, Ronald focused on the company’s respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity efforts, where he led the advancement of four novel molecules into the clinic, including one that is under registration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Before joining MedImmune, Herbst was senior principal investigator in oncology at DNAX, a Schering-Plough biotechnology subsidiary.
IME Medical Electrospinning – The Netherlands-based IME appointed three seasoned medtech and biopharma experts to its board of directors. The newly installed Board will include Chairman Daan van den Noort, Fennemiek Gommer and Jan Mellegers. Daan van den Noort served, among other jobs, as general manager for Genentech, Asta Medica and Ferring Pharmaceuticals in The Netherlands. From 2001 until 2011, he acted as chief Investment officer of the Biotech Turnaround Fund. Gommer is founder and managing partner of Caracta, an international consultancy firm in Amsterdam. Mellegers is a seasoned life sciences equity investor. He held various positions at brokerage firms Drexel Burnham and Wertheim Schroder, and investment management company United Asset Management. In 2000, he set up and led a deep-focus life science private equity firm and then sold it in 2011 and facilitated a spin-out of its main asset: a large equity stake in Genmab A/S, currently Europe’s largest biotech company.
Stoke Therapeutics – Robin A. Walker was named chief legal officer and Joan Wood was named head of human resources at Massachusetts-based Stoke Therapeutics. Walker joins Stoke from Casebia Therapeutics, where she served as head of legal and counseled the executive leadership team on corporate, governance, employment, compliance and regulatory matters. Prior to Casebia, Walker was the associate general counsel of corporate at Biogen. Most recently, Wood served as chief human resources officer at Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc., where she was responsible for the company’s human resources strategy and operations, with a focus on talent acquisition, executive and leadership development and employee engagement initiatives during a period of growth for the company. Prior to Karyopharm, Wood was head of human resources for Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.
Ultromics – U.K.-based Ultromics Inc. named Amir Hasan as chief commercial officer. He joins the company after 19 years with Philips working in the U.K., Netherlands, Silicon Valley and China. Hasan will be responsible for driving the global sales and marketing strategy, as well as developing new business and managing revenue. In addition to Hasan, Ultromics also tapped Nancy Spagou as chief operations officer. Ultromics has also seen over 15 new hires over the last six months within Product Management, Clinical Project Management, Regulatory and Research.
Orchestra BioMed -- Juan Lorenzo, an expert in vascular devices, joined Pennsylvania-based Orchestra as vice president of product development and Focal Therapies. Paul Goode, an expert in implantable neuromodulation devices joins as vice president of product development for Bioelectronic Therapies. Prior to joining Orchestra BioMed, Goode held several leadership positions at EndoStim including vice president of R&D, chief technology officer and interim chief executive officer. He started his career at Intermedics and Guidant, companies specializing in cardiac pacemakers. Prior to joining Orchestra BioMed, Lorenzo held several R&D leadership positions in Johnson & Johnson divisions, Cordis Neurovascular, Cordis Corporation Cardiology and Cordis Research Corp.
KCR – Douglas Bain was named chief technology officer at Boston-based KCR, an international clinical development solutions provider. Bain will begin his tenure at the KCR Group by developing the technology strategy for Curandus. Curandus is a KCR sister company designed to manage patient engagement.
Senti Biosciences – Pfizer veteran Brenda Cooperstone, chief development officer for rare diseases in global product development, was named to the board of directors of Senti Biosciences. As Pfizer’s CDO, Cooperstone is responsible for advancing and managing the development portfolio of its rare disease business, including advanced technology platforms such as gene therapy. In addition, she is site leader for the company’s Collegeville campus. Prior to her current role, Cooperstone held a variety of leadership positions at Pfizer in clinical development and global medical affairs, with oversight over a wide range of therapeutic areas, including small and large molecules in early through late phase development, and in-line support.
Cadent – Christopher Kenney was named chief medical officer and Dawn Wilson was named head of clinical operations at Cambridge, Mass.-based Cadent Therapeutics. In this role, Kenney will be responsible for the company’s clinical development strategy across the Cadent portfolio. Kenney is a board-certified neurologist with extensive clinical research experience within neuroscience. He most recently served as head of medical affairs at Acorda Therapeutics where he oversaw the launch of Inbrija, a Parkinson’s disease treatment. Before that he held leadership roles at Biotie Therapies, Novartis and Merck Serono. Wilson will be responsible for execution of the clinical trials across the Cadent portfolio. She most recently served as vice president of Clinical Operations and Program Management at Albireo Pharma and previously served as VP of Clinical Operation and Data Management at Acceleron. Prior to Acceleron Wilson held various clinical roles of increasing responsibility at Vertex, Wyeth and Idenix.
