While the focus of most biotech investments is primarily the company’s lead compound, R&D pipeline and/or technology platform, the Chief Executive plays a very important role. While most CEOs have impressive resumes and CVs, we decided to offer our own brief Insight as to what relevant experience makes these leaders the right person to run their respective company.
ACADIA
CEO: Catherine Owen Adams
Ms. Owen Adams has over 25 years of executive level experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining Acadia, Ms. Owen Adams served as Senior Vice President and General Manager, U.S., at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), where she led a $20 billion commercial business, overseeing a large and diverse portfolio of promoted brands across Oncology, Cardiovascular, and Immunology. Previously, Ms. Owen Adams held the position of Senior Vice President, Head of Major Markets at BMS, where she led commercial operations leading 6,000 employees across 19 countries in Europe, Japan, and Canada during BMS’s merger with Celgene. Prior to her tenure at BMS, Ms. Owen Adams spent 25 years at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), where she held leadership roles across global, U.S., and European business units, with her last position being President, Janssen Immunology U.S. Ms. Owen Adams began her career in R&D and manufacturing at AstraZeneca. Ms. Owen Adams currently serves on the board of directors of Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly held company, and AssistRx, a privately held company. Ms. Owen Adams was formerly on the board of directors and chair of the compensation committee for Optinose PLC, a public specialty pharmaceutical company, and was on the board of directors of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospitals, a non-profit organization. Ms. Owen Adams earned a BSc. in Pharmacy from the University of Manchester, becoming a qualified pharmacist and member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (MRPhS).
ALAUNOS
CEO: Kevin S. Boyle, Sr.
Kevin S. Boyle, Sr., was appointed to be our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board in August 2021. Prior to joining Alaunos, Mr. Boyle was CEO of Kuur Therapeutics (formerly known as Cell Medica Ltd.), leading the company through a successful transformation, culminating in a $185 million acquisition in May 2021 by Athenex (NASDAQ: ATNX). Mr. Boyle was at Kuur from 2018-2021. From 2008-2017 he served as Chief Financial Officer of various companies including FlowWorks International, Sigma3 Integrated Reservoir Solutions, RecoverCare and SPT Inc. Earlier in his career Mr. Boyle had finance roles with increasing levels of responsibility, leading businesses in competitive and transformative situations and delivering shareholder value. He is an accomplished capital markets professional raising over $2.0 billion in equity and debt capital over his career.
Mr. Boyle graduated with a BS from Carnegie Mellon University and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
ALKERMES
CEO: Richard Pops
Richard Pops joined Alkermes as CEO back in 1991, when we first met him. He has taken the company from a start-up of 25 employees to a global emerging biopharmaceutical firm with over 1,200 employees. With over 25 years experience, Pops is well-regarded as a strategic thinker with financial strengths, including his ability to form various key collaborations and make smart acquisitions. As a result, Alkermes’ commercial, R&D and financial condition all appear extremely solid.
BICYCLE THERAPEUTICS
CEO and Director: Kevin Lee
Kevin Lee, Ph.D., MBA, is the chief executive officer of Bicycle Therapeutics. Kevin joined Bicycle from Pfizer, where he served as senior vice president and chief scientific officer of the Rare Disease Research Unit. In that role, he held responsibility for more than 20 novel programs across the full spectrum of research and development, established Pfizer’s rare disease strategy, conceptualized and implemented the company’s gene therapy strategy with the creation of the Genetic Medicine Institute and founded the Rare Disease Research Consortium. Prior to joining Pfizer, Kevin worked at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and, in addition to leading the formation of multiple strategic commercial and academic partnerships, he led epigenetics research and was responsible for the creation of the EpiNova Discovery Performance Unit. Before joining GSK, he lectured at Warwick University Medical School and founded Cambridge Biotechnology (acquired by Biovitrum) and Neurosolutions. Kevin studied pharmaceutical sciences at Nottingham University, followed by a Ph.D. in pharmacology at Cambridge University. He undertook postdoctoral training as a Wellcome Trust International Prize Fellow before joining the Parke Davis Research Unit in Cambridge, U.K. Kevin is an author on more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications, has an MBA from Warwick Business School and has been awarded an honorary chair in molecular pharmacology from the University of Warwick. In addition to his seat on Bicycle’s board of directors, Kevin is a non-executive director of NodThera Ltd.
BIOMARIN
CEO: Jean-Jacques Bienaimé
A staunch proponent of shareholder value, Mr. Bienaimé joined BioMarin as Chief Executive in 2005. With more than 25 years of industry experience, JJ has been at the helm and subsequently sold two successful biotech companies at significant valuations (Genencor sold to Danisco in 2005, and Sangstat sold to Genzyme in 2002). We first met Bienaime in 2009 after a rare BioMarin quarterly earnings miss and takeover rumors were swirling at the time. After that meeting, we realized that he was the ideal CEO and steadfast in his position to keep the Company independent. MTSL recommended the stock at that time, and Bienaime was the main reason for our call. Bienaime has been undoubtedly correct, as BioMarin has been the preeminent leader in the development of Orphan Drugs – a corporate strategy that many imitators have adopted of late.
CELLDEX
FOUNDER / CEO: Anthony S. Marucci
Mr. Marucci is a Founder of Celldex and serves as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors. Prior to his appointment as President and CEO in 2008, Mr. Marucci served as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary of Celldex. Celldex, founded in 2004 as a subsidiary of Medarex (Medarex is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb), was initially spun out as an independent private company in October 2005 with the asset acquisition of CDX-110 from Alteris Therapeutics, Inc. and the acquisition of Lorantis Limited (Cambridge, UK). In addition to these acquisitions, Mr. Marucci is also responsible for the AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc. and Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. merger completed during the first quarter of 2008 and the acquisition of CuraGen Corporation completed in the third quarter of 2009. He was Treasurer of Medarex from December 1998 to March 2004, where he held a series of senior financial positions since December 1998. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of BioNJ and also served as its Treasurer through 2010. Mr. Marucci received a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University, an MBA from Columbia University and an Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership (EMHL) from Brown University.
ESPERION
CEO: Tim Mayleben
Tim Mayleben is ESPR’s President and CEO and has been a member of the Board of Directors since February 2010. Prior to joining ESPR, Tim was President, CEO and a Director at Vericel Corporation, formerly Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: VCEL). Previously, Tim was President, Chief Operating Officer and a director of NightHawk Radiology Holdings, Inc. Prior to joining Nighthawk, Tim was the COO of the original Esperion, until its acquisition by Pfizer in 2004. Tim earned an MBA, with distinction, from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and a BBA from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. We have a long track record working with Tim and have always been impressed with his ability to create shareholder value. Our previous recommendation of the original Esperion was bought by Pfizer for over a billion dollars and was a big winner for MTSL subscribers. Tim’s ability to attract a first class management team has allowed ESPR to create a comprehensive development program, for their lead drug candidate, BA. ESPR’s huge BA development program has been executed exactly how a Big Pharma would, and in our view, increases the drug candidate’s chance for success.
INCYTE
CEO: Hervé Hoppenot
Hervé Hoppenot joined Incyte in 2014 as President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining Incyte, Mr. Hoppenot was the President of Novartis Oncology, where he was responsible for translational medicine, development, approval and commercialization, which included $11 billion in global sales, the largest oncology pipeline in the industry, and 8,000 employees in 50 countries. Mr. Hoppenot joined Novartis in 2003 and, in addition to his role as President, served as Chief Commercial Officer, Head of Global Product Strategy & Scientific Development, and Senior Vice President, Head of Global Marketing. He started his career in 1983 with Rhone Poulenc, later known as Aventis, where he served in several senior roles of increasing responsibility, including Vice President of Oncology and Head of the U.S. Oncology business unit. Mr. Hoppenot holds a Diploma from ESSEC International Business School.
IONIS PHARMACEUTICALS
CEO: Stanley Crooke
Dr. Stan Crooke is the Founder of IONIS and has been Chief Executive since its inception in the late-1980s. He is a one of the more prominent and also controversial figures in the biotech sector, and we have known Stan since IONIS went public in 1990. There are very few CEO’s who have built companies based on their own patents, remained CEO for over 25 years and have brought a drug from bench to bedside. The “Crooke†patents lie at the core of IONIS’ value, and the management team has done an impressive job of leveraging their strong IP into a slew of lucrative partnerships.
MADRIGAL PHARMACEUTICALS
Chairman & CEO: Paul A. Friedman, M.D.
Dr. Paul Friedman has been MDGL’s CEO since July 2016. Previously, Dr. Friedman served as the Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Incyte Corporation from November 2001 until his retirement in January 2014. From 1994 to 1998, Dr. Friedman served as President of R&D for the DuPont-Merck Pharmaceutical Company; and from 1998 to 2001 as President of DuPont Pharmaceuticals Research Laboratories, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the DuPont Company. From 1991 to 1994, he served as Senior Vice President at Merck Research Laboratories. Prior to his tenures at Merck and DuPont, Dr. Friedman was an Associate Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Friedman currently sits on the boards of Cerulean Pharma, Verastem, Incyte, and Gliknik. Dr. Friedman is a serially entrepreneur and has created significant value within the biopharma space multiple times. Specifically his unique ability to read and understand small molecule scaffolding has led to many successful drugs and drugs in development including Sustiva, Jakafi, Bari, IDO and the rest of INCY’s impressive early stage pipeline.
PRECIGEN
President & CEO: Dr. Helen Sabzevari
Dr. Helen Sabzevari is president and CEO of Precigen, Inc. and is responsible for all aspects of the company’s leadership. Precigen is a dedicated discovery and clinical stage biopharmaceutical company advancing the next generation of gene and cellular therapies using precision immunology to target the most urgent and intractable diseases in immuno-oncology, autoimmune disorders, and infectious disease. Dr. Sabzevari was previously co-founder and chief scientific officer of Compass Therapeutics where she led discovery and early development for the company in the areas of immuno-oncology and autoimmune diseases. Prior to Compass Therapeutics, Dr. Sabzevari was senior vice president of immuno-oncology at Merck Serono (a subsidiary of Merck KGaA), where she led the immuno-oncology discovery and early development translational innovation platform. Dr. Sabzevari is internationally recognized for her work in the field of immuno-oncology. Her contributions in the field of tumor immunology earned her the National Institutes of Health (NIH) merit award for major contribution to the field of cancer immunotherapy. She has been the recipient of Mass High Tech’s Women to Watch Award and the PharmaVOICE 100 Award. Prior to joining Merck Serono, she served as head of the molecular immunology group at the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology at the US National Cancer Institute (LTIB-NCI), where she led a translational research program with the goals of design, development and delivery of novel vaccines and immunotherapies for a range of human cancers. Dr. Sabzevari received her doctorate degree in cell and molecular immunology and completed her postdoctoral work at the department of immunology at the Scripps Research Institute working on various immunotherapeutic modalities in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases.
SANGAMO
CEO: Sandy Macrae
Sandy Macrae, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., has served as Sangamo’s President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors since June 2016. He has twenty years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry most recently serving as the Global Medical Officer of Takeda Pharmaceuticals, from 2012 to March 2016, where he established and led the Global Medical Office, which encompasses medical affairs, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, outcomes research and epidemiology, quantitative sciences and knowledge and informatics. From 2001 to 2012, Dr. Macrae held roles of increasing responsibility at GlaxoSmithKline, including Senior Vice President, Emerging Markets Research and Development (R&D), from 2009 to 2012. In that position, he provided expertise and resources to create a first-of-its-kind group to expand GSK’s global reach by providing R&D strategies, clinical development and regulatory resources to enter emerging markets and Asia-Pacific. From 2007 to 2008, he was Vice President, Business Development. In that position, he was responsible for scientific assessment and business development project leadership for the neurology, psychiatry, cardiovascular and metabolic therapeutic areas. Earlier in his career, he worked for SmithKline Beecham, where he was responsible for clinical development in the therapeutic areas of neurology and gastroenterology. Dr. Macrae received his B.Sc. in pharmacology and his M.B., Ch.B. with honors from Glasgow University. He is a member of the Royal College of Physicians. Dr. Macrae also earned his Ph.D. in molecular genomics at King’s College, Cambridge.
SKYE BIOSCIENCE
President and CEO: Punit Dhillon
Mr. Dhillon has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Skye Bioscience since 2020. He has a 20-year track record as an executive and investor in the life sciences industry. Focusing on early-stage biotechs from start-up through clinical proof-of-concept, he has raised more than $500 million in capital and established multiple pharmaceutical partnerships. At Skye he led the strategic acquisition of a novel peripheral CB1 inhibitor for obesity and other metabolic diseases, attracted specialist life science investors, and built out an expert board and management team. Mr. Dhillon was previously the co-founder and former CEO of OncoSec Medical, a developer of cancer immunotherapies and established collaborations with Merck and Genentech. Prior to Skye he was a managing director of a private San Diego-based pharmaceutical company where he launched an Asia-focused licensing business unit evaluating opportunities in Korea, China, Japan, and the US, and completed a partnership with BMS. He was formerly a director of the Emerald group of companies with responsibility for private equity investments, operations and business development. As Vice President, Finance and Operations, at Inovio Pharmaceuticals he completed licensing deals with Merck, Wyeth (now Pfizer) and Roche. Punit holds a BA (Honors) in political science and a minor in business administration from Simon Fraser University.
Skye Bioscience Management Team
VAXART
President & CEO: Andrei Floroiu
VXRT has a new CEO Andrei Floroiu, appointed also in June. Mr. Floroiu is a highly experienced biopharma executive with a proven track record of value creation, with substantial financial, strategic and operational experience in the vaccine and biopharmaceutical industry. Mr. Floroiu was most recently with Agenus (AGEN), an immuno-oncology and vaccine pioneer, where he held executive positions and was responsible for structuring strategic partnerships and other transactions, including the origination and execution of a $115 million royalty transaction based on GSK’s Shingrix vaccine. With the new cash and excitement being generated by rAd5, additional senior management positions from highly qualified experts are very likely. Given the unique attributes of an oral vaccine and new management’s success in forming value-added collaborations, there is a possibility that VXRT signs numerous partnerships with individual European/Asian countries for proprietary access.
VIKING THERAPEUTICS
President and CEO: Brian Lian, Ph.D.
Dr. Lian serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer, and as a director. Prior to founding Viking Therapeutics, he was a Managing Director and Senior Research Analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, where he was responsible for coverage of small and mid-cap biotechnology companies with an emphasis on the diabetes, oncology, infectious disease, and neurology spaces. Prior to SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, he was an Executive Director and Senior Biotechnology Analyst at CIBC World Markets, responsible for coverage of mid and small-cap biopharmaceutical companies. Prior to his career in equity research, he was a research scientist in small molecule drug discovery at Amgen, focused on cancer and endocrine diseases. Prior to Amgen, he was a research scientist at Microcide Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Lian holds an MBA in accounting and finance from Indiana University, an M.S. and Ph.D. in organic chemistry from The University of Michigan, and a BA in chemistry from Whitman College.
WAVE LIFE SCIENCES
President and CEO: Dr. Paul Bolno
Dr. Paul Bolno has served as President and CEO of Wave since 2013 and oversaw the company’s initial public offering in 2015. During his tenure as President and CEO, Paul has grown Wave into a leading RNA medicines company, overseen the development of the company’s proprietary PRISM® platform, and built a diversified pipeline of preclinical and clinical programs supported by scalable, in-house manufacturing capabilities. In addition to his current role at Wave, Paul serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors to ExpressionEdits, and as Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Group for the Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA) in the United Kingdom. Prior to joining Wave, he was Vice President, Worldwide Business Development—Head of Asia BD and Investments, as well as Head of Global Neuroscience BD, at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). He also served as a Director of Glaxo Wellcome Manufacturing, Pte Ltd. in Singapore. Paul joined GSK as Vice President, Business Development for the Oncology Business Unit, where he helped establish GSK’s global oncology business and served as a member of the Oncology Executive Team, Oncology Commercial Board and Cancer Research Executive Team. Prior to GSK, he served as Director of Research at Two River LLC, a healthcare private equity firm. Paul earned a medical degree from MCP-Hahnemann School of Medicine and an MBA from Drexel University. He was a general surgery resident and cardiothoracic surgery postdoctoral research fellow at Drexel University College of Medicine.
Wave Life Sciences Management Leadership Team