Precision Genetic Leader Continues to Grow
Beam Therapeutics, a biotech company that develops precision genetic medicines through base editing, appointed Kate Walsh, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Boston Medical Center (BMC) health system, to its Board of Directors.
“Having seen firsthand the challenges and hardships that people living with serious or untreatable diseases experience, I am highly encouraged by Beam’s potential to deliver novel, one-time treatments that transform lives,” Walsh said in a statement. “The company’s scientific platform and precision medicine approach could make an impact for so many. I look forward to helping drive this company forward and to partnering with the esteemed Beam team and Board of Directors on the meaningful milestones ahead.”
Walsh has held such notable roles as Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Chief Operating Officer for Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, and Senior Vice President of Medical Services at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Moderna Nabs Commercial Veteran
In the middle of its COVID-19 vaccine launch, Moderna tapped Amgen veteran Corinne Le Goff, PharmD, MBA to become its Chief Commercial Officer. Though Le Goff most recently served as SVP and President of Amgen’s U.S. business, her career contains high-profile product portfolio leadership roles at Roche, Sanofi, Merck & Co., and Pfizer.
“Corinne is joining us at an important time as we launch our COVID-19 vaccine, prepare to start the Phase 3 study of our CMV vaccine, and pivot to a commercial-stage company,” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a press release. He believes her experience “will position Moderna well as we continue building a best-in-class commercial team.” Le Goff will be key to the success of the mRNA-based COVID vaccine’s rollout and marketing, all brand new territory for the company as it is transforming to a commercial-stage company from a R&D-focused biotech.
Adagene
The company focused on precision antibody engineering named Hua Gong, MD, PhD its Chief Operating Officer and Head of Precision Medicine. Dr. Gong will be responsible for all aspects of Adagene’s clinical development programs. She most recently worked at Novartis Navigate Biopharma and secured regulatory approval for several precision oncology drugs.
closerlook, inc.
Patrick Flavin joined the business development team at the digital marketing agency with plans to accelerate closerlook’s growth by helping pharmaceutical companies expand their digital presence to market their brands. He will leverage the company’s ability to evaluate and personalize campaigns and build content based on personality attributes to improve brand performance. Flavin was recently a business development executive at Outcome Health and co-founder of MATTER, a healthcare startup incubator.
Cyclerion Therapeutics
Cheryl Gault was promoted to Chief Operating Officer at the central nervous system-focused biopharma. Gault will continue her responsibilities in corporate and business development, program management, portfolio strategy, new product planning, and corporate strategy functions. Her expanded role will help her lead Cyclerion as it advances its clinical development pipeline.
Frequency Therapeutics
The biotech company focused on harnessing the body’s biology to repair degenerative disease damage hired Peter P. Pfreundschuh as its new Chief Financial Officer. Pfreundschuh will be responsible for the company’s financial strategy and activities related to accounting, investor relations, business development, and business operations. He joins Frequency as it advances development of FX-322, a potential therapeutic for the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss.
Health Monitor Network
Forging ahead with its growth plan, the DTP engagement company made two key additions to its team, including new President David Paragamian and Vice President and Strategic Business Unit Leader, Over-the-Counter and Consumer Product Markets, Donna Barker. A well-known brand master, Paragamian will be leading the expansion of Health Monitor’s award-winning DTP education material in physician offices and telehealth media. Previously, he served as Razorfish Health President.
Barker comes to Health Monitor from Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, and will now work to provide patients with the tools and information they need to better manage their health, specifically with conditions that may typically be treated using wellness products and OTC medicines. She is trusted to build long-term success with the company’s current pharma clients.
Idifarma
The Spanish contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) is bringing aboard Stefano Console as a Scientific Advisor focusing on spray drying technology and particle engineering. Joining from Swiss life sciences consultancy Oriento SA, Console brings with him the benefit of over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industry.
LifeMine Therapeutics
The biopharma company reinventing drug discovery by mining fungal biodiversity to develop mechanistically and structurally novel therapeutics, appointed Nobel Laureate William G. Kaelin Jr., MD, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Kaelin is one of the world’s most prominent cancer cell biologists, contributing to our understanding of how human cells sense and adapt to changes in intracellular oxygen levels, which won him the Nobel Prize in 2019.
McCann Health
Sandra Carey was promoted to Global President, Expert Audiences at the agency, where she will help lead the focused effort to reach healthcare experts in their respective fields, and healthcare extenders. Her efforts will help ensure that McCann’s clients’ brands are able to effectively engage with every healthcare provider who may have an exchange with a patient in order to deliver positive health outcomes.
MiMedx
The leader in advanced wound care and therapeutic biologics announced Jack Howarth as its new SVP of Investor Relations. Howarth has spent 40 years in the pharma industry, 25 of which focused on public relations and financial communications, and will now help the company communicate the importance of its pipeline of healing products. He joins MiMedx from Antares Pharmaceuticals, where he was VP, Corporate Affairs.
NeuBase Therapeutics
Curt Bradshaw, PhD was named Chief Scientific Officer of the biotech focused on advancing the genetic revolution using a new class of synthetic medicines. Dr. Bradshaw was previously CSO of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals and is a renowned precision genetic drug developer. He is now be responsible for leading and expanding NeuBase’s PATrOL-enabled anti-gene pipeline and will serve as a key member of its executive management team.
