Calcium Strengthens Strategic Services Team
Staying strong through the pandemic, Calcium experienced 60% revenue growth in 2020 and is boosting its strategic service offerings with the additions of Lynn Nezin, PhD, as SVP, Brand Strategy, and Lauren Lazar, MD, as SVP, Medical Strategy. Steven Michaelson, Calcium’s Founder and CEO, said, “This completes a trifecta of strategic services headed up by the recently hired EVP, Engagement Strategy, Gene Fitzpatrick.”
With extensive agency experience and a background in health psychology and behavioral strategy, Dr. Nezin is trusted to add a crucial component to Calcium’s process and offering. As part of Brand Strategy, she will help brands determine stakeholders’ mindsets, barriers, and potential attitudinal shifts, which will result from a thoroughly integrated approach. Dr. Lazar has extensive multicategory experience in various therapeutics and brands, learning from roles at PSL Group, Harrison & Star, Grey Healthcare Group, J. Walter Thompson, Sudler & Hennessey, and more.
Bayer Bolsters R&D
Christian Rommel, PhD joins the global healthcare company as Head of Research and Development at its Pharmaceuticals Division. With a new focus on gene therapies, Bayer trusts Dr. Rommel to bolster its pipeline.
“Christian Rommel is an internationally recognized biopharma executive with an expansive track record of R&D spanning over two decades. His in-depth experience in successfully accelerating innovation and advancing drug candidates across a breadth of modalities will be one of the key drivers for Bayer’s innovation strategy,” said Stefan Oelrich, Member of the Board of Management, Bayer AG and President of the company’s Pharmaceuticals Division.
Dr. Rommel joins Bayer after serving seven years as Roche’s Senior Vice President, Global Head of Oncology Research and Early Development. The R&D guru also built his reputation through roles at Amgen, Intellikine, Merck Serono, and Regeneron. “I am energized and privileged to join Bayer, and for the opportunity to work with the company’s R&D community to leverage the company’s science and culture to bring transformative therapies to patients worldwide,” Dr. Rommel said.
Adaptate Biotherapeutics
The company focused on developing antibody-based therapeutics for modulation of gamma delta T cells hired Stewart Kay as Chief Business Officer. He is now charged with working as part of the executive team to drive Adaptate’s business and corporate development activities. Stewart will draw upon 20 years of experience in business development and extensive knowledge of the pharma and life sciences sector.
Codagenix, Inc.
Codagenix appointed Jeffrey Fu, PhD as its Chief Business Officer. The biotechnology company developing prophylactic vaccines and oncolytic virus therapies tapped Dr. Fu from Merck, where he spent 30 years leading the company’s North America pharmaceutical and global vaccine commercial business development activities. Dr. Fu now leads internal and external development initiatives involving the company’s diverse vaccine portfolio.
Cogent Biosciences
Andrew Robbins was named the new CEO of the developer of precision therapies for genetically defined diseases. He joins the team from his position as Chief Operating Officer of Array Biopharma. Robbins gained extensive commercial, development, and strategic leadership experience during his 20-year career in pharma, focusing on oncology and hematology products. He will lead the company in rapidly developing PLX9486, to treat patients living with systemic mastocytosis and advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).
DeepIntent
The healthcare marketing tech agency made two key hires. Greg Smith was appointed Chief Revenue Officer and Marcella Milliet Sciorra was made SVP of Marketing. Smith, a programmatic advertising and sales management expert, is now responsible for the growth of DeepIntent’s Healthcare Marketplace for publishers as well as alignment of company resources, defining differentiated go-to-market strategies and delivering on the company’s revenue performance goals. Sciorra boasts more than 20 years of experience in media and advertising, which she will use to lead all marketing, public relations, and branding initiatives for the company.
GentiBio
Catherine Thut has been appointed Chief Business Officer of the company developing engineered regulatory T cells programmed to treat autoimmune, alloimmune, autoinflammatory, and allergic diseases. Thut will be responsible for leading the company’s corporate development, strategy, and financing.
Monte Rosa Therapeutics
The Boston-based biotech focused on developing precision medicines to degrade disease-causing proteins, appoints Min Wang, PhD, JD, as Chief Operating Officer and Jullian G. Jones, PhD, JD, MBA, as SVP, Head of Business Development. Most recently, Dr. Wang served as COO of BlueRock Therapeutics, where she played a key role in the sale of the company for an implied value of up to $1 billion. Her successful track record also includes product approvals, billions raised in public product funding, and numerous co-development and co-commercialization deals with industry partners. Dr. Jones joins from Eli Lilly, where she was Senior Director of Oncology Business Development. While at Lilly, she was pivotal in leading several oncology M&A activities, including the $8 billion acquisition of Loxo Oncology.
Nuvation Bio
Jennifer Fox joins the executive leadership team as Nuvation’s new Chief Financial Officer. She will be responsible for corporate strategy, business development, investor relations, and corporate communications. Fox joins from CitiGroup, where she served as a Managing Director and Co-head of the healthcare corporate and investment banking group.
ONK Therapeutics
Kite Pharma’s former European head, Chris Nowers, joins the innovative cell therapy company as its new CEO. As ONK works to develop its off-the-shelf, dual-targeted Natural Killer cell therapy platform, Nowers will lead the company through its upcoming rapid expansion and development.
Rheos Medicines
Massachusetts-based startup, Rheos Medicines, adds Dania Rabah, PhD to its executive team as Chief Scientific Officer. With 15 years of experience leading teams of scientists in drug discovery and early development, Dr. Rabah will further the biotech’s work in immunometabolism to develop a new class of therapeutics for patients with severe immune-mediated disease.
Vaccitech
The expanding biopharmaceutical company developing T cell vaccines and immunotherapies designed to treat and prevent infectious disease and cancer nabbed former Kite Pharma and Pfizer clinical research expert Margaret Marshall, MD. As the new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Marshall will lead the clinical development planning and execution of new immunotherapy and vaccine programs.
