Current Trends in the Biomedical Sciences Lecturers' Bios
Yashwant M. Deo, AviGenics, Inc.
Laurence J. Downey, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, LLC
Lynn Hood, Hood Marketing Solutions
David H. Mason, UCB Pharma, Inc.
Robert T. McNally, Cell Dynamics, LLC
Russell M. Medford, AtheroGenics Inc.
Chris Offen, WYNDEN Pharmaceuticals
Harold H. Shlevin, Tikvah Therapeutics
Troy L. ZumBrunnen, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Yashwant Deo, Ph.D.
President and CEO, AviGenics, Inc.
Dr. Deo joined the board of AviGenics in December 2002, and was named President and CEO in April 2003. Dr. Deo has over twenty years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry including management positions at Schering-Plough, Centocor, and most recently as a Senior Vice President in charge of all operations at Medarex. Dr. Deo has a broad experience in pre-clinical, manufacturing and clinical development of protein-based therapies including Intron®-A, RePro®, Remicade®, and several monoclonal antibodies derived from transgenic mice. He has fifty scientific publications, six issued patents and over thirty applications pending. Dr. Deo holds a Ph.D. in Fermentation Technology from the University of Calgary (Canada).
 Laurence J. Downey, M.D.
President and CEO, Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc
As president and chief executive officer of Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Dr. Laurence Downey focuses on expanding the company’s presence in the United States through aggressive strategies to grow the current business together with pipeline development and acquisitions. He is a member of the corporation’s board of directors and management committee, an officer of the corporation, CEO/chairman of the board of its wholly owned subsidiary Unimed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and president of Organics LLC. Downey is a member of the global pharmaceutical management committee for Solvay Pharmaceuticals, the Solvay Group’s worldwide pharmaceutical businesses. Dr. Downey served as President and CEO of Solvay Pharma Inc. in Canada from 1999-2005. A 25-year veteran of the company, he joined Solvay Healthcare Ltd. in Southampton, United Kingdom, in 1979 as a Medical Advisor. In 1986, Downey moved to Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Marietta, Ga. where he initially served as Vice President, Medical Services and subsequently held positions as Senior Vice President Commercial Operations and interim President and CEO. A native of the United Kingdom, Downey earned a medical degree from the University of Manchester and a diploma in pharmaceutical medicine from the Royal College of Physicians, where he is also a faculty fellow. He completed the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School in 1996. Downey currently serves on the board of directors of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association of America. SOLVAY PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (www.solvaypharmaceuticals-us.com) of Marietta, Georgia is the U.S. subsidiary of the research driven group of companies that constitute the global pharmaceutical business of the Solvay Group. The company seeks to fulfill carefully selected, unmet medical needs in the therapeutic areas of neuroscience, cardio-metabolic, influenza vaccines, gastroenterology and men’s and women’s health. SOLVAY is an international chemicals and pharmaceuticals group with headquarters in Brussels. It is present in more than 50 countries and employs some 33,000 people in its Chemicals, Plastics and Pharmaceuticals activities. Including Fournier Pharma, its 2005 sales amounted to EUR 8.6 billion. Solvay S.A. is listed on the Euronext 100 index of top European companies. Details are available at www.solvay.com.
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Lynn Hood
President, Hood Marketing Solutions
Lynn Hood has more than 25 years of experience working with agencies and corporations in marketing and communications. She has led companies through every phase of branding and marketing, from internal communications to international advertising and brings a unique combination of creative thinking and strategic development to projects. Her agency, Hood Marketing Solutions, has a 19-year track record of helping companies strategically position themselves in the marketplace and increase sales through innovative, cost-effective marketing techniques. Lynn is a founding member of the Southeastern Medical Device Association (SEMDA) and continues to serve on the Board, heading up Membership. She is also actively involved with Georgia Bio and on the Advisory Board of its Emerging Leaders Network. Lynn is marketing chair for the MIT Enterprise Forum and is a member of the Technology Association of Georgia. She is a member of the Marketing Advisory Board for the Center for the Visually Impaired.
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David H. Mason, M.D.
Vice President of Clinical Research, UCB Pharma, Inc.
Dr. Mason is a physician, board certified in Internal Medicine, with subspecialty training in Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases. He has been with UCB Pharma since December, 2003, with previous experience over the past 20 years with several other pharmaceutical companies, including senior management responsibility for Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Medical Affairs and several other disciplines. His undergraduate degree is in Chemistry from Williams College, medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, with post-doctoral training at Duke, the US National Institutes of Health, and the University of Michigan. Prior to joining industry, he had an academic appointment at the University of Michigan Medical School, and was in private practice for several years. Scientific interests and training also include virology, viral oncology and molecular biology.
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 Robert (Bob) T. McNally, Ph.D.
CEO, Cell Dynamics, LLC
Dr. Robert McNally graduated with a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and has over 28 years of experience in academic and corporate clinical investigations, management, research, business, quality and regulatory affairs. In 1984, Dr. McNally was co-founder of CryoLife, Inc., a company specializing in the cryopreservation of human tissue for transplant. During his 14 year association with CryoLife, it grew to $50MM in revenue, became a public company on NYSE and is recognized the world over as a leader in transplant technology. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers, serves on the board of the Petit Institute for Tissue Engineering at Georgia Tech and is Past Chairman of Georgia Bio and recipient of it's 2005 Biomedical Industry Growth Award. Dr. McNally is co-founder of Cell Dynamics, President, and current serving as VP of Quality Assurance. Cell Dynamics is a cGMP laboratory which contracts with organ and tissue procurement organizations for the recovery of human tissue and processes these tissues into cellular components necessary for research and development, pharmaceuticals and cell therapy.
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 Russell M. Medford, M.D., Ph.D.
President and CEO, and Scientific Co-founder of AtheroGenics Inc.
Russell M. Medford, M.D., Ph.D. is scientific co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of AtheroGenics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGIX), an Atlanta-based pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. He has served as a member of AtheroGenics’ board of directors since the Company’s inception in 1993. Dr. Medford has been the President and Chief Executive Officer since 1995 after serving as Executive Vice President from 1993 to 1995. Dr. Medford is a director of Inhibitex, Inc. (Nasdaq: INHX). He is an inaugural Fellow of the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences of the American Heart Association and a past member of the Advisory Council of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Dr. Medford serves on the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s (BIO) Board of Directors and the Emerging Companies Section Governing Body. He serves as Chairman of Georgia Bio and is a member of the BioSciences Executive Committee for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Southeast BIO (SEBIO) Board of Directors. Dr. Medford was an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Molecular Cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine, and currently holds the appointment of Adjunct Clinical Professor of Medicine. Dr. Medford is a molecular cardiologist whose research has focused on the molecular basis of cardiovascular disease. He has published widely in the field of molecular cardiology and holds 14 U.S. patents. Dr. Medford received a B.A. from Cornell University, and an M.D. with Distinction and a Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Medford completed his residency in internal medicine at the Beth Israel Hospital and served as a fellow in cardiology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he also served on the faculty of Medicine.
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Chris Offen
CEO of WYNDEN Pharmaceuticals
Currently, Mr. Chris Offen is the CEO of WYNDEN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. located in Alpharetta, Georgia. WYNDEN is a private, specialty pharmaceutical company focusing on developing and commercializing products to small markets of high unmet medical needs. Its lead product is targeting the oncology and cardiovascular categories. WYNDEN has a lead investor who has committed to funding the Company through the NDA submission of its first product’s indication. Previously, Mr. Chris Offen had formed a consultant firm, Chris Offen & Associates LLC, to provide contemporary healthcare solutions to members of the pharmaceutical industry manufacturers and service providers. His area of concentration lies with strategy development, business development, licensing and commercialization activities associated with small, medium, and large public or private companies. Mr. Offen held the position of EVP & Chief Commercial Officer for First Horizon Pharmaceutical Corporation. His responsibility embraced all commercial functions: sales, marketing, managed care, and trade management. As a member of the executive team, Mr. Offen was involved in business development and fund raising initiatives. The company significantly increased its presence in the marketplace through a blend of sales force expansion and partnering strategies. Infrastructure was appropriately increased and upgraded to support the significant growth the company experienced. Previously, Mr. Offen held the position of Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the Atlanta Office for A. M. Pappas & Associates, an international venture capital company providing investment and consulting services to foster the growth and evolution of life science companies. Mr. Offen was the Senior Vice President/Corporate Officer of Commercial Operations at Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. responsible for the entire sales, marketing, and medical affairs efforts within the USA. Under Mr. Offen’s leadership, the sales force was expanded and aligned among the many commercial areas. Initiatives were focused on improving the effectiveness of the sales teams. Prior to this position at Solvay he headed up the New Business Development and Marketing functions of the Company. In these capacities he led initiatives that resulted in the acquisition of several products/technologies and expanded sales and profits of the Company through the repositioning and launching of several brands. Prior to Solvay Mr. Offen held several senior sales and marketing positions at Burroughs Wellcome Co (presently GlaxoSmithKline). During his tenure, he directed the launch of several products in multiple therapeutic areas that became market leaders in their respective segments. He also participated in a special assignment resulting in a strategic overhaul of the company improving the integration of all functions and performance of the Company. Mr. Offen’s thirty years of experience have embraced a diverse group of therapeutic areas including women’s health, respiratory, mental health, gastroenterology, neonatology, cardiovascular, antibacterial, cystic fibrosis, anesthesiology, antiviral, pediatrics, and oncology. Functionally, he has been actively involved in almost 20 deals embracing technologies in all phases of development and commercialization. He created more effective ways to sell and market in the changing marketplace has been a focus of his in the past. He has been involved in preparing management of private companies to understand the commercial consequences of early scientific based decision-making. He has been a member or an advisor to many associations and customer groups over the years including: American Marketing Association, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Licensing Executives Society, Society for Women’s Health Research, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Psychiatry Association, Emory University School of Public Health, and others. Mr. Offen attended the Advanced Executive Program at the Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University; received a MBA from George Mason University concentrating in Marketing/Management; and was graduated from The Catholic University of America with a pre-med degree.
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 Harold H. Shlevin, Ph.D.
President & CEO, Tikvah Therapeutics
Dr. Shlevin is the President & CEO of Tikvah Therapeutics, Inc., an Atlanta, GA pharmaceutical enterprise focused on late-stage development of compounds with strong intellectual property protection and significant market potential. Tikvah Therapeutics, Inc. primary development focus is on the novel application of existing therapeutic entities where clinical proof of concept is already well-established and its commercial focus is in the specialty areas of CNS - psychiatry and neurology. This strategy is designed to minimize the risk of development while maximizing the commercial potential of its product assets. Its leadership team is comprised of individuals with a demonstrated record of accomplishments in development, approval and commercialization of pharmaceutical products and it is supported a by a strong network of scientific advisors. Tikvah Therapeutics, Inc. was founded June, 2006. Prior to this, Dr. Shlevin held the position of Global Senior Vice President of Solvay Pharmaceuticals, SA reporting directly to the head of the worldwide pharmaceuticals business. This role, including global P&L responsibility, functioned to assure the company effectively managed its regulatory, safety, quality and external affairs activities worldwide. He was a member of the Solvay Pharmaceuticals SA Board of Directors responsible for the worldwide pharmaceutical business, and also remained a member of the Board of Directors of the US pharmaceuticals business. Shlevin joined Solvay Pharmaceuticals as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Scientific Affairs in August 1998 and served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from June 2000 to January 2006. He was also a member of the global management committee, an officer of the corporation, Chairman of the Board of its independently owned and operated subsidiary Unimed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and a member of the board of Solvay Draka, a specialty plastic company with interest in medical device applications. Under Dr. Shlevin’s leadership as CEO, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. experienced a period of record growth in revenue and profits; these achievements were underpinned by aggressive acquisitions and research and development. Importantly, a long-standing adverse regulatory situation was resolved without fines or consent decrees. Dr. Shlevin also successfully led the efforts to apply for a US Federal grant for development and production of new technologies for influenza vaccine resulting in the Department of Health and Human Services award to Solvay Pharmaceuticals-US for US$298 Million in May, 2006. Dr. Shlevin has over twenty-five years of diverse healthcare business-related experience, involving virtually every aspect of the pharmaceutical business from research and development through commercial operations. His past industry experience includes leadership roles at G.D. Searle and Co., Ciba-Geigy Corporation, and he was a founder of Ciba Vision Ophthalmics. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Boston University, Shlevin earned a master’s and doctorate from University of Rochester Medical School. He holds post-doctoral degrees in pharmacology and physiology from the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Mayo Foundation and Mayo Clinic where he also served as Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology. He served on the Board of Directors of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association of America and the National Pharmaceutical Council. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Board of Advisors of Morehouse School of Medicine, the Board of Directors of Cardiome Pharma Corporation (NASDQ: CRME), Board of Directors for the Georgia Bio and Vice Chair of its Executive Committee, and is an Advisor to NanoVici Inc., a nanotechnology oriented, start-up company focused on oncology.
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Troy L. ZumBrunnen, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical Pharmacology, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Troy is a pharmacist, board certified in Psychiatric Pharmacy practice. He has been with Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since July, 1998, with management responsibility for global Clinical Pharmacology activities within the Clinical Development group. Troy has a broad range of experience conducting trials in all phases of clinical development. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, with post-doctoral residency training in Psychiatric Pharmacy practice and a two-year drug development fellowship in conjunction with Georgia Regional Hospital in Atlanta, Mercer University and Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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Photos courtesy: http://www.gabio.org
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