People In The News: Tracking The Latest Industry Personnel Changes

New top leadership at Caisson Biotech, Kala Pharmaceuticals and BASi; Cubist Pharmaceuticals announces a pair of promotions; FDA hires a director for the Office of Generic Drugs; more personnel announcements in this month’s column.

Presidents And CEOs

Caisson Biotech LLC introduces Glenn Nedwin as its new president and CEO. Nedwin has more than 30 years of industry experience, including executive management roles at Novozymes Inc. (president) and at the Genencor division of Danisco (executive VP) … Guillaume Pfefer joins Kala Pharmaceuticals Inc. as president and CEO after spending nine years at Sanofi Pasteur, most recently as general manager of Sanofi Pasteur Mexico (Also see "Backed By Key Investors, Kala Pharmaceuticals Taps Its First CEO" - Pink Sheet, 12 Jul, 2012.) … Bioanalytical Systems Inc. Chief Financial Officer Jacqueline Lemke takes on the additional title of interim president and CEO. She succeeds Anthony Chilton, who resigned from his CEO post to pursue other opportunities. Lemke joined BASi earlier this year … Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. promotes Robert Perez to president and chief operating officer from his most recent title of executive VP and COO. He joined the company in 2003 and has held his previous title since 2007.

Chief Officers

ADMA Biologics Inc. names James Mond chief medical and scientific officer. He most recently served as executive VP and chief scientific officer at Biosynexus Inc. … OPKO Health appoints Juan Rodriguez to CFO … BIND Biosciences hires Andrew Hirsch as CFO. He previously held the same title at Avila Therapeutics prior to its acquisition by Celgene Inc. (Also see "Celgene Bolsters Pipeline With Avila Acquisition" - Pink Sheet, 26 Jan, 2012.) … Jeff Cooper becomes CFO at KaloBios Pharmaceuticals Inc. after leaving BioMarin Pharmaceuticals Inc., where he was executive VP and CFO … Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. promotes Michael Tomsicek to senior VP and deputy CFO from VP of corporate finance.

Promotion

Affymax Inc. promotes Michael Holfinger to VP of manufacturing and CMC development. He has been with the company since 2006, when he was hired as director of process development and manufacturing.

FDA

FDA’s Office of Pharmaceutical Sciences selects Gregory Geba as director of the Office of Generic Drugs. He comes to the agency with 15 years of pharmaceutical industry experience and most recently was deputy chief medical director for Sanofi US (Also see "FDA Office Of Generic Drugs Director Has Brand Industry Background" - Pink Sheet, 13 Jul, 2012.).

New Hires

Theorem Clinical Research hires Shannon Gordon as VP of global project management. She most recently served as senior director of project delivery at PRA International … Array BioPharma names Andrew Robbins senior VP of commercial operations. He joins the company from Hospira Inc., where he most recently was general manager/VP of the U.S. Alternate Site business unit … ADC Therapeutics appoints Patrick van Berkel to senior VP of research and development post. Prior to joining ADC, he spent nine years at Genmab in various positions, most recently as VP of chemistry, management and control, research and development … Pharmaceutical Product Development LLC introduces Louis Renzetti as VP of strategic laboratory operations. He joins PPD from Roche, where he held various senior management posts, most recently VP and global head of the RNA therapeutics division … Contract research organization TranScrip Partners names John Ansell and Alan Black to senior partner positions … Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. hires Thomas Rollins as senior VP of program and portfolio management. He comes from Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., where he most recently was senior VP of program management and R&D planning.

Boards Of Directors And Scientific Advisory Boards

Lannett Company Inc. announces that Jeffrey Farber has taken over as chairman, succeeding Ronald West, who is relinquishing the title due to health reasons. West will remain on the board. Farber, president and owner of generic pharma distributor Auburn Pharmaceutical, joined the board in May 2006 and was named vice chairman in August 2011 … Collegium Pharmaceuticals Inc. appoints Gino Santini, who recently retired from Eli Lilly & Co., where he was senior VP for corporate strategy and business development, to its board of directors … ADMA Biologics Inc. introduces Lawrence Guiheen, principal of the consulting group Guiheen and Associates LLC, as the seventh member of its board … DARA BioSciences Inc. names Stephen Jaeger, former CEO of eBT International Inc., to its board … RXi Pharmaceuticals names dermatologist Jeannette Graf and BodyAesthetic Research Center Director Leroy Young to its scientific advisory board … Timothy Ryan, professor of biochemistry at Weill Cornell Medical College, joins the Galenea Corp. scientific advisory board … Dendreon Corp. President and CEO John Johnson becomes chairman of the company’s board, succeeding Mitchell Gold as part of a previously announced succession plan (Also see "A New Chapter, A New CEO For Dendreon" - Pink Sheet, 1 Feb, 2012.).

Awards

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review selects Sean Tunis and Daniel Wolfson as inaugural recipients of the Comparative Effectiveness Research National Leadership Award, which honors individuals who have been innovative leaders in advancing methods and practical applications of CER in the U.S. Tunis is founder and director of the Center for Medical Technology Policy, and Wolfson is executive VP and COO of the ABIM Foundation.

[Editor’s Note: On the first Monday of each month, “The Pink Sheet” chronicles employment changes, professional awards and other news about people in the pharmaceutical industry. Submit announcements to Gregory Twachtman at [email protected]]