Coherus Announces Appointment of Dr. V. Bryan Lawlis, Jr. as Chairman of its Scientific Advisory Board
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jan. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Coherus BioSciences, Inc. ("Coherus"), a biopharmaceuticals company dedicated to global development and commercialization of biologic therapeutics, announced today that it has appointed V. Bryan Lawlis, Jr., Ph.D., as Chairman to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Lawlis, a 31-year biotech industry veteran, has extensive experience in manufacturing biotechnology and other pharmaceutical products, research and development of drug products, conducting clinical trials and the regulatory processes. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120507/SF01448LOGO) "It is a privilege to have Dr. Lawlis, whose expertise in biologics will provide invaluable direction for our biosimilar programs," said Denny Lanfear, Chief Executive Officer of Coherus. "Navigating the complex and challenging biosimilar development pathway requires extraordinary domain expertise and nuanced insight to be successful. Bryan's expertise very effectively complements the world class biologic drug development team we have in place at Coherus."
"With my new appointment to the SAB, I will get the opportunity to help Coherus achieve success in addressing critical issues surrounding the use of biosimilars," said Dr. Lawlis. "I have been very impressed by Coherus' achievements with each of the products in their portfolio thus far. The company has identified a strong business model utilizing a high caliber team and support from several strategic partners to ensure significant value inflection points in the near future."
About Dr. V. Bryan Lawlis, Jr.
Dr. Lawlis is a founder and currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Itero Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held developer of value-added follow-on and novel therapeutic proteins and antibodies that was founded in 2006. Dr. Lawlis served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Aradigm Corporation from August 2004, and served on its Board of Directors from February 2005, continuing in both capacities until August 2006. Dr. Lawlis served as Aradigm Corporation's President and Chief Operating Officer from June 2003 to August 2004, and its Chief Operating Officer from November 2001 to June 2003. Previously, Dr. Lawlis co-founded Covance Biotechnology Services, a contract biopharmaceutical manufacturing operation, served as its President and Chief Executive Officer from 1996 to 1999, and served as Chairman from 1999 to 2001, when it was sold to Diosynth RTP, Inc., a division of Akzo Nobel, NV. From 1981 to 1996, Dr. Lawlis was employed at Genencor, Inc. and Genentech, Inc. His last position at Genentech was Vice President of Process Sciences. Dr. Lawlis currently holds board positions at Itero Biopharmaceuticals, Inc, Sutro Biopharma, Inc and BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
Dr. Lawlis holds a B.A. in microbiology from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Washington State University.
About Coherus BioSciences
Coherus BioSciences is an emerging biopharmaceutical company headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with an entirely new model for developing safe, high-quality biosimilar therapeutics. Founded in 2010, Coherus already has formed global partnerships with top tier pharma and filled the pipeline with five product candidates focused on treating oncology and inflammatory diseases. Led by a group of early biotech pioneers, Coherus has reinvented the entire business of developing biologic medicines, from concept to commercialization, so that more patients around the world can have greater access to quality therapeutics. For additional information, please visit www.coherus.com.
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