Biopharma and life sciences companies strengthen their leadership teams and boards with these Movers & Shakers.
Cogent Biosciences – Brad Barnett was named chief technology officer at Cogent Biosciences. Barnett will be responsible for all aspects of chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), technical development, supply chain operations, and alliance management. Barnett spent nearly 20 years at Array BioPharma where he most recently served as vice president of Supply Chain & Manufacturing. Barnett joined Array in 2000, two years after the company was founded, and played an invaluable role in successfully bringing Mektovi and Braftovi, two precision oncology medicines, to market while serving in a range of roles including research, business development and technical operations. Prior to joining Cogent, he led the Mektovi and Braftovi manufacturing integration into Pfizer following Pfizer’s acquisition of Array.
Liquidia Corporation – N.C. based Liquidia named Michael Kaseta its new chief financial officer. He succeeds Steve Bariahtaris who has served as Liquidia’s interim CFO since August 2020. Kaseta joins Liquidia with an extensive background in corporate finance, business strategy and the commercialization of biopharma products. Prior to Liquidia, Kaseta served as the CFO at Aerami Therapeutics. He also served as CFO at Aralez Pharmaceuticals Inc. and spent 11 years at Sanofi in a variety of financial roles.
Frequency Therapeutics -- Peter P. Pfreundschuh was named CFO of Woburn, Mass.-based Frequency Therapeutics. Pfreundschuh will oversee the company’s financial strategy and activities related to accounting, investor relations, business development and business operations. Pfreundschuh joins Frequency from UroGen Pharma Ltd., where he served as chief financial officer, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary. Prior to UroGen, Pfreudschuh was the CFO of Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc., where he co-led the sale of the company to Mallinckrodt. He was also CFO of Immunomedics Inc., and was CFO of the heart pump maker, CircuLite Inc.
Maitri Health – Vancouver-based Maitri Health Technologies Corp. appointed Jessica J. Federer to its board of directors. Federer replaces Gavin Cooper, who will continue as a strategic advisor to the company. Federer is currently the CEO of Huma Health, a global digital health company and an affiliate partner at Boston Millennia Partners, a venture capital firm focused on healthcare and technology.
Vesigen Therapeutics – Lucio Iannone, senior director of Venture Investments at Leaps by Bayer, was appointed to the board of directors of Vesigen Therapeutics. At Leaps by Bayer, Iannone is responsible for developing investment cases and finalizing deal execution. He is also involved in sourcing, screening, and mentoring companies evolving groundbreaking science. Prior to Leaps by Bayer, Iannone held several senior roles at various biotechnology companies and venture capital firms. Iannone currently serves as a board member for Khloris Biosciences, Pyxis Oncology, Immunitas Therapeutics, eGenesis, Azitra, and Axxam.
GoHealth, Inc. – Pail Hain was named chief medical officer of Chicago-based GoHealth, Inc. In this newly created role, Hain will work with GoHealth’s growing TeleCare team, directly building clinical functions. Hain will focus on key member touchpoints including care management and navigation, provider and value-based care engagement, pharmacy engagement, health risk assessments, social determinant of health management, and other digital health offerings. Prior to GoHealth, Hain served as CMO for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.
VistaGen – Louis Monti was named vice president of Translational Medicine at VistaGen Therapeutics. Monti has served as president and CEO of Pherin Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Pherin, Monti held various academic positions at the University of Utah and the University of the Republic, Uruguay. Monti is a pioneer in the research and development of neuroactive steroids known as pherines, which includes VistaGen’s intranasal treatment candidate PH94B for anxiety disorders and PH10 for depression.
Zai Lab – Alan Sandler was appointed to the newly created role of president and head of Global Development in Oncology. Sandler will lead global oncology development and related enabling functions to support the company’s development activities. Sandler was most recently the senior vice president and Global Head of Product Development Oncology at Genentech. Prior to Genentech, Sandler served as Professor and Chief of Hematology/Oncology at Oregon Health and Science University. Previously, he served on the faculties of the medical schools of Indiana University and Vanderbilt University.
Rentschler Biopharma – Germany-based Rentschler announced Diana Wiedmann will lead the global human resources team as senior vice president. Previously, Wiedmann served as Head of Human Resources, overseeing a global team and developing HR management strategies for international companies, including Siemens and the US-based biotech company, Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
NeuBase Therapeutics – Curt Bradshaw was named chief scientific officer of Pennsylvania-based NeuBase Therapeutics. Bradshaw will 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. Bradshaw most recently served as CSO for Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Arrowhead, Bradshaw was president and CSO of Tollnine, a company he co-founded to develop novel antibody conjugates for immuno-oncology. He also previously served as CSO of Solstice Biologics and before that, held a similar role at Traversa Therapeutics. Prior to Traversa, he spent seven years at CovX Research, a cornerstone of the Pfizer, Inc. Bioinnovation and Biotherapeutics Center.
Antios Therapeutics – Gregory T. Mayes was named CEO and director of Atlanta-based Antios Therapeutics. Mayes succeeds Abel De La Rosa, who co-founded Antios in 2018 and has served as CEO and Director since its inception. De La Rosa, who is retiring from his full-time role, will remain with Antios as an advisor and will assume the role of chairman of its board of directors. Mayes joins Antios following the acquisition of Engage Therapeutics where he served as CEO from 2017 until its acquisition. Prior to Engage, he was chief operating officer at Advaxis Immunotherapies. Previously, he served as president, general counsel and a board member at Unigene Laboratories.
ADCES -- Charles Macfarlane will retire as CEO of the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES) after eight years. During his term, he oversaw significant strategic initiatives and expansion in the role of diabetes care and education specialists. ADCES will conduct a nationwide search for a new CEO. The search for a new CEO is expected to take six to eight months and Macfarlane will remain at the helm until then to ensure a smooth transition. Prior to leading ADCES, Macfarlane was the executive director for the Academy of General Dentistry, and before that served in various roles with Joint Commission Resources and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
BioAge – Paul Rubin was named CMO of BioAge and will lead the company’s clinical development efforts. In former roles heading development at Sepracor, GSK and Abbott, Rubin has been responsible for the clinical development and approval of more than ten products. Prior to BioAge, he was most recently executive vice president, Research and Development for MiRagen and held a similar role at Xoma.
Karuna Therapeutics – David Wheadon was named to the board of directors of Karuna Therapeutics. Ed Harrigan, will step down from his role on the board, but will continue to serve as a member of the company’s scientific advisory board. Most recently Wheadon served as head of Global Regulatory Affairs, Patient Safety and Quality Assurance at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Prior to AstraZeneca, he held senior regulatory and clinical development leadership positions at Abbott, GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). Wheadon is a board member of Assertio Holdings, Inc.
HiberCell – Ari Nowacek was named chief business officer of HiberCell and Joseph Talamo was named CFO. Prior to joining HiberCell, Talamo served as the CFO of Caladrius Biosciences, Inc. Before that, Talamo held various senior financial positions at OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In addition to his role at HiberCell, Nowacek is a principal at ARCH Venture Partners. After helping to co-found HiberCell, he served as vice president of operations and business development.
