PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Capnia, Inc. today announced the appointment of Ernest Mario, Ph.D., as the company’s new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Mario joins Capnia from Reliant Pharmaceuticals, where until recently he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Mario has 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He began his career in 1966 as a pharmaceutical researcher at Strasenburgh Laboratories in Rochester, NY. He later held various management positions within SmithKline and Squibb, and joined Glaxo PLC in 1986, rising to the position of Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman. During his tenure at Glaxo, Dr. Mario oversaw the launch of five major brands that grew the company’s sales and profits by nearly 15 percent annually. In 1993, Dr. Mario became CEO of ALZA Corporation, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2001 in one of the largest mergers in the pharmaceutical industry.
