Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors consists of seasoned pharmaceutical industry executives and venture investors known for their track record of building successful life science companies.
Jean-Jacques Bienaimé (Lead Independent Director)
CEO, BioMarin
Jean-Jacques Bienaimé has served as a member of our Board of Directors since February 2004. Since May 2005, Mr. Bienaimé has served as Chief Executive Officer and director of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., a publicly-held biopharmaceutical company. From November 2002 to April 2005, Mr. Bienaimé served as the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Genencor International, a biotechnology company acquired by Danisco A/S. From June 1998 to October 2002, Mr. Bienaimé was Chief Executive Officer and President of SangStat Medical, a biotechnology company. From October 1992 to May 1998, Mr. Bienaimé held various management positions, most recently as Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Business Development, and Vice President and General Manager of the advanced therapeutic and oncology division of Rhône-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals (now The Sanofi-Aventis Group), a pharmaceutical company. Mr. Bienaimé received a B.S. in economics from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Anthony DiTonno
Former CEO, NeurogesX
Anthony A. DiTonno served as our President and Chief Executive Officer from August 2003 to December 2011. From October 2000 to November 2002, Mr. DiTonno served as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Enteric Medical Technologies, Inc., a medical device company. From 1997 to 2000, Mr. DiTonno served as Chief Executive Officer of LifeSleep Systems, Inc., a medical device company. From 1989 to 1997, Mr. DiTonno held various positions at Oclassen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, most recently as its Vice President and General Manager. Mr. DiTonno is also a director of Oxygen Biotherapeutics, a publicly-held pharmaceutical company developing medical and cosmetic products. Mr. DiTonno received a B.S. in business administration from St. Joseph's University and an M.B.A. from Drexel University.
Bradford Goodwin
President and CEO, Keren Pharmaceutical
Bradford S. Goodwin has served as a member of our Board of Directors since August 2009. Since 2006, Mr. Goodwin has served as president and CEO of Keren Pharmaceutical, a company focused on exploiting a novel, Nobel Prize winning method of gene silencing. Previously, Mr. Goodwin was CEO and a director of Novacea, Inc. from 2001 to 2006. He has held various executive positions, including 12-year tenure at Genentech, as well as nonexecutive chairman positions at Cotherix and PDL BioPharma. Mr. Goodwin was a former nonexecutive chairman of Facet Biotech Corporation, which was sold to Abbott in April 2010 and is currently a director at Rigel Pharmaceuticals. He is a certified public accountant (CPA) and received a bachelor of science in administration from the University of California, Berkeley.
Neil Kurtz, M.D.
President and CEO, Golden Living
Neil M. Kurtz, M.D. has served as a member of our Board of Directors since January 2006. Since August 2008, Dr. Kurtz has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Golden Living, a healthcare services company. From April 2002 to August 2008, Dr. Kurtz has served as President and Chief Executive Officer and Director of TorreyPines Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company. From September 1999 to April 2002, Dr. Kurtz was President of Worldwide Clinical Trials, a healthcare solutions company. Dr. Kurtz received a B.A. in psychology from New York University and an M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Gary Lyons (Executive Chairman)
Existing Director, Neurocrine Biosciences Inc.
Gary A. Lyons served as a director of Neurocrine Biosciences since February 1993 and also served as the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer from February 1993 through January 2008. Previously, Mr. Lyons held a number of senior management positions at Genentech, Inc. including Vice President of Business Development and Vice President of Sales, and had operating responsibility at Genentech Canada and Genentech Japan. Mr. Lyons currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Vical Incorporated, Poinard Pharmaceuticals, and KaloBios Pharmaceuticals. He was a former founding board member of Facet Biotech Corporation, which was sold to Abbott in April 2010. Mr. Lyons holds a B.S. in marine biology from the University of New Hampshire and a Masters of Management from Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Ronald Martell
President and CEO
Ronald A. Martell joined the Company in January 2012 as President and Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the board. Mr. Martell brings over 30 years of experience in the biotechnology industry including direct commercialization experience. Prior to joining NeurogesX, Mr. Martell was Chief Executive Officer at Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he served for four years. Mr. Martell’s experience includes Imclone Systems, where over his tenure he held positions of increasing responsibility, led the successful launch and initial commercialization of the oncology drug Erbitux® and served as a member of the deal execution teams that led to major pharmaceutical partnerships. Earlier in his career, Mr. Martell was with Genentech and led the commercial launch of the company’s blockbuster oncology drugs, Rituxan® and Herceptin®, as well as the development of global marketing plans for the oncology product portfolio.
Robert Nelsen
ARCH Ventures
Robert T. Nelsen has served as a member of our Board of Directors since July 2000. Since July 1994, Mr. Nelsen has served as a senior principal of venture capital funds associated with ARCH Venture Partners, a venture capital firm. From April 1987 to July 1994, Mr. Nelsen served as Senior Manager of ARCH Development Partners LLC, a venture capital fund. Mr. Nelsen is also a director of Adolor Corporation, a publicly-held pharmaceutical company. Mr. Nelsen received a B.S. in biology and economics from the University of Puget Sound and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.
Steven Nelson
CEO, Western Region, UnitedHealthcare
Steven Nelson has served as a member of our Board of Directors since November 2010. Since August 2008, Mr. Nelson has served as Chief Executive Officer of the West Region of UnitedHealthCare, an operating division of UnitedHealth Group, a health benefits and services provider. From December 2007 to August 2008, Mr. Nelson was President of AmeriChoice, a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary. From October 2004 to December 2007 he served as President of the Eastern Region and President of the Senior Products Division at HealthNet, a national health insurance company. From June 1998 to December 1998 Mr. Nelson held a variety of executive roles at the Henry Ford Health System, a not-for-profit. Mr. Nelson received a B.A. from Portland State University and a master's degree in both Business Administration and Health Care Management from the University of Michigan.
John Orwin
CEO, Affymax, Inc.
John A. Orwin has served as a member of our Board of Directors since November 2009. Mr. Orwin has served as chief executive officer for Affymax since February of 2011 and joined as president and chief operating officer in April 2010. From 2005 to 2010, Mr. Orwin served as vice president and then senior vice president, BioOncology Business Unit at Genentech, where he was responsible for all marketing, sales, business unit operations and pipeline brand management for Genentech's oncology portfolio in the United States. From 2001 to 2005, Mr. Orwin served in various executive level positions at Johnson & Johnson overseeing oncology therapeutic commercial and portfolio expansion efforts in the US. He has also held senior marketing and sales positions at Alza Pharmaceuticals, Sangstat Medical Corporation, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals and Schering-Plough Corporation. Mr. Orwin received an M.B.A. from New York University and a B.A. from Rutgers University.