Former CDER official joins Greenleaf Health, biosimilars experience in tow

Chutes and Ladders

Welcome to this week's Chutes and Ladders, our roundup of hirings and firings throughout the industry. Please send the good word--or the bad--from your shop to Michael Gibney (email | Twitter) or Emily Mullin (email | Twitter) and we will feature it here at the end of each week.

Former CDER official joins Greenleaf Health, biosimilars experience in tow

Dr. Rachel Sherman, former director of the Office of Medical Policy at the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, joined Greenleaf Health as a principal. At the CDER, among other areas, Sherman worked on biosimilars policy and the new Breakthrough Therapy Designation. As an internist and an infectious disease subspecialist, Sherman joins a sizable list of former FDA officials at the consulting firm, including former FDA Chief of Staff Patrick Ronan, who is currently Greenleaf's president. Release

Greenleaf Health
Dr. Rachel Sherman joined as a principal of drug and biological drug products.


Purdue Pharma
Saeed Motahari will be senior vice president and chief commercial officer.

Pharma

Purdue Pharma named Saeed Motahari as the company's senior vice president and chief commercial officer. Motahari comes from AbbVie ($ABBV), where he was vice president of U.S. sales and marketing, specialty brands-new launches. Release

Thomas "Tom" Parr, who has over 25 years of drug discovery experience, joined Spero Therapeutics as chief scientific officer. Release

Dr. Mark Velleca, who can be credited with leading CGI Pharmaceuticals from the ground up until it was acquired by Gilead ($GILD) in 2010, took the helm at G1 Therapeutics as CEO. Release

Nicholas Saccomano signed on to Array BioPharma ($ARRY) as chief scientific officer, while Robert Winkler joined as vice president of clinical research and development. Release

Dublin-based Jazz Pharmaceuticals' ($JAZZ) Russell Cox was promoted to chief operating officer after serving as the company's executive vice president and chief commercial officer. Release

Clarus Therapeutics ($CLRS) has appointed Patrick Shea as its chief commercial officer. Release

Biotech

> Linda C. Bain has been appointed as the chief financial officer of Avalanche Biotechnologies, bringing more than 20 years of experience to the company. Release

Tiziana Life Sciences brought on Dr. Napoleone Ferrara as chairman of the company's scientific advisory board and as a consultant to the company. Release

MYOS appointed Joseph DosSantos as the company's chief financial officer. Release

Meditope named C. Dan Dumitru as its vice president of translational research. Release

Christopher Basta joined Intrexon ($XON) as vice president of investor relations. Release

> Nektar Therapeutics ($NKTR) appointed Ivan Gergel as its senior vice president of regulatory affairs and quality assurance. Release

Regado Therapeutics ($RGDO) has appointed Nicholas Pelliccione as senior vice president of regulatory affairs and quality assurance. Release

Symphogen hired Mads Laustsen as its chief manufacturing officer. Release

Provectus Biopharmaceuticals ($PVCT) appointed Jacob Plotsker to its strategic advisory board. Release

Patrick Shea has joined Clarus Therapeutics ($CLRS) as chief commercial officer. Release

Moderna Therapeutics has formed a new technology advisory board, adding several members. Release

Peter George has joined Ergomed as the company's nonexecutive director. Release

Brian Zambrowicz has joined Nuevolution as director and senior scientific adviser to the board of directors. Release

MassBio has elected five individuals to the organization's board of directors: Jim Burns, head of Sanofi's ($SNY) Boston R&D hub; Liz Lewis, chief compliance officer at Millennium; Paris Panayiotopoulos, managing director at EMD Serono; Adelene Perkins, chief executive officer at Infinity Pharmaceuticals ($INFI); and Rick Russell, chief commercial officer at Sunovion Pharmaceuticals. Release

CRO

> Dr. Jack Modell has joined Rho as senior medical officer. Release