Date: 2014-12-26
Type of information: Nomination
Compound: chief executive officer
Company: Acucela (USA - WA)
Therapeutic area: Ophtalmological diseases
Type agreement: nomination
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Disease:
Details:
- • On December 23, 2014, Acucela, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing novel therapeutics to treat the progression of sight-threatening ophthalmic diseases, announced that Brian O’Callaghan, Acucela’s president and chief operating officer (COO), will assume the role of chief executive officer (CEO), along with continuing to serve as Interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Ryo Kubota, M.D., Ph.D., Acucela’s Founder, will retain his position as Chairman of Acucela’s Board of Directors. Mr. O’Callaghan will assume the role of CEO effective January 1, 2015. As Chairman, Dr. Kubota will continue to drive the Company’s active investor relations and communications activities in Japan and take primary responsibility for the development of the strategic direction of Acucela’s visual cycle modulation programs. Mr. O’Callaghan was appointed Acucela’s President, COO and Interim CFO in early September 2014. His primary responsibilities will continue to include driving and overseeing Acucela’s business development and financing strategies, as well as developing Acucela’s executive leadership team.
- Brian O’Callaghan has served on the Company’s Board of Directors since September 2013. He was most recently Chairman and CEO of Sonrgy Inc., a San Diego-based biotechnology company. Previous to Sonrgy, Mr. O’Callaghan served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sangart Inc. and as a member of Sangart’s Board of Directors. Mr. O’Callaghan has also held the position of Chief Commercial Officer at NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he led important corporate strategic initiatives, and as General Manager of two global divisions of Covance Inc., where he was successful in restructuring and rebuilding two core business units. At Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Mr. O’Callaghan served as General Manager of their North American Transplantation & Immunology Division, as well as their Infectious Diseases Division, where he was instrumental in several successful product launches, in-licensing deals and growing two key business units. Mr. O’Callaghan co-founded a biopharmaceutical company, BioPartners, in Switzerland; served as General Manager of Merck Biopharmaceuticals in Germany; and has held various senior management positions within Pfizer UK and Bayer, Ireland. Mr. O’Callaghan holds an MBA from Henley College of Business Management in the UK and Marketing Diploma from the Cork Institute of Technology and the Marketing Institute of Ireland. He currently serves on a number of Boards, including BIOCOM, Aquavit Biopharma and the San Diego Century Club.
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Is general: Yes
