Executive Officers

Dr. Browne has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry across multiple disciplines including R&D, operations and business development. Most recently he was President and CEO of Phrixus Pharmaceuticals, where he raised venture funding for the company’s Phase II clinical trial in heart failure. Previously he was President, CEO and a Director of Pharmacopeia (now part of Ligand Pharmaceuticals), where he helped transform the company into a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company with multiple development programs, and raised more than $120 million from corporate collaborations and institutional investors.

Dr. Browne also held key positions at Berlex/Schering AG, including Corporate Vice President, Berlex Laboratories, and President of Schering Berlin Venture Corporation. Earlier he was with Ciba-Geigy (now part of Novartis), where he contributed to the discovery of Fadrozole®, and was closely involved in the discoveries of Femara® and Diovan®, which became major products for Novartis. Dr. Browne recently served as a Director of Genelabs Technologies, which was sold to GlaxoSmithKline, and was Chairman of the New Jersey Technology Council.

John E. Thompson, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President, Research and Development

Dr. Thompson was appointed the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer in January 1999, and he continued in that capacity until September 1999 when he was appointed Executive Vice President of Research and Development. Dr. Thompson is the inventor of the technology that is being developed by the Company. Since July 2001, he has been the Associate Vice President, Research and from July 1990 to June 2001 he was the Dean of Science at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Thompson has a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, and he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Dr. Thompson is also the recipient of a Lady Davis Visiting Fellowship, the Sigma Xi Award for Excellence in Research, the CSPP Gold Medal and the Technion Visiting Fellowship. For a more in depth discussion of Dr. Thompson’s interests and publications please visit his faculty page.

Joel Brooks
Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer

Mr. Brooks was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company in December 2000. From September 1998 until November 2000, Mr. Brooks was the Chief Financial Officer of Blades Board and Skate, LLC, a retail establishment specializing in the action sports industry. Mr. Brooks was Chief Financial Officer from 1997 until 1998 and Controller from 1994 until 1997 of Cable and Company Worldwide, Inc. He also held the position of Controller at USA Detergents, Inc. from 1992 until 1994, and held various positions at several public accounting firms from 1983 through 1992. Mr. Brooks received his Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce with a major in Accounting from Rider University in February 1983.

Richard Dondero
Vice President, Research and Development

Mr. Dondero was appointed our Vice President of Research and Development in July 2004. From July 2002 until July 2004, Mr. Dondero was a Group Leader in the Proteomics Reagent Manufacturing division of Molecular Staging, Inc., a biotech firm engaged in the measurement and discovery of new biomarkers. From 1985 through June 2001, Mr. Dondero served in several roles of increasing responsibility through Vice President of Operations and Product Development at Cistron Biotechnology, Inc. From 1977 through 1985, Mr. Dondero served as a senior scientist at Johnson and Johnson, and from 1975 through 1977, as a scientist at Becton Dickinson. Mr. Dondero received his Bachelor of Arts degree from New Jersey State University in 1972 and his Master of Science degree from Seton Hall University in 1976.


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