BCNJ Appoints New Officers and President to Board of Trustees
TRENTON, N.J., Jan 13, 2003 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Biotechnology
Council of New Jersey (BCNJ) has announced the election of its 2003 officers.
Arthur Higgins, CEO and Director of Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. located in
Bridgewater, was elected as Chair; Ken Moch, CEO and President of Alteon Inc. in
Ramsey, was elected Vice Chair; Alan Main, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals in Hopewell, was elected Secretary; and Paul Thomas,
Chairman, CEO and President of LifeCell Corporation in Branchburg, was elected
as treasurer. Debbie Hart, who has carried the title of Executive Director since
the formation of the Council in 1994, has been named President.
Dr. Raymond Warrell, Chairman and CEO of Genta, Inc. joins the BCNJ Board as an
at-large Board member beginning in January of 2003.
Chairman Higgins has offered the following statement: "I am honored to be named
the chairman of the State's biotechnology council, particularly given New
Jersey's longstanding recognition as a leader in the life science industry. Over
the past 20 years, I have held various multinational positions within the
pharmaceutical industry and in my opinion New Jersey is by far one of the
industry's greatest hubs, housing operations for nearly all of the world's most
successful pharmaceutical companies. Since its inception nearly ten years ago,
the Biotechnology Council of New Jersey has made tremendous progress and in the
coming year we will work diligently to build upon this solid foundation. We are
fortunate to operate in the presence of a highly committed state administration
that recognizes the tremendous economic growth opportunity biotechnology
presents to New Jersey. Along with my fellow board members, we will eagerly
assume this council's charge and provide New Jersey's biotechnology community
with the necessary strategic tools to support continued discovery, development
and success."
Arthur Higgins has served as CEO and Director of Enzon since May 2001 and as the
company's Chairman since December 2001. Shortly after his arrival at Enzon, Mr.
Higgins' leadership led to the successful completion of a $400 million
convertible note offering that significantly strengthened the company's
financial position. Under the direction of Mr. Higgins, Enzon has become both
profitable and cash flow positive. Mr. Higgins' extensive pharmaceutical
industry experience has played a critical role in Enzon's consummation of
several strategic transactions that have served to significantly broaden the
company's organizational infrastructure, technological base, and product
portfolio. Mr. Higgins joined Enzon from Abbott Laboratories where he was
President, Abbott Pharmaceutical Products Division. In this capacity, Mr.
Higgins had full profit and loss responsibilities for Abbott's U.S.
pharmaceutical business and global responsibility for pharmaceutical research
and development. Mr. Higgins has over 20 years of industry experience including
14 years with Abbott Laboratories.
Kenneth Moch joined Alteon in 1995, as Senior Vice President, Finance & Business
Development and Chief Financial Officer, and became President and Chief
Executive Officer in 1998. In June 2001 he was named Chairman of the Board. Mr.
Moch has acquired substantial experience in managing advanced biomedical
technologies, as both an operating executive and a strategist. From 1990 to
1995, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Biocyte Corporation,
a cellular therapy company that pioneered the use of cord blood stem cells in
transplantation therapy.
Dr. Alan Main serves as Senior Vice-President of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals since
July 2001 following the acquisition of Coelacanth Corporation by Lexicon
Genetics. Dr. Main held the position of President and CEO of Coelacanth
Corporation, based in East Windsor, New Jersey since January 1, 2000.
Paul Thomas has served as Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of
LifeCell since October 1998. Mr. Thomas was elected Chairman of the Board in
June 1999. Prior to joining LifeCell, Mr. Thomas was President of the
Pharmaceutical Products Division of Ohmeda Inc., a world leader in inhalation
anesthetics and acute care pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Warrell is internationally known for his expertise in the clinical
development of anticancer therapeutics. Prior to his appointment at Genta, he
was Associate Physician-in-Chief and tenured Member of the Memorial Sloan-
Kettering Cancer Center. He was also Professor of Medicine at the Joan and
Sanford Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
Debbie Hart serves as the President of the Biotechnology Council of New Jersey.
She worked alongside volunteers to establish the Biotechnology Council of New
Jersey, Inc. in 1994. Since its inception in 1994, Debbie Hart has been
instrumental in helping to move BCNJ forward through a variety of initiatives
including the Technology Tax Benefit Transfer Program. Debbie is a member of the
Prosperity New Jersey Research and Development Committee and the Steering
Committee for the Prosperity New Jersey Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Cluster
study being conducted by Professor Michael Porter of the Harvard Business
School. She was appointed to the Biomedical Engineering Advisory Board of the
New Jersey Institute of Technology and to the Advisory Board of the New Jersey
Invention Factory. She also sits on the NJEDA Technology Centre Advisory
Committee where she serves as Vice Chair. Debbie is a member of the NJ
Commission on Higher Education Task Force on Higher Education Quality and
Reputation and Competitiveness of the State. Debbie served on the Governor
McGreevey Transition Teams for the Department of Health & Senior Services and
the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission. She was recently named
to the Washington Township Planning Board.
Returning Board members include at-large members Donald Drakeman, Ph.D., CEO and
President of Medarex, Inc. in Princeton; Robert Hickey, Chairman, President and
CEO of Life Medical Sciences in Little Silver; John Jackson, Chairman and CEO of
Celgene Corporation in Warren; Richard Kender, Vice President of Business
Development and Corporate Licensing of Merck and Company in Whitehouse Station;
Marvin Miller, Executive Chairman of Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. in West Orange;
Gordon Ramseier, Executive Director of The Sage Group in Bridgewater; Stephen
Sudovar, CEO and President, EluSys Therapeutics, Inc. in Pine Brook; Elizabeth
Tallett, CEO and President, Dioscor, Inc. of Stockton; and Carol Webb, Company
Group Chairman of Johnson & Johnson/Ortho Biotech Products Inc. in New
Brunswick.
The mission of the Biotechnology Council of New Jersey is to promote a business
and public policy environment in the State of New Jersey and beyond that
enhances the growth and prosperity of New Jersey's biotechnology companies.
SOURCE Biotechnology Council of New Jersey, Inc.
CONTACT: Debbie Hart of The Biotechnology Council of New Jersey,
+1-609-890-3185 |
