WILLIAM LIS
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Lis joined Portola in 2008 and was appointed chief executive officer in May 2010. From August 2009 to May 2010 he served as chief operating officer responsible for clinical and pharmaceutical development and corporate development functions. During this time positive Phase 2 trials for elinogrel and betrixaban were completed. Prior to that, as chief business officer, he led the successful execution of worldwide licensing agreements for Portola’s lead development programs. He has over 18 years of experience in biopharmaceutical sales and marketing, corporate development and management of operations. Mr. Lis previously held positions at Scios, Inc. (a Johnson & Johnson Company) from 2003 to 2007 where he served most recently as vice president, business and new product development, responsible for cardiovascular business licensing and commercial operations. He led successful in-licensing activities and commercial launch activities for Xarelto® (rivaroxaban). Prior to joining Scios, he was senior director of marketing and new products for Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (previously COR Therapeutics, Inc.), where he directed marketing activities for Integrilin® (eptifibatide). At Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, he was involved in the U.S. sales launch and commercialization of several products, including Lovenox® (enoxaparin). Mr. Lis holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Maryland
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MARDI C. DIER
Chief Financial Officer
Mardi Dier has served as chief financial officer since August 2006. Previously, she served as vice president of investor relations at Chiron Corporation from 2003 until its acquisition by Novartis Pharmaceuticals in April 2006. Prior to joining Chiron, she served as a director in the West Coast investment banking practice at Prudential Securities, where she focused on client development, equity underwriting and mergers and acquisitions for biotechnology and other life sciences companies. Ms. Dier was previously at KPMG Peat Marwick in the audit department. She holds a B.S. in biology from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from The Anderson School at the University of California, Los Angeles.
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MICHAEL M. KITT, M.D.
Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Michael Kitt joined Portola in July 2011 as senior vice president and chief medical officer. He most recently served as executive vice president and chief medical officer for Nuon Therapeutics, where he led clinical development programs in the area of autoimmune disease. Previously, he served as senior vice president, development, at Theravance, Inc., where he had responsibility for clinical research, medical affairs, biostatistics and data management, regulatory affairs, preclinical safety and toxicology, and project management. He was involved in filing numerous INDs, taking Vibativ™ through the NDA approval process. Prior to this, Dr. Kitt had extensive experience in drug development, having held executive positions at pharmaceutical companies such as Sterling Winthrop and The Upjohn Company, as well as biotech companies, such as COR Therapeutics where he was responsible for the clinical development of Integrilin®. Dr. Kitt has a B.S. in chemistry from the Polytechnic Institute of NYU and an M.D. from NYU School of Medicine.
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JOHN T. CURNUTTE, M.D., Ph.D.
Executive Vice President, Research and Development
Dr. John T. Curnutte joined Portola as executive vice president, research and development, in 2011. Prior to joining Portola, he served as chief executive officer of 3-V Biosciences, a private start-up company founded in 2007 with the goal of developing host-directed antiviral small molecules. Before that, he served as president at Schering-Plough Biopharma (formerly DNAX Research Institute; now Merck Research Laboratories) where he led the drug discovery and early development efforts for biologic therapeutics. During his time with Schering-Plough, eight therapeutic entities progressed into development, including five small molecules and one gene therapy construct, in the immunology and oncology therapeutic areas. Earlier in his career, he held several senior management positions at Genentech during which he oversaw that company’s immunology discovery program. Prior to Genentech, Dr. Curnutte was a tenured faculty member at The Scripps Research Institute, pursuing basic and clinical research in inflammation biochemistry and the molecular genetics of congenital immune deficiencies. He received an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Harvard University, an M.D. and a Ph.D. in biological chemistry from Harvard Medical School. He is currently an adjunct clinical professor of pediatrics at the Stanford University School of Medicine and a member of the medical staff, where he continues to consult on patients with primary immunodeficiencies.
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JOSEPH LAMBING, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Pharmaceutical Development
Dr. Joseph Lambing has served as senior vice president, pharmaceutical development since September 2009 and as vice president, pharmaceutical development since November 2003. Prior to joining Portola in 2003, Dr. Lambing most recently was director of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) at Millennium. Prior to Millennium, he served as director of DMPK and toxicology at COR Therapeutics. During his tenure at COR, Dr. Lambing built the bioanalytical, drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics and toxicology groups. Prior to joining COR Therapeutics, Dr. Lambing was responsible for management of the purification and analytical groups at Chiron Mimotopes Peptide Systems in San Diego. Dr. Lambing holds a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Missouri, Rolla and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, after which he worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the biology department at the University of California, San Diego.
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TODD J. LORENZ, M.D.
Senior Vice President, Clinical Affairs and Business Strategy
Dr. Todd J. Lorenz joined Portola in August 2011 as senior vice president, clinical affairs and business strategy. He most recently served as a clinical consultant to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, including to Portola, where he assisted in developing the plan for the Phase 3 betrixaban clinical program. Prior to that, he served as chief medical officer at Catalyst Biosciences, where he led strategic development plans in the areas of anti-coagulation and transplant immunology. Previously, he served as vice president at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Division where he assisted with in-licensing efforts for the cardiovascular business development group. Previously, he held other senior positions in the biotechnology industry, including chief medical officer at Orexigen Therapeutics and at Corgentech and vice president of medical affairs at COR Therapeutics, where he was responsible for the clinical program for Integrilin, and director of clinical research at Xoma Corporation. Dr. Lorenz has co-authored numerous scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals including JAMA, The New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. He holds a B.A. in chemistry from Case Western Reserve University and an M.D. from Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine.
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JANICE CASTILLO
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs
Janice Castillo has served as vice president of regulatory affairs since September 2007. She has 30 years of broad-based regulatory experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, which includes recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, small molecules and gene therapy. Ms. Castillo served as a consultant to the industry before coming to Portola. From 2003 to 2006 she was vice president of regulatory affairs and GLP/GCP compliance at Abgenix, Inc., providing regulatory guidance for several development and research projects and collaboration projects. Prior to Abgenix, she was vice president of regulatory affairs and quality assurance at Avigen, Inc. From 1998 to 2000, Ms. Castillo served as vice president of regulatory affairs and compliance at Elan Pharmaceuticals. From 1983 to 1998, she held positions of increasing responsibility in regulatory affairs at Genentech, Inc. Ms. Castillo started her career in regulatory affairs at Ortho Pharmaceuticals in New Jersey in 1977, working in both the small molecule and immunobiology divisions. She has a B.S. degree in biology from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
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STANLEY HOLLENBACH, J.D.
Vice President, Pharmacology
Stanley Hollenbach has served as vice president, pharmacology since joining Portola in November 2003. Mr. Hollenbach most recently was the senior director of in vivo sciences at Millennium. Prior to Millennium, he had worked for 12 years at COR and for five years at Genentech. In his 20 years working in biotechnology, he has participated in the advancement of several successful preclinical development programs (thrombolytic agents, thrombin, Factor Xa and GP IIb-IIIa inhibitors) to an IND or NDA status. Over 14 years with COR Therapeutics and then Millennium, Mr. Hollenbach built and established an in vivo pharmacology program with extensive capacity to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicology and efficacy profile of new therapeutic agents in multiple large and small animal species with a specialty in venous and arterial thrombosis models. Mr. Hollenbach holds a B.S. from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte and a J.D. from Peninsula University.
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ROBERT E. MACKEY
Vice President of Commercial Development
Mr. Mackey joined Portola in December 2011 as vice president of commercial development, where he is responsible for pre-commercialization activities across the development portfolio. He serves as project leader for betrixaban and is working with Portola’s management team on strategic planning for its lead candidates in inflammation. Mr. Mackey has more than 20 years of experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries including sales, field training, global and U.S. new product planning, managed care and product management experience at Burroughs Wellcome, Alza, Genentech, Johnson & Johnson and most recently Tercica/Ipsen. While at Johnson & Johnson, he was the Xarelto commercial operations leader responsible for developing and executing pre-commercialization and launch strategies. He also served in a leadership role for clinical development and life cycle management planning and execution. Prior to Johnson & Johnson, he held key positions in marketing, sales management and managed care for successful commercial products in allergic asthma, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Mr. Mackey holds a B.A. in biological sciences from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.B.A. from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.
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ANJALI PANDEY, Ph.D.
Vice President, Medicinal Chemistry
Dr. Anjali Pandey joined Portola in November 2003 and is vice president, chemistry. She most recently was the director, chemistry at Millennium. Prior to Millennium, Dr. Pandey was with COR Therapeutics, working in the area of oral GP IIb-IIIa antagonists, receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors and ADP receptor antagonists, where she rose to the rank of director, chemistry at COR. Her efforts along with her team resulted in three drugs that are currently in clinical trials, one for leukemia and two for cardiovascular indications. Dr. Pandey has published over 20 scientific articles and reviews and is a named inventor on over 15 issued U.S. patents. She holds an M.S. from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, and a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University. Dr. Pandey completed a postdoctoral fellowship in organic chemistry at the Stanford Research Institute. She then continued on as an organic chemist at Stanford Research Institute, where she was principal investigator on a grant funded by the National Cancer Institute.
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UMA SINHA, Ph.D.
Vice President, Head of Biology
Dr. Uma Sinha joined Portola in January 2004 and is vice president, head of biology. She has 20 years of experience in biotechnology research. Prior to joining Portola, she was most recently senior director, cardiovascular at Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Millennium, Dr. Sinha was with COR Therapeutics from 1989 through 2002. During her tenure at COR, Dr. Sinha and her team were responsible for the initiation and progression of the coagulation inhibitor programs that have led to the development of betrixaban. Prior to joining COR, she started her biotechnology career at Genencor International. Dr. Sinha has published over 50 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and is a named inventor on 10 issued U.S. patents. She holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Georgia and received her post doctoral training in pathology and chemistry at the State University of New York, Stony Brook.