Business and People: September 2015

People News

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Jim Kremidas as Executive Director of ACRP. Kremidas brings to ACRP more than 30 years of experience in the health care industry, including positions in the lab, sales, marketing, strategic sourcing, and clinical operations at Eli Lilly and Company, Quintiles, inVentiv Health, and most recently CenterWatch.

CRO Analytics, a provider of clinical research quality performance indicators, announced that Bruce M. Wakeman has joined the company as its new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). He will lead CRO Analytics overall commercial strategy and execution, and will spearhead the launch of the company’s flagship product, Performer^TM, through the implementation of marketing, sales, and commercial operations and infrastructure.

Deloitte announced the appointment of Greg Reh as Vice Chairman, Deloitte LLP, and leader of its national life sciences sector practice. The practice is one of the nation's largest accounting and consultancies covering life sciences with more than 4,000 professionals serving major pharmaceutical, medical device, biotechnology and consumer health care manufacturers. A principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP, Reh brings to the role significant experiences in both client service and practice management. 

Certara®, a biosimulation technology-enabled drug development company, announced that Lawrence J. Lesko, PhD, has joined its Simcyp® Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Lesko was Director of the Office of Clinical Pharmacology in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 16 years until his retirement in July 2011.

INC Research Holdings, Inc., a global Phase I to IV contract research organization, today announced the promotions of Bekki Brown and Tom Zoda, PhD, to Executive Vice President, Clinical Development, General Medicine and Executive Vice President, Clinical Development, Central Nervous System (CNS), respectively, responsible for providing executive leadership for two of the Company’s therapeutic business units. The appointments reinforce INC's continued focus on providing customers with therapeutically specialized project teams to maximize efficiency and collaboration through proven expertise and strong business acumen. 

Certara®, the global biosimulation technology-enabled drug development company, today announced that its Director of Pharmacometrics Samer Mouksassi, PharmD, PhD, FCP, has been appointed an associate professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Montreal. In this new role, Dr. Mouksassi will teach clinicians and students how biosimulation can be used to improve drug development and enhance health outcomes.

PAREXEL International Corporation, a global biopharmaceutical services provider, today announced that its Board of Directors have elected Maykin Ho, PhD, to the Board, effective August 26, 2015. Dr. Ho is a retired partner of the Goldman Sachs Group where she served as advisory director of Global Healthcare Investment Banking, as senior biotechnology analyst, and as co-head of healthcare for Global Investment Research.  

Advanced Clinical, a global CRO, functional outsourcing, and strategic staffing solutions provider, announced the creation of Advanced Clinical University and the addition of Melissa Mauriber, Vice President, Clinical Operations Quality and Talent Development, to lead the new educational program. In 2013, CNN Money reported that Clinical Research Associates (CRAs) ranked number nine out of 100 ³Best Jobs in America².

Pivotal, a full-services, international CRO providing clinical trial management services and appropriate solutions along the clinical trial value chain to the healthcare industry, with over 140 employees across Europe, expands its international business and announces the recent appointment of Klemens Schuette, as VP of Central and Northern Europe.  Klemens is biologist and biochemist by training, and holds an MSc in Biology, Biochemistry and Neuropharmacology from University of Konstanz, Germany (1988).

CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services (CTI), a multi-national, privately held, full-service contract research organization announces that Patrick Dearing has joined as Executive Director, Global Human Resources and Richard Miller has joined as Senior Director, Business Development.

Business/Awards News

Schulman Associates IRB, Inc., a central IRB in customer service and technology, is pleased to announce its new office in the Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina, is officially open for business. “We are thrilled to open the doors of our new space in RTP,” said Michael Woods, President, CEO and Institutional Official at Schulman. “Since breaking ground in June, we’ve all anticipated this day and are excited to start working even more closely with our new neighbors in the local life sciences community.”

The Avoca Group was ranked No. 2327 by Inc. magazine in their 34th annual Inc. 5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. Avoca’s three-year sales growth of 165% earned the company its spot in the top 50% of the list.

Exco InTouch, a provider of digital patient engagement and data capture solutions for clinical research and healthcare providers, today celebrates its recognition on the Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 – which ranks Britain’s fastest growing private technology companies.