BIO Elects Dr. Jeremy Levin as New Board Chair

Philadelphia, PA (June 4, 2019) – The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) is pleased to announce Jeremy M. Levin, DPhil, MB BChir, Chief Executive Officer of Ovid Therapeutics, as the new Chair of its Board of Directors for the 2019-2020 term, elected at this year’s 2019 BIO International Convention.

Dr. Levin brings to his new role decades of leadership in the discovery, development, and delivery of new medicines for patients. At Ovid Therapeutics, Levin is leading the development of new therapies for rare neurological disorders. Previously, he served as CEO of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, and held roles of increasing responsibility at Bristol-Myers Squibb, the Novartis Institutes of Biomedical Research, and other companies.

“Our industry now faces incredible opportunities to bring new advancements to patients, consumers, and the environment, as well as unprecedented political challenges that threaten to derail that innovation,” said BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood. “Jeremy’s long and distinguished career, having served in senior roles at a diverse array of companies throughout the sector, make him uniquely suited to steer BIO during these challenging times. He brings a passion for patients, deep scientific knowledge, and a keen understanding of what it takes to bring a new medicine from an idea in the lab to an approved therapy.

“I also want to thank our departing Chair, John Maraganore, for his service over the past two years. During his tenure, BIO has weathered many challenges, but thanks to John’s steady and able leadership, BIO is better positioned than ever before to fulfill our mission of healing, fueling, and feeding the world.”

“It is an honor and a privilege to be entrusted with this role at such a critical time for our industry,” said Dr. Levin. “With so many breakthrough treatments and technologies coming to market and advancing through the clinic every day, BIO’s voice will be critical in ensuring creative solutions are adopted to ensure patients can access these therapies while preserving the incentives for innovation that make such advancements possible.”

Greenwood also welcomed new directors joining the BIO Board in the past year. “Our new directors bring a wealth of experience from across our industry that will greatly enhance our ability to advance public policies in support of innovation.”

Several Section Governing Boards also elected new officers:

Paul Hastings, Nkarta Therapeutics – Health Section Vice Chair
Helen Torley, Halozyme Therapeutics – Health Section Secretary
Ted Love, Global Blood Therapeutics – Emerging Companies Section Chair
Hugh Welsh, DSM North America – Industrial and Environmental Section Chair
Jill Zullo, Cargill – Industrial and Environmental Section Vice Chair

Members of the Executive Committee of BIO’s Board of Directors for the 2019-2020 term are:

•   Jeremy Levin, Ovid Therapeutics
•   Bradford Zakes, Cerevast Therapeutics
•   Julie Gerberding, Merck
•   Paul Hastings, Nkarta Therapeutics
•   Ted Love, Global Blood Therapeutics
•   Hugh Welsh, DSM North America
•   Jill Zullo, Cargill
•   Philip Miller, Bayer CropScience
•   John Maraganore, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
•   Stuart Arbuckle, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
•   Ron Cohen, Acorda Therapeutics
•   Douglas Doerfler, MaxCyte
•   Rachel King, GlycoMimetics
•   Richard Pops, Alkermes
•   Christi Shaw, Eli Lilly and Company
•   Bill Sibold, Sanofi Genzyme
•   Helen Torley, Halozyme Therapeutics

The full BIO Board of Directors is comprised of the elected Directors serving on each of BIO’s Section Governing Boards. The newly-elected Board Members from these Sections are:

Health Section Governing Board

•   Steve Albers, Novo Nordisk
•   Sebastian Guth, Bayer
•   Alexander Hardy, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group
•   Ted Love, Global Blood Therapeutics
•   Sandy Macrae, Sangamo Therapeutics
•   Paige Mahaney, Boehringer Ingelheim
•   Jeffrey Marrazzo, Spark Therapeutics
•   Sharon Mates, Intra-Cellular Therapies
•   Julia Owens, Millendo Therapeutics
•   John Oyler, BeiGene
•   Richard Paulson, Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals
•   Mark Pruzanski, Intercept Pharmaceuticals
•   Michael Raab, Ardelyx
•   Elaine Sorg, AbbVie
•   Mark Timney, The Medicines Company
•   Sue Washer, Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC)
•   Thomas Wiggans, Dermira
•   John Young, Pfizer
•   Bernhardt Zeiher, Astellas

Emerging Companies Section Governing Board

•   Bonnie H. Anderson, Veracyte, Inc.
•   Zandy Forbes, MeiraGTx
•   Cedric Francois, Apellis Pharmaceuticals
•   Kevin Gorman, Neurocrine Biosciences
•   Justin Gover, GW Pharmaceuticals
•   Alexander Karnal, Deerfield Management
•   Erika Smith, ReNetX Bio

Food and Agriculture Sector Governing Board

•   Rick Turner, BASF
•   Sylvia Wulf, AquaBounty Technologies

Industrial & Environmental Section Governing Board

•   Anna Rath, Vestaron
•   Diane Shanahan, BASF Enzymes
•   Oliver Walker, Evolva

About BIO

BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIOtechNOW is BIO's blog chronicling “innovations transforming our world” and the BIO Newsletter is the organization’s bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe to the BIO Newsletter.

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