Michael N. Chang is a co-founder of Optimer and has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since our inception in November 1998. Before joining Optimer, Dr. Chang was the Chief Scientific Officer of NuSkin Enterprises, Inc., a NYSE listed direct selling company based in Utah. Dr. Chang joined NuSkin Enterprises upon its acquisition of Pharmanex, Inc., a natural healthcare company, which he founded and where he was employed since January 1995 as Senior Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Science Officer. Dr. Chang was also a co founder of Pharmanex, which was purchased by Nu Skin Enterprises in 1998. Before Pharmanex, Dr. Chang worked for 15 years in the pharmaceutical industry, at Merck & Co, Inc., a publicly traded research driven pharmaceutical company, Rhone Poulenc Rorer Inc., which is now Sanofi Aventis, a publicly traded pharmaceutical company, and ArQule, Inc., a development stage oncology company. Dr. Chang holds 35 US patents and more than 60 publications. He received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Fu Jen University in Taiwan, a Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry from Brandeis University and post doctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT.
Anthony E. Altig has served as a director since November 2007. From December 2004 to June 2007, Mr. Altig served as the Senior Vice President, Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary of Diversa Corporation (subsequently Verenium Corporation), a public company developing specialized industrial enzymes. Prior to joining Diversa, Mr. Altig served as the Chief Financial Officer of Maxim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a public biopharmaceutical company, from 2002 to 2004. From 2000 to 2001, Mr. Altig served as the Chief Financial Officer of NBC Internet, Inc., a leading internet portal company, which was acquired by General Electric. Mr. Altig's additional experience includes his role as the Chief Accounting Officer at US Web Corporation, as well as his experience serving biotechnology and other technology companies during his tenure at both Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP and KPMG LLP. In addition, Mr. Altig serves as a director and chair of the Audit Committee for MultiCell Technologies, Inc., a public biopharmaceutical company. Mr. Altig received a B.B.A. degree from the University of Hawaii.
Mr. Auerbach has served as a director since June 2005. Mr. Auerbach is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors for Neuro-Hitech, Inc., an early-stage pharmaceutical company which specializes in brain degenerative diseases. He also currently serves as a director for Collexis, a company which develops knowledge management and discovery software and RxElite Holdings, Inc., a company which develops, manufactures, and markets generic prescription drug products in specialty generic markets. From September 2003 through October 2006, Mr. Auerbach served as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors for Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc., principally a manufacturer and marketer of generic pharmaceuticals and the parent of Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. From 1993 to 2005, Mr. Auerbach served as Chief Financial Officer of Central Lewmar LLP, a national fine paper distributor. Mr. Auerbach received his B.S. degree in accounting from Rider University.
Joseph Y. Chang, Ph.D. has served as a director since November 1998. Dr. Chang is Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Nu Skin Enterprises. Dr. Chang served as the President of Pharmanex, Nu Skin Enterprises' nutritional supplement division, from April 2000 to February 2006. Dr. Chang served as Vice President of Clinical Studies and Pharmacology of Pharmanex from 1997 until April 2000. Prior to joining Pharmanex, he was the President and Chief Scientific Officer of Binary Therapeutics, Inc., a development stage company in the biotechnology industry. From 1981 to 1991, Dr. Chang was a research executive at Wyeth Research, a research based pharmaceutical products company and formerly known as Wyeth Ayerst Research, and Aventis Pharma, now Sanofi Aventis. Dr. Chang received a B.S. degree from Portsmouth University and a Ph.D. degree from the University of London.
Martin C. Muenchbach, Ph.D. has served as a director since December 2005. Dr. Muenchbach is an Investment Manager at Swissfirst Asset Management AG in Zurich, Switzerland, an independent financial group listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange specializing in investment banking, private banking and asset management. Prior to joining Swissfirst Asset Management AG in October 2004, Dr. Muenchbach was an Investment Manager at HBM Partners AG, an investment advisory services company specializing in biotechnology, medical technology and related fields, from February 2003 to October 2004. Dr. Muenchbach was an Investment Manager at NMT New Medical Technologies AG, a venture capital fund co founded by F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd, a healthcare company, and Union Bank of Switzerland, from January 2000 to February 2003. Before becoming a venture capitalist, Dr. Muenchbach held positions in strategic marketing at Sanofi Synthelabo. Dr. Muenchbach holds a Bachelor's degree in biochemistry from University Tubingen, and a Ph.D. in protein chemistry, a M.Sc. in biochemistry and a Master in industrial management from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich.
Alain B. Schreiber, M.D. has served as a director since May 2001. Since 2000, Dr. Schreiber has been a Managing Partner at ProQuest Investments, a healthcare venture capital firm. From May 1992 to June 2000, Dr. Schreiber served as President, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Vical Incorporated, a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. From July 1985 to April 1992, he held various positions with Rhone Poulenc Rorer Inc., which is now Sanofi Aventis, most recently as Senior Vice President of Discovery Research. Dr. Schreiber currently serves on the board of directors, and of several private development stage biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Schreiber holds a B.S. in chemistry and an M.D. from the Free University Brussels and was awarded a post doctoral fellowship at the Weizmann Institute in Israel.
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