Pedro Lichtinger recently joined Optimer May 2010 with more than 30 years of global business experience in the pharmaceutical and animal health industries. Pedro Lichtinger previously served as an executive of Pfizer, Inc. from 1995 to 2009, most recently as President of Pfizer's Global Primary Care Business Unit, where he oversaw operations in North America, Europe, Korea, and Australia with revenues of $23 billion, 15,000 employees, and more than 60 development projects. Prior to this position, he served as Pfizer's Area President in Europe overseeing all pharmaceutical products including primary care, oncology, specialty and generic. Prior to this position he served as Pfizer's President of Global Animal Health Business, and Regional President Europe Animal Health. Before joining Pfizer, he was an executive of Smith Kline Beecham, last serving as Senior Vice President Europe Animal Health. Mr. Lichtinger holds an MBA degree from the Wharton School of Business and an Industrial Engineering degree from the National University of Mexico. Mr. Lichtinger currently serves on the board of directors of BioTime, Inc., a publicly-traded biotechnology company focused on blood plasma volume expanders and regenerative medicine.
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.
Michael N. Chang is a co-founder of Optimer and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Dr. Chang has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since our inception in November 1998 until May 2010. 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 co-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.
Peter E. Grebow, Ph.D. has served as a director since February 2009. Dr. Grebow more than twenty-five years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and currently serves as Executive Vice President of Worldwide Technical Operations at Cephalon, Incorporated. Prior to his current position, Dr. Grebow served as the Senior Vice President, Worldwide Business Development and Senior Vice President, Drug Development at Cephalon. Prior to joining Cephalon, he was Vice President, Drug Development for Rorer Central Research; a division of Rh™ne-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals Inc. Dr. Grebow earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, a Masters of Science in Chemistry from Rutgers University and a Ph.D. in Physical Biochemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Dr. Zerbe has served as a director since December 2009. Dr. Zerbe currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and President at QuatRx Pharmaceuticals, a private biopharmaceutical company he co-founded in 2000. Prior to QuatRx, he served as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Clinical Research and Development at Parke-Davis, during which time he oversaw the successful development programs for Lipitor®, Neurontin®, and other products. Prior to joining Parke-Davis, he held a variety of research and development positions, including Vice President of Clinical Investigation and Regulatory Affairs at Eli Lilly and Company in the U.S. and U.K. Dr. Zerbe earned his medical degree at Indiana University and received his post graduate training in internal medicine, endocrinology and neuroendocrinology at Indiana University and the National Institutes of Mental Health.
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