Board of Directors

Gordon Binder has served as a director of our company since June 2003. Mr. Binder is founder and Managing Director of Coastview Capital. Mr. Binder was the Chief Executive Officer of Amgen, the world's largest biotech company, from 1988 through 2000. During his tenure as CEO, Amgen grew from 400 employees to rank within the top 20 pharmaceutical companies in worldwide revenues, the top 15 in United States sales and the top ten in market capitalization. Mr. Binder serves on the boards of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology and the American Enterprise Institute. He has been Chairman of BIO, the biotechnology industry trade association, and PhRMA, the pharmaceutical industry trade association. He has a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Michael T. Borer has served as a director of our company since September 2005. Mr. Borer served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Xcel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on prescription products that treat disorders of the central nervous system, until the sale of the company to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International in early 2005. Prior to founding Xcel in early 2001, Mr. Borer served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Dura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and held other management positions there from 1994 through 2000. Prior to Dura, Mr. Borer spent 12 years in public accounting with Deloitte & Touche in its audit services group. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from San Diego State University.

Laura A. Brege has served as a director of our company since May 2008. Ms. Brege is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. where she is responsible for sales and marketing, medical affairs, legal, business development, and compliance functions. She joined Onyx in June 2006 as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer and was promoted to her current position in October 2007. Before joining Onyx, Ms. Brege was a general partner at Red Rock Management, a venture capital firm. Prior to Red Rock, she was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at COR Therapeutics. Earlier in her career, Ms. Brege served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Flextronics and Vice President and Treasurer of The Cooper Companies. Ms. Brege earned her undergraduate degree from Ohio University and has an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Ms. Brege also serves on the boards of Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and The Ohio University Foundation.

Mary Ann Gray, Ph.D. has served as a director of our company since April 2005. Currently, Dr. Gray is President of Gray Strategic Advisors, LLC, a company which she started in 2003. Dr. Gray also serves on the boards of directors of Dyax Corp. and Telik, Inc. From 1999 to 2003, Dr. Gray was Senior Analyst and Portfolio Manager for the Federated Kaufmann Fund. Prior to 1999, Dr. Gray led biotechnology equity research groups at Raymond James & Associates, Warburg Dillon Read and Kidder Peabody for an aggregate of nine years. Dr. Gray holds a Ph.D. degree in pharmacology from the University of Vermont where she focused on novel chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer.

Leslie L. Iversen, Ph.D. has been the Chairman of our board of directors since December 2000. He has served as a director since 1998. Dr. Iversen was a Professor of Pharmacology at King's College, London where he was Director of the Wolfson Centre for Age Related Diseases (1999-2004). Since 1995, he has also served as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford. Dr. Iversen is internationally recognized for his fundamental contributions to the understanding of neurotransmission. Dr. Iversen served as Vice President of Neuroscience Research, Merck Research Laboratories and Director of the Neuroscience Research Center of Merck Research Laboratories in the UK. He was formerly Director of the Medical Research Council Neurochemical Pharmacology Unit in Cambridge. More recently, Dr. Iversen founded and serves as a director of Panos Therapeutics Ltd. Dr. Iversen is the recipient of numerous awards, including Fellow of the Royal Society of London and Foreign Associate Member of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States. Dr. Iversen received a Ph.D. and B.A. from the University of Cambridge.

Lester J. Kaplan, Ph.D. has served as a director of our company since November 1997. Dr. Kaplan was Executive Vice President and President, Research and Development at Allergan, Inc. from November 2003 to April 2004. Dr. Kaplan joined Allergan in 1983 and, prior to being appointed to Executive Vice President, was Corporate Vice President, Research and Development and Global BOTOX from June 1998 to November 2003. Dr. Kaplan was elected to Allergan's board of directors in 1994 and served in that capacity until April 2004. Dr. Kaplan is also a member of the board of Acucela Inc. and the National Neurovision Research Institute. Dr. Kaplan received a M.S. and Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Torsten Rasmussen has served as a director of our company since April 1998. Mr. Rasmussen has been President and CEO of Morgan Management ApS, a management advisory and consulting company, since 1997. Prior to founding Morgan Management ApS in 1997, Mr. Rasmussen held the position of Executive Vice President, Operations at the LEGO Group (LEGO A/S) in Denmark, since 1981. He currently serves as a board member in the capacity of chairman, deputy chairman or ordinary board member of a number of Danish companies of which the following are quoted on the Danish Stock Exchange: Coloplast A/S, Bang & Olufsen A/S, TK Development A/S, Vestas Wind Systems A/S and A/S Det Oestasiatiske Kompagni. Mr. Rasmussen holds an M.B.A. from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Alan G. Walton, Ph.D., D.Sc. has served as a director of our company since March 2003. Dr. Walton joined Oxford Partners as a General Partner in 1987. In 1991, he founded Oxford Bioscience Partners and he is currently Senior Partner and Chairman of Oxford Bioscience Corporation. Previously, he was President and CEO of University Genetics Co., a public biotechnology company involved in technology transfer and seed investments in university-related projects. Prior to University Genetics, he taught at several institutions including Harvard Medical School, Indiana University and Case Western Reserve where he was Professor of Macromolecular Science and Director of the Laboratory for Biological Macromolecules. Dr. Walton serves on the Boards of Alexandria Real Estate Equities and Advanced Cell Technology, and is Chairman, as well as a Board member, of Avalon Pharmaceuticals and Psychiatric Genomics. He is also on the Board of Research!America, a philanthropic organization. Dr. Walton was a founder of Human Genome Sciences and GeneLogic and is the Founding Chairman of the Biotechnology Venture Investors Group. Dr. Walton received a Ph.D. in chemistry and a D.Sc. in biological chemistry from Nottingham University in England and in 2005 received an honorary LLD degree for his lifetime achievement in life sciences form Nottingham University.

Uli Hacksell, Ph.D also serves as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors. For a description of his background, please see "Management Team."



Management Team Board of Directors Scientific Advisors Clinical Advisors		Home » About Us » Board of Directors Board of Directors Gordon Binder has served as a director of our company since June 2003. Mr. Binder is founder and Managing Director of Coastview Capital. Mr. Binder was the Chief Executive Officer of Amgen, the world's largest biotech company, from 1988 through 2000. During his tenure as CEO, Amgen grew from 400 employees to rank within the top 20 pharmaceutical companies in worldwide revenues, the top 15 in United States sales and the top ten in market capitalization. Mr. Binder serves on the boards of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology and the American Enterprise Institute. He has been Chairman of BIO, the biotechnology industry trade association, and PhRMA, the pharmaceutical industry trade association. He has a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Michael T. Borer has served as a director of our company since September 2005. Mr. Borer served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Xcel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on prescription products that treat disorders of the central nervous system, until the sale of the company to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International in early 2005. Prior to founding Xcel in early 2001, Mr. Borer served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Dura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and held other management positions there from 1994 through 2000. Prior to Dura, Mr. Borer spent 12 years in public accounting with Deloitte & Touche in its audit services group. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from San Diego State University. Laura A. Brege has served as a director of our company since May 2008. Ms. Brege is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. where she is responsible for sales and marketing, medical affairs, legal, business development, and compliance functions. She joined Onyx in June 2006 as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer and was promoted to her current position in October 2007. Before joining Onyx, Ms. Brege was a general partner at Red Rock Management, a venture capital firm. Prior to Red Rock, she was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at COR Therapeutics. Earlier in her career, Ms. Brege served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Flextronics and Vice President and Treasurer of The Cooper Companies. Ms. Brege earned her undergraduate degree from Ohio University and has an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Ms. Brege also serves on the boards of Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and The Ohio University Foundation. Mary Ann Gray, Ph.D. has served as a director of our company since April 2005. Currently, Dr. Gray is President of Gray Strategic Advisors, LLC, a company which she started in 2003. Dr. Gray also serves on the boards of directors of Dyax Corp. and Telik, Inc. From 1999 to 2003, Dr. Gray was Senior Analyst and Portfolio Manager for the Federated Kaufmann Fund. Prior to 1999, Dr. Gray led biotechnology equity research groups at Raymond James & Associates, Warburg Dillon Read and Kidder Peabody for an aggregate of nine years. Dr. Gray holds a Ph.D. degree in pharmacology from the University of Vermont where she focused on novel chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer. Leslie L. Iversen, Ph.D. has been the Chairman of our board of directors since December 2000. He has served as a director since 1998. Dr. Iversen was a Professor of Pharmacology at King's College, London where he was Director of the Wolfson Centre for Age Related Diseases (1999-2004). Since 1995, he has also served as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford. Dr. Iversen is internationally recognized for his fundamental contributions to the understanding of neurotransmission. Dr. Iversen served as Vice President of Neuroscience Research, Merck Research Laboratories and Director of the Neuroscience Research Center of Merck Research Laboratories in the UK. He was formerly Director of the Medical Research Council Neurochemical Pharmacology Unit in Cambridge. More recently, Dr. Iversen founded and serves as a director of Panos Therapeutics Ltd. Dr. Iversen is the recipient of numerous awards, including Fellow of the Royal Society of London and Foreign Associate Member of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States. Dr. Iversen received a Ph.D. and B.A. from the University of Cambridge. Lester J. Kaplan, Ph.D. has served as a director of our company since November 1997. Dr. Kaplan was Executive Vice President and President, Research and Development at Allergan, Inc. from November 2003 to April 2004. Dr. Kaplan joined Allergan in 1983 and, prior to being appointed to Executive Vice President, was Corporate Vice President, Research and Development and Global BOTOX from June 1998 to November 2003. Dr. Kaplan was elected to Allergan's board of directors in 1994 and served in that capacity until April 2004. Dr. Kaplan is also a member of the board of Acucela Inc. and the National Neurovision Research Institute. Dr. Kaplan received a M.S. and Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles. Torsten Rasmussen has served as a director of our company since April 1998. Mr. Rasmussen has been President and CEO of Morgan Management ApS, a management advisory and consulting company, since 1997. Prior to founding Morgan Management ApS in 1997, Mr. Rasmussen held the position of Executive Vice President, Operations at the LEGO Group (LEGO A/S) in Denmark, since 1981. He currently serves as a board member in the capacity of chairman, deputy chairman or ordinary board member of a number of Danish companies of which the following are quoted on the Danish Stock Exchange: Coloplast A/S, Bang & Olufsen A/S, TK Development A/S, Vestas Wind Systems A/S and A/S Det Oestasiatiske Kompagni. Mr. Rasmussen holds an M.B.A. from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland. Alan G. Walton, Ph.D., D.Sc. has served as a director of our company since March 2003. Dr. Walton joined Oxford Partners as a General Partner in 1987. In 1991, he founded Oxford Bioscience Partners and he is currently Senior Partner and Chairman of Oxford Bioscience Corporation. Previously, he was President and CEO of University Genetics Co., a public biotechnology company involved in technology transfer and seed investments in university-related projects. Prior to University Genetics, he taught at several institutions including Harvard Medical School, Indiana University and Case Western Reserve where he was Professor of Macromolecular Science and Director of the Laboratory for Biological Macromolecules. Dr. Walton serves on the Boards of Alexandria Real Estate Equities and Advanced Cell Technology, and is Chairman, as well as a Board member, of Avalon Pharmaceuticals and Psychiatric Genomics. He is also on the Board of Research!America, a philanthropic organization. Dr. Walton was a founder of Human Genome Sciences and GeneLogic and is the Founding Chairman of the Biotechnology Venture Investors Group. Dr. Walton received a Ph.D. in chemistry and a D.Sc. in biological chemistry from Nottingham University in England and in 2005 received an honorary LLD degree for his lifetime achievement in life sciences form Nottingham University. Uli Hacksell, Ph.D also serves as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors. For a description of his background, please see "Management Team." back to top