For the past two decades, there’s been unprecedented growth in the biotech industry. Many men and women have discovered novel technologies that would solve medical problems, including neurological disorders. Most of these people are already famous.
A lot of research is going on in many biotech companies specialized in solving most neurological diseases. A great example is Neurolign, a company that develops medical devices to diagnose neurological disorders. So, who founded the biotech companies?
Figures in Biotech Revolutionizing Treatment of Neurological Disorders
Many biotech firms are developing treatments for neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, Pompe disease, and fatal neuromuscular diseases. Here are some of the figures who have contributed a lot to such developments.
- Eugene Melnyk
Melnyk is the founder and former CEO, and chairman of Biovail Corp., once Canada’s largest publicly traded pharmaceutical company. In 2007, he retired as the company’s chairman when Valeant Pharmaceuticals (now Bausch Healthcare) acquired it.
In 2018, Melnyk acquired a medical device company that specializes in the diagnosis of neurological disorders. He renamed it Neurolign Technologies the following year. As the current CEO and chairman of Neurolign, Melnyk is behind the company’s success.
Neurolign uses a combination of high-precision devices and delivery technologies to create a revolutionary approach to screening and treatment of neurological diseases, including concussions. Visit Eugene Melnyk’s website to get more info about Neurolign.
When it comes to philanthropy, Melnyk has participated in many philanthropic initiatives, including helping St. Michael’s College School, Toronto, upgrade their field. He also donated $5 million to Toronto’s St. Joseph’s Health Centre to improve patient access.
- Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek is an American entrepreneur in the biotech sector. He founded Roivant Sciences, a biopharmaceutical firm focusing on applying technology to drug development. Vivek is the current executive chairman of the company and has contributed a lot to its success.
Vivek also founded Axovant Gene Therapies (now Sio Gene Therapies), a biotech firm that develops gene therapies to address neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease. The company’s headquarters is in New York City and operates globally.
In another case, Vivek also served on Myovant Sciences’ Board of Directors. This firm focuses on the treatment of endocrine-related disorders. Myovant formed in April 2016 as a Roivant Sciences subsidiary after raising $218 million in its first public offering.
Vivek is also serving on the Sumitovant Biopharma’s Board of Directors. In 2020, he served on Ohio’s Covid-19 Response Team to help stop the spread of coronavirus in the state. Notably, Vivek has featured in top business magazines, including Forbes.
- John Crowley
John Crowley is the chief executive officer and chairman of Amicus Therapeutics, an American biopharmaceutical company focusing on enzyme replacement therapy and pharmacological chaperones. Crowley has worked in the company for over 15 years.
Under Crowley’s leadership, he has grown the company’s workforce from four workers to more than 500. His two kids got diagnosed with Pompe disease, a rare, severe, and fatal neuromuscular disorder. That accelerated his career in the biotech sector.
To find a cure for his ailing children, Crowley co-founded Novazyme Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on Pompe disease research. Geeta Anand, an award-winning journalist, has celebrated Crowley in her book: “The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million-And Bucked the Medical Establishment-In a Quest to Save His Children.”
Today, John Crowley celebrates more than 20 years in the biotechnology space. He is also the CEO of Orexigen Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical firm focused on developing treatments for obesity. Crowley is also the SVP of Genzyme Therapeutics.
- Jeremy Levin
Levin is the chief executive officer at Ovid Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutics for rare neurological diseases. The South-African-born doctor has played a significant role at Ovid since joining the company in 2015.
Quoting Levin, “The reason we get out of bed each morning is to bring life-changing therapies to families and communities with few or no therapeutic options.” He has committed his work to medicine and is among the most influential people in biotech.
As the chair of BIO (The Biotechnology Innovation Organization), Levin takes his work seriously. He was also the CEO and president of Teva Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest pharma companies in the world, before joining Ovid Therapeutics.
Levin also served as a member of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s executive committee, Norvatis’ head of global business development and strategic alliances, and CEO of Cadus Pharmaceuticals. He is a prominent speaker in the health and biotech sector.
- Douglas Ingram
As the CEO and president of Sarepta Therapeutics, Douglas Ingram has contributed a lot towards the research and treatment of neurological disorders. Sarepta is focusing on medical research and the development of drugs to treat rare neuromuscular diseases.
Ingram’s mission is to save lives disrupted by rare genetic diseases. “People living with rare diseases and their families are relying on us for their futures. We’re in a position to extend and change the lives of so many people,” Ingram states on the firm’s website.
With over 20 years of experience in the biotech sector, Ingram is ready to lead Sarepta. He has improved the company’s entire medical system with innovative ideas, attributing to its success. He has developed programs to treat neuromuscular and CNS diseases.
Before joining Sarepta Therapeutics, Ingram served as the president and CEO of Chase Pharmaceuticals. He developed programs that improved the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer’s disease patients. He was also the president of the Allergan healthcare firm.
- Rogerio Vivaldi
Vivaldi is the CEO of Sigilon Therapeutics and has held the position since 2018. This biopharma company focuses on discovering and developing immune-privileged living therapeutics. It specializes in finding treatment for chronic diseases like hemophilia.
Vivaldi’s therapeutic and commercial expertise he’s built for over 25 years makes him the company’s backbone. He understands a vast range of therapeutic modalities and drug development. Also, Vivaldi is a trained physician specializing in endocrinology.
Some time back, Vivaldi served as the CEO of Minerva Neurosciences, a clinical-stage company that develops products for patients suffering from neuropsychiatric diseases. He also worked at Spark Therapeutics, where he commercialized the firm’s products.
The Brazilian-born doctor takes his responsibilities seriously and has contributed a lot in finding treatment for rare neurological diseases. Vivaldi is also renowned for devoting his life to advocate for patients with chronic conditions, garnering him a good reputation.
- Nancy Simonian
Simonian is the chief executive officer of Syros Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for immune-mediated diseases. She has a proven record of success in the biotech sector, which many scientists have celebrated.
Simonian’s career started as a neurology staff at Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Harvard Medical School faculty. In 2012, she joined Syros, a firm that redefines small molecules’ power to control gene expression and develop therapies.
Since joining Syros, Nancy Simonian has helped the firm transform from a discovery-stage company to a publicly-traded clinical-stage company. She also demonstrates her outstanding expertise at Seattle Genetics, where she serves as a board director.
Before Simonian’s appointment at Syros, she served as the chief medical officer at Millennium Pharmaceuticals. She helped the company develop its clinical pipeline for many diseases. Simonian also presided over Biogen’s clinical developments.
- Asa Abeliovich
Asa Abeliovich is the founder, president, and current CEO of Prevail Therapeutics Inc. The firm develops novel gene therapies targeting the root genetic cause of Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. So what are Abeliovich’s contributions?
Abeliovich became the CEO of Prevail Therapeutics Inc. in 2021, and he will take the company to the next level, following his success in other ventures. Before that, he was the chief innovation officer at Alector Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company.
Abeliovich received his doctorate from Harvard Medical School and his undergraduate and doctorate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- Andre Turenne
Turenne is the president and chief executive officer of Voyager Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company developing severe neurological diseases. Turenne brings to Voyager strategic vision and proven leadership to help the firm achieve its goals.
Notably, Turenne has maintained a strong record of business development experience, making him a valuable resource at Voyager. He has worked for nearly 12 years at Sanofi and Genzyme, where he served as the senior vice president.
- Herbert Moessler
Moessler is a co-founder of Neuropore Therapies (NPT), Inc. and is currently serving as the chairman of the Board of Directors. NPT is a California-based biopharmaceutical company developing small molecule therapeutics to treat neurodegenerative disorders.
Besides leading Neuropore Therapies, Moessler is also an advisor at EVER Pharma Group in Austria. His extensive experience in various aspects of the global pharma business has made him famous in the biotech world.
Moessler has devoted his career to developing, marketing, and sales of health products and therapeutic agents for neurological disorders.
Final Words
The men and women in this guide have contributed significantly to developing drugs and therapies for treating neurological diseases. Most of them are founders and chief executive officers in top biopharmaceutical companies worldwide.
