EXCELLENTIA GLOBAL PARTNERS

Peter Honig is Senior Vice President of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs and Safety and a member of the Worldwide Research and Development Leadership Team at Pfizer. Dr. Honig received his baccalaureate, medical and public health degrees from Columbia University in New York. He has postgraduate training and is board-certified in internal medicine and clinical pharmacology and has authored numerous peer reviewed publications, invited commentaries, and book chapters. Previous experience includes senior leadership positions at the United States Food and Drug administration, Merck Research Laboratories, and AstraZeneca. He is also a Director at Orexigen Therapeutics. Dr. Honig has been the PhRMA representative to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) Steering/Management Committee since 2002 and is the past co-chair of the ICH Global Cooperation Group (GCG) whose mission it was to promote regulatory harmonization in non-ICH countries and regions. Within ICH, he has represented FDA and PhRMA on the MedDRA Management Board, the E2B, E2C, E5, E7, and E14 Expert Working Groups (EWG). He is a past President of the American Society of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, a member of the Executive Steering Committee of the FNIH Biomarkers Consortium, and is an Associate Editor of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Dr. Gottesdiener has been our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors since October 2011. He joined Rhythm after 16 years at Merck Research Laboratories. Dr. Gottesdiener joined Merck early clinical development in 1995, helping to transition compounds from the bench to the bedside and through to proof of concept. He held positions of increasing responsibility, eventually leading Merck’s early clinical development across all therapeutic areas from 2001 through early 2006. From 2006-2011, he was a leader of Merck’s late clinical development organization, first overseeing the development of Merck’s infectious diseases and vaccine products through pivotal trials, registration, and life cycle management, including Gardasil™ (HPV Vaccine), Rotateq™ (rotavirus vaccine), Zostavax™ (zoster vaccine) and Isentress™ (HIV integrase inhibitor), among others. In 2008, Dr. Gottesdiener was appointed Late Stage Therapeutic Group Leader, and in that role led Merck’s late-stage clinical development efforts (from Phase 2 thru patent expiry) across all therapeutic areas. After Merck’s merger with Schering Plough in 2009, he continued as co-head of late development. Dr. Gottesdiener received his B.A. from Harvard College and his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency and fellowship at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital-Beth Israel Medical Center-Dana Farber Cancer Institute Children’s Hospital programs. After his fellowship, Dr. Gottesdiener did postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Jack Strominger at Dana Farber Cancer Institute working on the molecular immunology of the T-cell receptor. In 1986, he joined the faculty as an assistant professor at Columbia University, started an independent research laboratory with NIH RO-1 funding, focusing on gene transcription, and was Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the time he left to join Merck in 1995.

PhD in Biochemical Engineering at University College London obtained in 1974. Joined the Merck Research Laboratories (MRL) in 1980 and built a world class Bioprocess R&D group. Leader of process development of all biologically made product candidates within the MRL pipeline and manufacture of Clinical Supplies during a 20 year time frame. Products developed within this period include MEVACOR®, ZOCOR®, IVOMEC®, CANCIDAS®, RECOMBIVAX HB®, VAQTA®, VARIVAX®, COMVAX®., ROTATEQ® (Rotavirus vaccine), ZOSTAVAX® (shingles vaccine) and GARDASIL® (HPV vaccine).

External awards and appointments include being elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1997 and Fellow of University College London in 1998. Awards include the Donald Medal, UK Institute of Chemical Engineering in 2002, Prix Galien award: Member of team to receive Vaccine Award for Gardasil® in 2007, Merck Board of Directors Award for leading process development for licensure of four (4) new vaccines in 2007. Chaired two International Conferences on Cell Culture (Cell Culture Engineering IV and Cell Culture Engineering V) and co-chaired the first three International Conferences on Metabolic Engineering. Co-chaired the first four International Conferences on Vaccine Technology. Author or co-author of over 70 papers. Visiting Professor at University College London for past 15 years. In October 2008, named by AIChE as one of the "One Hundred Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era" (defined as from World War II to Present) as part of the AIChE Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia, USA and also awarded Marvin Johnson Award by ACS (American Chemical Society) for lifetime contribution to Biotechnology. Awarded PhRMA Discoverer of the Year award in April,2009 for development of the Merck HPV vaccine (along with Eliav Barr and Kathrin Jansen).

Starting in May 2009; CEO, BiologicB. Since this time have provided consultancy worldwide to a number of companies and not-for-profit institutions, in all areas of Biologics including Vaccines, Therapeutic Proteins and Cell Therapy.Chair of Board for a not-for-profit organization, Engineering Conferences International. Continue as Visiting Professor at University College London. Co-Founder of start-up company Enumeral Biomedical. Head, Bioprocess Development at Protein Sciences (recently changed to Senior Advisor). The first recombinant Influenza vaccine, Flublok, was licensed in January 2013. Appointed Executive Director of NIIMBL (The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals) in February, 2017.

PhD in Biochemical Engineering at University College London obtained in 1974. Joined the Merck Research Laboratories (MRL) in 1980 and built a world class Bioprocess R&D group. Leader of process development of all biologically made product candidates within the MRL pipeline and manufacture of Clinical Supplies during a 20 year time frame. Products developed within this period include MEVACOR®, ZOCOR®, IVOMEC®, CANCIDAS®, RECOMBIVAX HB®, VAQTA®, VARIVAX®, COMVAX®., ROTATEQ® (Rotavirus vaccine), ZOSTAVAX® (shingles vaccine) and GARDASIL® (HPV vaccine).

External awards and appointments include being elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1997 and Fellow of University College London in 1998. Awards include the Donald Medal, UK Institute of Chemical Engineering in 2002, Prix Galien award: Member of team to receive Vaccine Award for Gardasil® in 2007, Merck Board of Directors Award for leading process development for licensure of four (4) new vaccines in 2007. Chaired two International Conferences on Cell Culture (Cell Culture Engineering IV and Cell Culture Engineering V) and co-chaired the first three International Conferences on Metabolic Engineering. Co-chaired the first four International Conferences on Vaccine Technology. Author or co-author of over 70 papers. Visiting Professor at University College London for past 15 years. In October 2008, named by AIChE as one of the "One Hundred Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era" (defined as from World War II to Present) as part of the AIChE Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia, USA and also awarded Marvin Johnson Award by ACS (American Chemical Society) for lifetime contribution to Biotechnology. Awarded PhRMA Discoverer of the Year award in April,2009 for development of the Merck HPV vaccine (along with Eliav Barr and Kathrin Jansen).

Starting in May 2009; CEO, BiologicB. Since this time have provided consultancy worldwide to a number of companies and not-for-profit institutions, in all areas of Biologics including Vaccines, Therapeutic Proteins and Cell Therapy.Chair of Board for a not-for-profit organization, Engineering Conferences International. Continue as Visiting Professor at University College London. Co-Founder of start-up company Enumeral Biomedical. Head, Bioprocess Development at Protein Sciences (recently changed to Senior Advisor). The first recombinant Influenza vaccine, Flublok, was licensed in January 2013. Appointed Executive Director of NIIMBL (The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals) in February, 2017.

Independent Consultant to the Pharmaceutical Industry

Anthony (Tony) Ford-Hutchinson, Ph.D., is an independent consultant to the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, he spent 32 years at Merck, starting in 1981 when he joined Merck Frosst Canada in Montreal, moving from director of pharmacology to senior vice president and site head. During his time in Canada, the laboratories developed novel drugs for the treatment of human diseases, including the development of Singulair®, for the treatment of adult and pediatric asthma and allergic rhinitis, and the discovery of selective COX-2 inhibitors for the treatment of osteoarthritis and pain. In 1998, Tony moved to Pennsylvania to head the basic research effort in the United States and worldwide, covering all therapeutic areas. As an executive vice president he became responsible for franchise strategies in multiple disease areas, including vaccines and infectious diseases. Prior to his roles at Merck, he performed research in the field of leukotrienes and prostaglandins at Kings College Hospital Medical School and was a lecturer in its chemical pathology department. Tony retired from Merck in 2012. Currently Tony is working with a number of early stage biotech companies and not for profit organizations in the fields of vaccines, oncology, orphan diseases, anti-virals and anti-infectives. Current positions include CSO of Ribonova Inc, Board member of Context Pharmaceuticals, SAGE Bionetworks and the Hepatitis B Foundation and SAB of Sutrovax, Hutchison Biofilm, CARB-X, the Wellcome Trust, Militia Hill Ventures and Forge Life Sciences. He holds a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of London, a master's degree in molecular enzymology from the University of Warwick and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Birmingham.

Dr. Erika Sauer is the CEO of Sauer Consulting Oy, based in Finland. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Newday Impact in California and member of the Advisory Board of Excellentia Global Partners in New York. Erika works with companies and institutions throughout the world, helping to bridge the gap as they embark on expansion into new countries, particularly the USA and Southeast Asia. Dr. Sauer is of Finnish nationality, and brings extensive knowledge and network (Scandinavia, U.S., Southeast Asia) to the opportunity.

Dr. Sauer has a PhD in Business Administration and Economics and holds a seat of Adjunct Professor in Jyväskylä University, Finland. She has published scholarly articles in global scientific journals as well as books on Leadership for the professional audience. She is an experienced lecturer and columnist.