Adams Pivots From Advisory Role, Takes on Head Seat At Gamida Cell

Julian Adams, the former Infinity Pharmaceuticals R&D chief who famously helped shepherd along the multiple myeloma drug bortezomb (Velcade), has re-emerged as a full-time senior executive at a biotech company. Adams has been named the chairman and CEO of Jerusalem-based immunotherapy developer Gamida Cell, one of the portfolio companies of Israeli venture firm Clal Biotechnology Industries. Adams began overseeing Clal’s investments after leaving Infinity in January 2017.

Author: Ben Fidler

Ben is former Xconomy Deputy Editor, Biotechnology. He is a seasoned business journalist that comes to Xconomy after a nine-year stint at The Deal, where he covered corporate transactions in industries ranging from biotech to auto parts and gaming. Most recently, Ben was The Deal’s senior healthcare writer, focusing on acquisitions, venture financings, IPOs, partnerships and industry trends in the pharmaceutical, biotech, diagnostics and med tech spaces. Ben wrote features on creative biotech financing models, analyses of middle market and large cap buyouts, spin-offs and restructurings, and enterprise pieces on legal issues such as pay-for-delay agreements and the Affordable Care Act. Before switching to the healthcare beat, Ben was The Deal's senior bankruptcy reporter, covering the restructurings of the Texas Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, GM, Delphi, Trump Entertainment Resorts and Blockbuster, among others. Ben has a bachelor’s degree in English from Binghamton University.