In the last two years, biotechnology companies, especially the smaller ones, have gone through a dramatic restructuring of priorities and focus. Like so many industries which have prioritized their businesses to the immediate, the cash efficient, the safe, the low risk, and the cash conserving, biotech has done the same. Some biotech companies have done … Continue reading “Where Will the New Disease Treatments Come From a Decade From Now?”
Author: Mark W. Schwartz
Dr. Mark Schwartz has spent over 25 years in the biotechnology and life science industry, and has substantial CEO, business development and operations experience. Most recently, Dr. Schwartz was President and CEO of Bayhill Therapeutics (Bayhill) from 2004 to 2009. Under Mark's leadership, Bayhill successfully demonstrated clinical proof of concept of the company's BHT-DNA platform's ability to induce antigen specific tolerance in two indications (multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes). Dr. Schwartz led Bayhill's corporate partnering efforts which led to an exclusive, worldwide collaboration agreement with Genentech/Roche for the development of BHT-3021 in type 1 diabetes in June 2009. While at Bayhill, Dr. Schwartz was successful in raising over $100 million in venture capital, philanthropic funding, and non-dilutive funding for Bayhill's clinical programs and development of its therapeutic platform. Dr. Schwartz was previously President and CEO of Calyx Therapeutics, where Mark successfully led a $30 million institutional round for the development of novel anti-inflammatory compounds. Previously, he served at Trega BioSciences as Chief Commercial Officer, playing a lead role in the development of the company's iDiscovery strategy and merger of Trega with Lion Bioscience AG. Dr. Schwartz has also served in key management roles at Synteni, Incyte Genomics, and at Tripos, where he pioneered the Accelerated Discovery Services Business Unit. Dr. Schwartz holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Arizona State University and received his BA in Chemistry from Grinnell College. Mark has served on the Board of the Biotechnology Industry Association, as well as the Emerging Companies Section (ECS) Governing Board, and Co-Chair of the ECS Health and Regulatory Committee within the ECSGB.