Business Development / Commercialization Committee
![Adam Elhofy, PhD](https://www.cureswithinreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Elhofy-150x150.jpg)
Adam Elhofy, PhD
Vice President of Research and Collaborations, Cour Pharmaceutical
Biography
Dr. Adam Elhofy has over 16 years of scientific research experience in the areas of immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, with multiple publications and grants. He was funded by both the National Institutes of Health and the Multiple Sclerosis society as an investigator at Northwestern University Medical School. He has served in various roles from Principal Investigator of a Nanotech start-up to Chief Science officer. He developed the core technology for the Cell-Ess® line of products and aided in creating patents around novel uses of materials.
His doctoral research won him the award of the Top 5 trainee scientists by the American Association of Immunologists. Dr. Elhofy has 15 scientific publications in peer reviewed journals. He has played a variety of roles with start-up biotech companies ranging from Principal Investigator to Director of Corporate Development.
![Edward Kahn](https://www.cureswithinreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ed_Kahn-150x150.jpg)
Edward Kahn
Rediscovery Life Sciences
Biography
Ed is an intellectual property expert and the founding president of EKMS, Inc., a company known for pioneering novel IP management techniques for two decades.
Ed sold EKMS to a publicly traded company in 2004, but came out of retirement to apply his licensing skills and tech transfer experience at CWR, where he will help patients access effective “new” treatments more quickly and affordably through Rediscovery Research™.
The repurposed drugs and other Rediscovery Research approaches established by Cures’s research partners are often safer, more effective and cheaper than the current Standard of Care, but there is often a gap between publication of research results and adoption of the “rediscovered” treatment in the clinic by physicians and patients. Ed works with public and private sector life sciences organizations to devise creative new business methods aimed at ensuring that life-saving therapies reach patients as soon as feasible.
Ed has presented and written extensively on licensing and IP strategy for John Wiley, Euromoney Publishing, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, Mass High Tech, the Licensing Executives Society (LES) and the Boston Patent Lawyers’ Association. His recent book, “Innovate or Perish: Managing the Enduring Technology Company in the Global Market”, focuses on the challenge of IP management in today’s evolving innovation environment.
![Robert Metz](https://www.cureswithinreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Rob_Metz-150x150.png)
Robert Metz
Managing Director, Armour Life Sciences; previous roles include SVP at Horizon Therapeutics
Biography
Mr. Metz founded Armour Life Sciences in 2019. He left Horizon Therapeutics after 10 years, most recently as SVP global business operations and general manager Europe. He was responsible for the administration of global business operations and corporate external affairs including patient advocacy. Mr. Metz has over 27 years of commercial, external affairs, finance, administration and operations experience in both small and large pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations. Prior to joining Horizon Pharma, Mr. Metz’s most recent position was vice president, commercial operations for IDM Pharma who manufactured MEPACT® for pediatric osteosarcoma. Mr. Metz played a key role in the turnaround and eventual sale of IDM Pharma to Takeda Pharmaceuticals in June 2009. He led commercial efforts, including development of key opinion leader and institution center outreach, patient advocacy relations and pricing and reimbursement programming throughout pan-European markets. Prior to joining IDM Pharma, Mr. Metz led commercial operations for NeoPharm, a public rare disease oncology biotechnology company with a phase 3 compound for glioblastoma multiforme.
For nearly 13 years, Mr. Metz worked in areas of increasing responsibility at Searle and Pharmacia focusing on product introductions on several products, including Celebrex®, Arthrotec®, Daypro® and Detrol LA®. His professional experience encompassed sales, business analysis, business development, commercial operations, human resources, information technology, project management, government, public and external affairs and real estate management. In his commercial management roles, Mr. Metz directed multifunctional, operational and performance aspects of sales organizations spanning over 650 sales and support employees with overall sales totaling over $2 billion. Mr. Metz has also held sales and marketing positions at Medpointe Pharma and Reliable Biopharmaceuticals. Mr. Metz has a bachelor’s degree in management/economics with a minor in political science from Marietta College in Marietta, OH.
![Michael S. Rosen](https://www.cureswithinreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/MichaelRosen-150x150.jpg)
Michael S. Rosen
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and Rosen Bioscience Strategies
Biography
Michael S. Rosen is Managing Director, Innovation and Research Park and Helix 51 Incubator for Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, IL (Lake County). Mr. Rosen also has his own company, Rosen Bioscience Strategies LLC, a life science economic development consultancy focused on the development of science parks, incubators and eco-systems centered around research-based universities. From 2005 – 2014, he was a consultant to and then Senior Vice President, New Business Development for the Science + Technology Group at Forest City Realty Trust, a NYSE-traded Fortune 500 U.S. real estate development company which developed and built science parks at research universities, such as Johns Hopkins University, MIT, and Illinois Science + Technology Park; he successfully brought numerous international life science into these parks.
Rosen spent many years in the life science industry including 20 years in senior management positions with Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Searle/Monsanto, while living in Latin America, Japan, and Europe, and worked extensively in Canada, India and Asia. Additionally, he spent 12 years as President/CEO of European and U.S. biotech and medical device companies, one of which he took public. Mr. Rosen has been an adjunct professor of biotechnology at Northwestern University and professor of International Management at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (Chicago). He is a member of the Association for University Research Parks (AURP). He received his B.A. in Sociology and International Relations from Beloit College and an M.B.A. in International Business from the University of Miami. He has graduate and post-graduate studies at Northwestern University, Sophia University (Tokyo, Japan) and the Adolfo Ibañez University and School of Business (Santiago, Chile).
![Adriann Sax](https://www.cureswithinreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/AdriannSax_photo-150x150.jpg)
Adriann Sax
CEO, Vetigenics
Biography
Adriann is CEO of Vetigenics. Previously, Adriann was CEO at Orsenix, an Entrepreneur in Residence at Fortress Biotech, a public biotech company which finds and forms subsidiary companies around promising drugs and technologies. For more than 25 years, Adriann has been a global biotech and pharmaceutical industry leader managing all stages of drug development, commercialization, strategic deal-making and partnerships. Prior to Fortress Biotech, Adriann was Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer of Kadmon Corporation leading Kadmon’ s commercial organization, Kadmon Pharmaceuticals, from its inception in September 2010.
Before Kadmon, Adriann was Executive Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Planning at King Pharmaceuticals where she led many profitable transactions in addition to creating and implementing King’s Corporate Strategy for Growth in 2005, contributing to the company’s overall success and ultimate sale to Pfizer in 2011.
After starting her career as a sales representative at Sterling Drug, Adriann progressed through a series of management and executive roles with established biopharmaceutical companies including Symphogen, Merck, BMS and Roche in commercial operations, strategy and corporate development. Although she’s made many important contributions in the areas of oncology, transplantation and hepatology, her leadership of many successful new product launches including leading the team responsible for the refiling and ultimate launch of ERBITUX® (cetuximab), for the treatment of cancer are testimony to her unique abilities, commitment and tenacity to “make a difference”.
Throughout her professional career, Adriann has maintained an active role with the many industry associations. In 2008, she was voted as one of the top 100 Most Inspiring People in Healthcare by PharmaVoice Magazine, in 2016 to the Business Advisory Board of Cures Within Reach and in 2014 as a member of the Springboard Life Sciences Council Executive Board. She is also a board member, strategic advisor and mentor to many start-up biotech companies. Adriann holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from the Keller Graduate School of Management and a BS in Pre-Veterinary Medicine from the University of Delaware.
![Eric Waehner](https://www.cureswithinreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/eric-waehner_copy-150x150.jpg)
Eric Waehner
Retired Pharmaceutical Executive
Biography
Now retired, Eric Waehner’s most recent role was Vice President, Business Development at Recordati Rare Diseases. He has over 25 years of life science industry experience, driving growth strategies and completing transactions across the pharmaceutical, diagnostic and medical device industry segments. Prior to joining Recordati Rare Diseases, he gained experience and contributed to portfolio growth and rationalization at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Astellas Pharmaceuticals and Abbott Laboratories. Additionally, he gained experience as a consultant with Deloitte and RM Consulting International.
Mr. Waehner received his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech and his M.B.A from Northwestern University.