WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) announced today that Carl B. Feldbaum, Esq., was elected chairman of the global health non-profit's Board of Directors. Feldbaum has served on the BVGH Board of Directors since its inception in 2004.
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"I am enthusiastic about taking the helm of this organization along with Melinda Moree and our board. Up to now, biotech innovation has largely benefited patients in developed nations. Biotechnology's tremendous potential now must be extended to developing nations -- our mission is to ensure that the poor benefit as well," says Feldbaum.
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In addition to serving on the board of BVGH, Feldbaum serves on the Board of Directors of Actelion, LTD and Exelixis, Inc., both biotechnology companies, and the Biotechnology Institute. He is president emeritus of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and played an integral role in the spin-out of BVGH from that organization. BIO is the world's largest organization representing the biotechnology industry, academic institutions, and state biotechnology centers.
Melinda Moree, interim CEO of BVGH, comments "Carl is well loved and respected around the world for his ardent belief that biotechnology can improve the lives of those suffering from diseases and especially those suffering from diseases that primarily affect the poor. He will both spur and guide the organization in its growth and its focus on the mission."
Along with Feldbaum's extraordinary depth of knowledge regarding the biotechnology industry, he brings to the role a distinguished policy background. He came to Washington, D.C. in 1973 as an assistant special prosecutor for the Watergate special prosecution force. He served as chief of staff to Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) and was president and founder of the Palomar Corporation, a national security "think tank" in Washington, D.C. Before founding Palomar Corporation, Feldbaum was assistant to the Secretary of Energy, and served as the Inspector General for defense intelligence in the U.S. Department of Defense.
In 1979, Feldbaum was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal from U.S. Defense Secretary Harold Brown. He received the Christopher Medal for his book "Looking the Tiger in the Eye: Confronting the Nuclear Threat," which was also designated by the New York Times as a notable book of the year for 1988. He received a bachelor's degree in Biology from Princeton University and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Feldbaum succeeds Rob Chess, Chairman of the Board of Nektar Therapeutics, who served as BVGH board chair since the organization's inception. "Under Rob's leadership, BVGH has grown from a concept to an organization focused intensively on bringing more biotech companies into the global health arena and achieving tangible outcomes," says Moree. Chess will continue to serve on the BVGH Board.
For additional information, contact: Molly Polen, Director of Communications, BVGH 202-470-6232
About BIO Ventures for Global Health
BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to save lives by accelerating the development of novel biotechnology-based drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics to address the unmet medical needs of the developing world. We spur biotech industry involvement in global health product development through synthesis and dissemination of critical information and quantitative analysis, timely collaboration with global health experts, and compelling market-based incentives.
SOURCE BIO Ventures for Global Health
