TEAM
Kevin Bilyard Ph.D.
Kevin has broad industry experience gained over more than 25 years in new product development, product strategy and corporate development roles with two major pharmaceutical companies (SmithKline Beecham and AstraZeneca), a drug delivery company (Quadrant Healthcare) and several earlier stage biotechnology companies. He has managed various aspects of new product development with particular emphasis on early stage proof-of-concept work. He led projects to improve efficiency of the development process and portfolio management while at Zeneca Pharmaceuticals; authored several articles and speaks at conferences and training events on various topics linked to pharmaceutical product development and risk management.
He gained direct senior level IPO experience as Product Development Director at the time of the London Stock Exchange listing of Quadrant Healthcare where, in a subsequent role as Corporate Development Director, he was also intimately involved in activities related to trade sale, M&A, formation of joint ventures and fund raising.
Kevin has been a director of or advisor to several emerging biotech and pharmaceutical services companies in Europe and USA and is a co-founder of Nine-TZ Healthcare Ventures.
Christopher O'Toole
Chris has spent over 25 years in marketing, business and general management positions in both pharmaceutical industry and service businesses.
Before co-founding Nine-TZ Healthcare Ventures he was previously with a New York-based healthcare investment group, where he licensed and invested in new products and technologies. During this time he established two companies, acting as President for one.
He has held senior management positions with medical-marketing consultancies, including President of Medical Action Communications for North America and Europe, having previously established their US business. He was responsible for revenue and profit, and day-to-day operations of the >100 person agency, a part of Quintiles Transnational.
Prior to this he was VP, Marketing for a healthcare division of Pearson plc, responsible for North America, Europe and Japan.
Chris’s early career was spent in Europe with SmithKline and Fisons Pharmaceuticals before he relocated to the US in 1989 to join Schering-Plough.
John Clinton
John is an experienced commercial and pharmaceutical marketing executive. In addition to his consulting work he acts as Commercial Director for a UK based company developing a range of new rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests for medical areas that are currently poorly served. With extensive experience in marketing and business development gained in a range of healthcare and small technology-based companies, John is responsible for all commercial activities including overseeing relationships with the company’s strategic partners.Michael Kurman, M.D
Michael Kurman established a successful business as a consultant
to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and health care industries
specializing in oncology and oncology drug development, with
24 years of experience. He received his B.S. in Biology from
Syracuse University graduating summa cum laude and received
his M.D. degree from Cornell University Medical College.
Dr. Kurman started his career in the practice of oncology,
during which he was an investigator on several oncology clinical
trials. Since joining industry, he has held positions of
progressively more responsibility in Janssen, Cytogen and
US Bioscience, and was involved in the successful development
or launch of four oncology products. Before starting his
consultancy, Dr. Kurman was Vice President of Clinical Operations
for Quintiles’ Oncology Division. His primary interests
are in early/late phase oncology clinical trial design and
drug development, and in strategic portfolio management.
In addition, he serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards
of several companies and is on the Board of Directors of
Avalon Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Kurman is board certified in
Internal Medicine and Oncology, and did his oncology training
at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York.
Roger O'Sullivan
Roger
O'Sullivan was born in New York and raised in Sydney, Australia.
Mr. O'Sullivan worked at both the New York and Sydney, Australia offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, prior to admission, where his work focused on project finance, international mergers and acquisitions and other cross-border transactions. He has also focused on healthcare and intellectual property matters, including: the defense of an immunoassay systems manufacturer against a governmental investigation; an internal investigation into the accounting practices of a multi-national pharmaceutical company; the defense of a pharmaceutical company against one of the largest products liability class action lawsuits in the country; as well as various transactions and disputes concerning copyrights, trademarks and patented technology.
Mr. O'Sullivan is actively involved in the biotechnology
industry in the United States and Australia. He is a member
of the New York State Bar Association's Committee on
Biotechnology and the Law and the American Bar Association's
Committee on Biotechnology. He is also affiliated with a
number of industry-specific organizations including the New
York Biotechnology Association, Australia's Biotechnology
Organisation, BioMelbourne Network and Lab to Wall Street.
Mr. O'Sullivan has a particular interest in the bioethical
and regulatory issues raised by new technologies and is
a member of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities
and the International Association of Bioethics. A graduate
of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, Mr.
O'Sullivan is admitted to practice law before the Courts
of the State of New York.
Janette Thomas Ph.D.
Janette is an experienced pharmaceutical R & D
executive and has held a number of senior management
positions in the research and commercialization
of new technology.
She has experience in reviewing innovative technology to identify commercial potential. She has been involved in licensing technology, developing strategies to optimize value and calculating the financial requirements for development to market. She has had practical experience in the development of pharmaceutical R & D programs, in the management of large international development teams for 'large pharma', and contracting people to 'virtual' development teams for small organizations. She has worked on projects in phases from pre-clinical through to life-cycle management in a range of therapeutic areas.
Janette has laboratory management experience as a Project Director and R & D Manager starting up an R&D team, managing the research program, incorporating a GLP regime in a new laboratory and furbishing and equipping new laboratories.
Originally a biochemist she has led research groups in a range of therapeutic areas including Oncology, Inflammation and infectious diseases.