Dennis G. Podlesak
Chair of the Board of Directors
Dennis G. Podlesak has served as chairman of our board of directors since December 2008.
Mr. Podlesak is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Transposon Therapeutics, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Canaan Partners’ Axceliux LLC, and is an Advisory Partner of Domain Associates, LLC which he joined in November 2007, both of which are life science-focused venture capital firms.
Mr. Podlesak previously served as the chairman of the board of Tobira Therapeutics, a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company that was acquired by Allergan plc. Mr. Podlesak also served on the board of Avanir Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, through its acquisition by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, and was a founding board member of Rightcare Solutions, which was acquired by Cardinal Health. Mr. Podlesak was also the founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Calixa Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company that was acquired by Cubist Pharmaceuticals, and the Executive Chairman of Corthera, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company which was acquired by Novartis AG. Earlier in his career, Mr. Podlesak served as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cerexa, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of Forest Laboratories, Inc. after being acquired by Forest. Prior to Cerexa, Mr. Podlesak served as the Chief Executive Officer of Peninsula Pharmaceuticals Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical company, and led the sale of Peninsula to Johnson & Johnson’s Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical subsidiary. Prior to joining Peninsula, Mr. Podlesak held various executive management positions at Novartis AG, a publicly traded healthcare company, Allergan, plc, a publicly traded healthcare company and Smith Kline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline plc, a publicly traded pharmaceutical company).
Mr. Podlesak received a B.A. and an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University, and has completed postgraduate studies at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Podlesak is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Transposon Therapeutics, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Canaan Partners’ Axceliux LLC, and is an Advisory Partner of Domain Associates, LLC which he joined in November 2007, both of which are life science-focused venture capital firms.
Mr. Podlesak previously served as the chairman of the board of Tobira Therapeutics, a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company that was acquired by Allergan plc. Mr. Podlesak also served on the board of Avanir Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, through its acquisition by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, and was a founding board member of Rightcare Solutions, which was acquired by Cardinal Health. Mr. Podlesak was also the founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Calixa Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company that was acquired by Cubist Pharmaceuticals, and the Executive Chairman of Corthera, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company which was acquired by Novartis AG. Earlier in his career, Mr. Podlesak served as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cerexa, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of Forest Laboratories, Inc. after being acquired by Forest. Prior to Cerexa, Mr. Podlesak served as the Chief Executive Officer of Peninsula Pharmaceuticals Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical company, and led the sale of Peninsula to Johnson & Johnson’s Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical subsidiary. Prior to joining Peninsula, Mr. Podlesak held various executive management positions at Novartis AG, a publicly traded healthcare company, Allergan, plc, a publicly traded healthcare company and Smith Kline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline plc, a publicly traded pharmaceutical company).
Mr. Podlesak received a B.A. and an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University, and has completed postgraduate studies at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Chairman of the Board