ACERAGEN - Key Persons

Cristina Csimma

Job Titles:
  • Director

John Taylor - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Member of the Board of Directors
John Taylor was appointed Idera's Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors in 2022, following the Company's merger with Aceragen. He was the Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Aceragen as well as a member of the Board of Directors. He has extensive experience in the orphan and rare disease field, having spent a significant portion of his career developing therapeutic products in this area. Prior to Aceragen, Mr. Taylor co-founded and was President and CEO of Spyryx Biosciences, a company he spun out of UNC-Chapel Hill to develop inhaled peptides as a treatment for cystic fibrosis. Under his leadership, Spyryx raised $23 million in venture capital with a top syndicate of investors, executed a $5 million development award with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and advanced the lead program into the clinic. Previously, Mr. Taylor was Vice President, Corporate Development with Synageva BioPharma, a biotechnology company developing enzyme replacement therapies for untreated lysosomal storage disorders. He played key roles in establishing Synageva's product portfolio and in taking the company public via a reverse merger with Trimeris. Earlier, Mr. Taylor was the Vice President, Business Development for Javelin Pharmaceuticals and a senior business development leader with Eurand Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Taylor holds a BS in Biological Sciences from Clemson University and an MS in Technology Management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Maxine Gowen

Job Titles:
  • Chairman of the Compensation Committee
  • Director
  • Member of the Audit Committee
  • Member of Audit Committee / Chairperson of Compensation Committee
  • Member of Idera 's Board of Directors
  • Member of the Boards of Directors of Aclaris Therapeutics
Maxine Gowen was appointed a member of Idera's Board of Directors in January 2016. Dr. Gowen also has served as a member of the boards of directors of Aclaris Therapeutics since 2019, Merus NV since 2021, and Passage Bio, including as the chair of the board, since 2021. Dr. Gowen served as the CEO and a board director of TamuroBio Inc., a privately held drug development company, from 2019 to 2021; she remains a member of its board of directors. She was also the founding President and CEO of Trevena from 2007 until her retirement in 2018; she remained a member of its board of directors until 2021. Prior to joining Trevena, Dr. Gowen was Senior Vice President for the Center of Excellence for External Drug Discovery at GlaxoSmithKline plc, or GSK, where she held a variety of leadership positions during her 15-year tenure. Before GSK, Dr. Gowen was Senior Lecturer and Head, Bone Cell Biology Group, Department of Bone and Joint Medicine, of the University of Bath, U.K. She also previously held a board seat in the state biotechnology industry association, Life Sciences Pennsylvania, from 2015 until 2021, and in the national biotechnology industry association, BIO, from 2008 until 2018. In addition, Dr. Gowen previously served as a director of Human Genome Sciences, Inc., from 2008 until 2012, Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. from 2014 until 2021, and Panorama Medicine from 2020 until 2021. Dr. Gowen holds a Ph.D. from the University of Sheffield, U.K., an M.B.A. with academic honors from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.Sc. with Honors in Biochemistry from the University of Bristol, U.K. Chair of the Compensation Committee Member of the Audit Committee

Michael Dougherty

Job Titles:
  • Chairman of the Audit Committee
  • Director
  • Member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee
  • Chairman of Audit Committee Member of Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee
  • Member of Idera 's Board of Directors
Michael Dougherty was appointed a member of Idera's Board of Directors in April 2019 and was elected Chair of the Board in April 2021. Mr. Dougherty also serves on the boards of directors of Trevena, Inc. and Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., both publicly traded life sciences companies. Mr. Dougherty previously served as the executive chairman of Celator Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from August 2015 until its acquisition by Jazz Pharmaceuticals in July 2016, and as a director of Celator from July 2013 to July 2016. Mr. Dougherty also previously served in a variety of senior leadership positions in the biopharmaceutical industry, including Chief Executive Officer of Kalidex Pharmaceuticals, Chief Executive Officer of Adolor Corporation, Chief Operating Officer of Genomics Collaborative, Chief Executive Officer of Genaera Corporation, and Chief Financial Officer at Centocor, Inc. Mr. Dougherty also served on the boards of directors of Foundation Medicine, Aviragen Therapeutics, and Cempra, and of ViroPharma Incorporated from 2004 until its acquisition by Shire in 2014. Mr. Dougherty holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Villanova University. Member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Chair of the Audit Committee

Ron Wooten - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Director
  • Member of the Audit Committee
  • Senior Founding Partner of NovaQuest Capital Management
Ron Wooten, Senior Founding Partner of NovaQuest Capital Management, has over 30 years of healthcare and investing experience. Mr. Wooten founded the NovaQuest predecessor business in 2001 and co-founded NovaQuest Capital Management in 2010. He is a member of the NovaQuest Capital Management Board and the Boards of the General Partner of NovaQuest Pharma Opportunities Funds III, IV and V and NovaQuest Animal Health Fund I, where he also is a member of these Investment Committees. Previously, Mr. Wooten served on the Board of the GP of NovaQuest Private Equity I as well as the Investment Committee. He is actively involved in managing the Firm and focused on overall strategic NovaQuest Capital Management initiatives, investment strategy and structure and investment management where he Chairs and serves actively on select Portfolio Company Boards of Directors. Since the formation of the NovaQuest unit at IQVIA (formerly Quintiles) in 2000 through 2010, Mr. Wooten led the platform in creating and managing unique relationships, structured finance and equity investments with more than $2 billion in gross commitments, capital or services to companies of all sizes. Mr. Wooten was also an Executive Vice President of Quintiles and managed their customer-partnering arrangements worldwide. From January 2008 through November 2010, he also served on the Quintiles Board of Directors. Mr. Wooten's previous experience includes nine years with First Union Securities, where he served as a Managing Director of Investment Banking focusing on M&A transactions across the middle market. Before he began his finance career, he played for the New England Patriots football team from 1981 to 1990. Mr. Wooten received his bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned an MBA from Boston University. Member of the Audit Committee

Vincent Milano - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman of the Board
  • Director
  • Chairman of the Board for Life Science Cares Philadelphia
Vincent Milano was appointed Chair of the Board in 2022, having served as Idera's President and CEO and a member of our board of directors since 2014. Prior to joining Idera, Mr. Milano served as Chairman, President, and CEO of ViroPharma Incorporated, a pharmaceutical company that was acquired by Shire in 2014. Prior to being appointed CEO of ViroPharma, he served in increasing roles of responsibility in finance, administration, and operations, including as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining ViroPharma, Mr. Milano served in increasingly senior roles, most recently senior manager, at KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, from 1985 to 1996. Mr. Milano has also served on the boards of directors of Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. since 2020, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., since 2021, and VenatoRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., since 2013. Mr. Milano previously served as a member of the boards of directors of Spark Therapeutics and Vanda Pharmaceuticals from 2014 to 2019 and 2010 to 2019, respectively. Mr. Milano is also the Chairman of the Board for Life Science Cares Philadelphia, a collective effort of the life sciences industry to reduce the impact of poverty on its neighbors, and is a former member and chair of Life Sciences Pennsylvania, the state biotechnology industry association. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Rider College.