On January 6, 2020 FibroGen, Inc. (NASDAQ: FGEN) reported that its Board of Directors unanimously appointed Enrique Conterno as the company’s Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effective (Press release, FibroGen, JAN 6, 2020, View Source [SID1234552718]). Conterno previously worked as a senior vice president for Eli Lilly and Company, serving as President, Lilly USA, President, Lilly Diabetes, and a member of Lilly’s corporate executive committee.
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
"Following a comprehensive search, we are confident Enrique is the right individual to assume leadership of FibroGen at this pivotal time," said Tom Kearns, previously Chairman of the Board, and lead independent director. "Enrique’s nearly three decades of experience in the global healthcare industry include multiple strategic leadership roles and the oversight of several significant product launches, including the diabetes field’s first-ever cardiovascular approval. Enrique re-established Lilly’s leadership position in diabetes, growing the business from approximately $3 billion to over $10 billion in annual revenue. Enrique is extremely qualified to lead FibroGen as we prepare for the global commercialization of roxadustat and continue the advancement of our clinical programs."
"I am energized to join a company with such an innovative pipeline, as well as the first-in-class asset roxadustat, which has the potential to change the treatment paradigm in anemia that has seen little progress in the last 30 years," said Conterno. "This is a tremendously exciting time for FibroGen and I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with this team as we continue to apply groundbreaking science with the goal of helping patients around the world."
Jim Schoeneck has served as the company’s Interim CEO since August 2019, following the unexpected passing of founder and long-term CEO, Tom Neff. With the hiring of Enrique, Jim is appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors and will continue to serve the company during a transition period as Interim President.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Jim Schoeneck for his dedicated leadership during this transition," said Kearns. "Jim’s knowledge of the industry, as well as our science and strategy, has been instrumental in keeping the company focused on top priorities during a difficult and critical period in its development, including the filing of the roxadustat U.S. NDA. Jim will be instrumental in working with Enrique and the rest of the Board to continue to fulfill the founding vision for the company, bringing novel, first-in-class medicines to patients."
A native of Peru, Conterno holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a master’s degree in business administration from Duke University. Conterno joined Eli Lilly and Company in 1992 and spent the next two decades working in the U.S. and internationally across sales, marketing, finance, business development, and general management roles. Conterno became the President of Lilly Diabetes in 2009. In addition to those responsibilities, Conterno took on the role of President of Lilly USA in January 2017. Conterno retired from Eli Lilly and Company at the end of 2019 after 27 years of service with the company.