Symbiomix Therapeutics Appoints David L. Stern as Chief Executive Officer

On Feb 22, 2017

Newark-based Symbiomix announced it has hired David L. Stern, MBA, a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive with over 20 years of experience leading the commercialization of treatments in women’s health and fertility, as Chief Executive Officer of the company.

Mr. Stern joins Symbiomix on the heels of the company’s recent submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its drug candidate Solosec™, an innovative antibiotic designed to treat BV. The company hired Taunia Markvicka, PharmD, MBA, as Chief Commercial Officer in 2016 and has been rapidly preparing for the commercialization of Solosec™.

“Symbiomix is delighted to have a leader of David Stern’s caliber take on the position of Chief Executive Officer,” said Klaus Veitinger, MD, PhD, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Symbiomix and an Orbimed venture partner. “We are entering a very important period as we await feedback from the FDA on our NDA and prepare for the launch of Solosec™. David’s experience in women’s health will be a valuable asset to the company.”

Mr. Stern brings to Symbiomix more than 20 years of leadership in strategic planning, business development, reimbursement strategy, and marketing and sales. He is an independent board member of California Cryobank, the leading provider of reproductive and stem cell services in the US. Previously, he was Chief Commercial Officer of Celmatix, a personalized medicine company focused on fertility and women’s health. Before joining Celmatix, Mr. Stern was Executive Vice President of Global Commercial Operations for OvaScience, where he was responsible for the global launch of the company’s first new fertility treatment, Augment®. He also served as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Business as well as other leadership positions for fertility at Merck Serono, and was director of reproductive marketing at Organon USA, responsible for the company’s contraceptive and fertility portfolio. Mr. Stern has an MBA from the F.W. Olin School of Business at Babson College, and a Bachelor’s degree in biology from Brandeis University. He is a member of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

“I am excited to be a part of the strong, accomplished management team at Symbiomix,” commented Mr. Stern. “Solosec™ has had a rapid and successful clinical development program, and I believe it will be well received by physicians and patients when it is approved. I’m honored to be part of the preparations for commercialization, and look forward to guiding Symbiomix as we consider the development of other innovative drugs.”

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