12.02.13
InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. has appointed Lou Vaickus, M.D., as interim chief medical officer for the next year.
Vaickus currently is president of Hingham, Mass.-based akta Pharmaceutical Development LLC. Prior to that, he served as vice president and head, Clinical Development, Global Medicines Development and Affairs, at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Before joining Vertex, Vaickus was chief medical officer of Tolerx Inc. from 2002 to 2011. Previously, he served as senior vice president, medical affairs and R&D at Sunovion (formerly Sepracor) from 1998 to 2002, and as medical director at EMD Serono (formerly Ares Serono) from 1993 to 1998. In these roles, Vaickus orchestrated the development of products in multiple therapeutic areas.
“We are excited to have Dr. Vaickus join us at this critical juncture in the company’s development. With his judgment and experience, he will help us bring our scaffold product into the clinic, he will help us define the best opportunities for our hydrogel technology, and he will help us enter into the types of partnerships that create value for a successful drug delivery company,” Interim CEO Michael Astrue said.
Eric Woodard, M.D. will continue to serve as a consultant and member of the company's scientific advisory board.
Based in Cambridge, Mass., InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. uses polymers to develop treatments for serious diseases and conditions, including improving function in paralyzed victims of traumatic spinal cord injuries. The company was founded in 2005 with proprietary technology co-invented by Robert Langer, ScD., Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Joseph P. Vacanti, M.D., who is affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital.
Vaickus currently is president of Hingham, Mass.-based akta Pharmaceutical Development LLC. Prior to that, he served as vice president and head, Clinical Development, Global Medicines Development and Affairs, at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Before joining Vertex, Vaickus was chief medical officer of Tolerx Inc. from 2002 to 2011. Previously, he served as senior vice president, medical affairs and R&D at Sunovion (formerly Sepracor) from 1998 to 2002, and as medical director at EMD Serono (formerly Ares Serono) from 1993 to 1998. In these roles, Vaickus orchestrated the development of products in multiple therapeutic areas.
“We are excited to have Dr. Vaickus join us at this critical juncture in the company’s development. With his judgment and experience, he will help us bring our scaffold product into the clinic, he will help us define the best opportunities for our hydrogel technology, and he will help us enter into the types of partnerships that create value for a successful drug delivery company,” Interim CEO Michael Astrue said.
Eric Woodard, M.D. will continue to serve as a consultant and member of the company's scientific advisory board.
Based in Cambridge, Mass., InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. uses polymers to develop treatments for serious diseases and conditions, including improving function in paralyzed victims of traumatic spinal cord injuries. The company was founded in 2005 with proprietary technology co-invented by Robert Langer, ScD., Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Joseph P. Vacanti, M.D., who is affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital.