Adgero Biopharmaceuticals, a privately held biopharmaceutical company leveraging its late stage photodynamic therapy platform for the treatment of serious cutaneous oncology indications, announced it has appointed Dr Felix T. Garzon, as its CMO.
Dr Garzon has more than 30 years of international clinical experience in the development and approval of new drugs in oncology, including breast cancer therapies, while at several leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the US and EU.
Dr Frank Pilkiewicz, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Adgero, said: “We are pleased to welcome Dr Garzon to the Adgero team as our CMO. Over the course of his career, he has established a track record in the successful development and registration of oncology products.
“We believe that his leadership and insight will further help Adgero advance its platform technology in photodynamic therapy which is focused on serious cutaneous oncology indications, starting with cutaneous metastatic breast cancer (CMBC).”
Dr Garzon joins the Adgero team having recently served as Senior VP of Clinical Development at Actinium Pharmaceuticals, where he led the clinical development for Actinium's lead oncology product and managed interactions and discussions with the FDA.
Prior to his time at Actinium, from 2010–2015, he served as the Senior Director of Oncology, Product Creation Unit of EISAI, here he was the International Programme Leader for Halaven (Eribulin), which was successfully submitted for registration with the EMA for advanced breast cancer and was subsequently approved in the US as well.
From 2006–2010, Dr Garzon served as the Director of Oncology Global Clinical Research at Bristol-Myers Squibb US, where his responsibilities included leading the FDA, EMA and Latin America Regulatory Agency submissions for Sprycel (dasatinib) in advanced chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), which resulted in the approval of Sprycel for the treatment of resistant and/or intolerant CML patients.
His prior experience also includes European Senior Director of Oncology at Chiron Biopharmaceuticals, European Medical Director of Cell Therapeutics and a consultant for clinical research at a number of European companies.
Dr Garzon received his medical degree from Cordoba National University in Argentina, completed his Residency in Clinical Medicine and Assistant of the Oncology Department at the Aeronautic Hospital in Cordoba, Argentina, and completed his training in Clinical Oncology at the Department of Chemotherapy of Leon Berard Cancer Center in Lyon, France. In addition, he holds a Ph.D. in Medicine from Ruprecht Karl University in Heidelberg, Germany.