AVI BioPharma, Inc. (AVII) announced that the company’s board of directors has elected Leslie Hudson, Ph.D. to serve as their chief executive officer, effective immediately. Dr. Hudson will bring more than 20 years of leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry to this new position.
Previously, Dr. Hudson served as the interim president and CEO of Nabi Biopharmaceuticals. Here, Dr. Hudson was responsible for the reorganization and turnaround of the company. Dr. Hudson also served as the CEO and president of DOV Pharmaceutical Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, and also held several senior positions at Pharmacia Corporation,
Dr. Hudson received his Ph.D. from the University of London and his bachelor’s degree in zoology from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, at the University of London.
Jack L. Borman, chairman of AVI, stated, “Following an extensive business evaluation and search for a well-credentialed executive to direct the commercial development of our proprietary third-generation antisense NEUGENE® technology, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Hudson as AVI’s CEO. We believe Dr. Hudson’s proven leadership qualities and wealth of experience in successful drug development and commercialization make him the ideal candidate to lead our company at this critical juncture.”
Dr. Hudson added, “I am delighted with this extraordinary opportunity to lead AVI, a company with novel technology that has exceptional potential for treating important, unmet medical needs. AVI has embarked on a plan to test and commercialize NEUGENE-based drugs. It will be my pleasure to work with the board of directors, senior management and staff at AVI to bring further speed and focus to this process and thus enhance shareholder value.”
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