Extensive industrial experience across pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare products, biotechnology, and food / agribusiness industries
Prior to joining Phytomedics, Dr. Smaldone Alsup, President and CEO, served a distinguished 16-year career at Bristol-Myers Squibb in various executive and R&D roles. Most recently she was VP of Corporate Strategy and Issues Management involved in developing a corporate-wide business risk management capability and process. Previously, Dr. Smaldone Alsup headed Global Regulatory Sciences for the Pharmaceutical Research Institute, overseeing the regulatory approval process and pharmacovigilance for all products. She initially joined the company as a director of clinical research oncology and held clinical development positions of increasing responsibility including oversight for HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases. In these positions, Dr. Smaldone Alsup has played a role in the development of new medications to treat chronic, debilitating, and fatal diseases. She holds an M.D. degree from Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Dr. Melisa Cooper MD, Chief Medical Officer—brings over 17 years of pharmaceutical industry experience in Fortune 100 global healthcare organizations and biotech companies. Most recently, Dr. Cooper served as VP, Clinical Development of VIA Pharmaceuticals, designing innovative Phase I and Phase II clinical trials for novel atherosclerosis compounds. Prior to that, Dr. Cooper spent over fourteen years with Bristol-Myers Squibb, most recently as Vice President, Project Planning & Management, Pharmaceutical Research Institute. Dr. Cooper's responsibilities with Bristol-Myers Squibb included evaluation and approval of drug development strategies and pivotal clinical trials, direction of strategic research activities, design and implementation of worldwide collaborative cardiovascular clinical studies, and responsibility for regulatory filings. Dr. Cooper earned her BA degree, Magna Cum Laude, at the University of Pennsylvania, and her MD degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She continued her medical training at Emory University and Temple University, and also earned a MS degree in Clinical Pharmacology from Temple University School of Medicine. Dr. Cooper is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, and in Internal Medicine—Nephrology.
Gary Gaglione, CPA, Controller—is a senior pharmaceutical executive with significant accounting, audit, finance, international, and human resource experience. Mr. Gaglione has spent over 30 years in the industry at various pharma and biotech organizations such as Hoffman-La Roche, Reliant Pharmaceuticals, and Prostrakan Inc., with increasing responsibilities in such areas as finance, administration, internal auditing, planning, budgets and analysis.
Ira S. Pastor, VP Business Development, holds a B.Sc. in pharmacy from Rutgers University and an M.B.A. from Temple University. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Pastor was employed by SmithKline Beecham, Inc. working on sales and marketing, and on business strategy. Mr. Pastor has also served as Vice President of Corporate Development for the Pharmacy Benefit Management Company Prescription Delivery Systems, and is a director of Bioquark Inc..