Introduction
Geron is a public oncology company that received FDA approval in July 2024 for its first commercial product, imetelstat. This is a formidable achievement for any biotech, but especially vindicating for Geron, which has overcome myriad challenges and displayed remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.
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The Challenge
Building a Life Science Executive Team For Commercialization Success
Financial Strain & Adverse Optics: The loss of Johnson & Johnson's financial backing placed significant pressure on Gerons' resources. Negative optics for Geron also came into play as a result of the Big Pharma's strategic pivot which casued the market to incorrectly assume that that perhaps Geron's drug lacked promise.
Leadership Vacuum: The departure of key executives, combined with teh increasing workload, affected morale and operational efficiency. And now that Geron needed to compete late stage trials and commercialization on their own without J&J, a different kind of leadership would be required.
Regulatory Hurdlees: Navigating the complex regulatory landscape for a novel drug liek imetelstat posed considerable risks.
The Solution
A Strategic Partnership with Life Sciences Executive Search Firms
To overcome these challenges, Geron partnered with Occam Global, capitalizing on their expertise as a leading life sciences executive search firm. Occam Global’s strategic focus was on filling key leadership roles by:
Attracting Top Talent: Leveraging its vast network, Occam Global recruited highly skilled executives with a strong track record in the life sciences industry.
Ensuring Cultural Fit: Carefully aligning new hires with Geron's culture and long-term vision.
The targeted positions included:
Chief Business Officer Ed Koval
Chief Commercial Officer Jim Ziegler
Chief Legal Officer Scott Samuels
Chief Financial Officer Michelle Robertson
Head of R&D Joseph Eid
Board Member John McDonald
Board Member Dawn Bir
Board Member Elizabeth O'Farrell
The Impact
With Occam Global’s strategic support, Geron successfully navigated these challenges and reached several key milestones:
- Strengthened Leadership Team: The addition of experienced executives enhanced Geron’s leadership capabilities and operational efficiency. And the fact that Occam was able to attract and Geron was able to successfully land top talent bolstered external confidence in Geron from the investment community.
- Accelerated Development: The company advanced imetelstat through clinical trials and regulatory processes efficiently.
- FDA Approval: Geron secured FDA approval for imetelstat in 2024, marking a significant breakthrough.
- Positioned for Commercial Success: With a strong leadership team and robust commercialization strategies in place, Geron is now primed to capitalize on the market opportunity for imetelstat.
- Funding Milestone Reached: Geron Corporation Announces Up to $375 Million in Funding with Royalty Pharma and Pharmakon Advisors
Geron’s resurgence is a testament to the power of strategic partnerships with life sciences executive search firms and the vital role that executive talent plays in driving innovation and growth in the life sciences industry.
Contact us today to build your life science executive team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Occam Global provides global executive recruiting, board recruiting, and leadership advisory services.
With associates in New York, San Francisco, London, and Los Angeles, Occam serves clients across Europe the US, and Asia
We are specialists in recruiting executives and board members for the life sciences but serve a variety of other tech clients as well as venture capital.