CUMBERLAND, Md., April 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RS BioTherapeutics, whose mission is to harness the therapeutic power of cannabinoids in the research, development, and commercialization of life changing medications, is pleased to announce that it has appointed pharmaceutical industry veteran Dean Hart as its Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Hart has 40 years of biopharmaceutical experience and has helped multiple well-known brands from pre-launch/early commercialization to achieving blockbuster status. Notable successes include Eisai Inc. where he created and built the U.S. sales force and successfully launched Eisai’s first product in the U.S., Aricept™, a blockbuster product for treating Alzheimer’s; and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America where he led the sales force, sales operations, sales training, market access, pricing, and trade functions. Mr. Hart played a key role in the significant growth of Takeda’s flagship brand, Actos™ from $400 million to $3.5 billion while successfully building and leading a team of 3,000.
Through his consulting firm, CommEx Consulting, Mr. Hart has provided strategic commercialization consulting to life science companies, assisting in the launch preparation for agents in several therapeutic areas including Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, depression, asthma, hemophilia, pain, and anti-infectives. Mr. Hart has also provided commercial consulting to brands competing in bio-implants, tardive dyskinesia, immunology, and oncology.
Commenting on the appointment of Mr. Hart, Justin Molignoni, Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of RS BioTherapeutics said, “We are very pleased to welcome Dean as our Chief Executive Officer. His extensive and diverse experience, both as a commercial pharmaceutical executive and a sought-after consultant, makes him uniquely qualified to lead RS BioTherapeutics.”
Mr. Hart said, “I have always taken great pride in working with organizations that make a difference in the world by bringing life-saving and life-changing medicines to patients in need. RS BioTherapeutics has a tremendous opportunity to leverage the therapeutic power of cannabinoids in developing breakthrough pharmaceutical medicines to address both chronic and acute healthcare needs. I look forward to working closely with Justin and the rest of the RS BioTherapeutics team in pursuing the development and commercial opportunities for our first compound as well as the new compounds we are researching, and in so doing, making a difference in the lives of the patients we serve.”
Mr. Hart earned a Master of Business of Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Administration from the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University.
About RS BioTherapeutics
RS BioTherapeutics’ mission is to harness the therapeutic power of cannabinoids in the research, development, and commercialization of life-changing medicines. RS BioTherapeutics’ first investigational compound (RSBT-001) is a patent-pending, semi-synthetic cannabidiolic acid complex in development to replace corticosteroids in addressing exacerbation and preventing progression of both acute and chronic pulmonary inflammation related to respiratory diseases including COPD, SARS-COV-2, Cystic Fibrosis, Asthma, Bronchitis, and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. RS BioTherapeutics is targeting an IND filing for RSBT-001 in early 2025. More information on RS BioTherapeutics can be found at www.rsbiotherapeutics.com.
