C. David Nicholson, B.S., Ph.D.
Dr. Nicholson is a Senior Vice President, Worldwide Licensing and Knowledge Management, Merck. Dr. Nicholson graduated in pharmacology, earning his B.S. from the University of Manchester and his Ph.D. from the University of Wales. He has been employed in research and development in the pharmaceutical industry since 1978. Dr. Nicholson began working for Beecham at its research facility in Germany in 1978. In 1988, he joined Organon BioSciences in Newhouse, Scotland, where he was the pharmacology department head. From 1993-2002, he worked in Organon's Oss, Netherlands, headquarters. During that time, he held the positions of program vice president of CV and CNS R&D (cardiovascular and central nervous system research and development); head of research in the Netherlands; head of global research; and, eventually, head of research and development for the company. Based in New Jersey since 2002, Dr. Nicholson joined Schering-Plough following its acquisition of Organon in 2007. Prior to his arrival at Merck in 2009, he served as senior vice president of Global Project Management and Drug Safety.
Dragan Cicic, MD, President and CEO
Dragan Cicic is the President and CEO of Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (API). He joined the company in 2005 and previously held the position of the Medical Director with Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Cicic joined API from the position of Project Director of QED Technologies Inc., a life sciences strategic consulting and transactional group focused on emerging biotech, pharmaceuticals and medical devices companies. Dr. Cicic prepared business and strategic plans on behalf of those clients and assisted them in raising funding. He also represented corporate and private investors in identifying acquisition and/or investment targets and negotiating, structuring and consummating deals. Prior to joining QED Technologies, Dr. Cicic was an investment banker with SG Cowen Securities. Dr. Cicic graduated as a Medical Doctor from the School of Medicine at The Belgrade University, and receivedhis MBA from Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania. He was also a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.
Rosemary Mazanet MD, PhD
Rosemary Mazanet is a life sciences investment professional and executive with management and drug development experience. She is a Co-Founder and CSO of Apelles Investment Management, LLC, a public and private equity investment firm, focused on healthcare and the CEO of Diabetes America, Inc., the premier network of diabetes care and management centers. Prior to that, Dr. Mazanet was a General Partner, Director of Research and CSO of Oracle Partners, LP, a $1 Billion healthcare hedge fund. Dr. Mazanet has also been the CEO of several life sciences companies, including Breakthrough Therapeutics LLC and Access Pharmaceuticals (OTC: ACCP). She started her career in business as a Sr. Director of Clinical Research with Amgen, Inc.
In addition, Dr. Mazanet is a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine/Hospital and a director with and Cellumen, Inc. She trained in internal medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and in oncology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, both part of the Harvard Medical system where she was a staff physician prior to joining Amgen. Dr. Mazanet holds a B.A. in Biology from the University of Virginia and an M.D. and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Sandesh Seth, M.S, MBA
Sandesh Seth is Head of Healthcare Investment Banking at Laidlaw & Co. (UK) Ltd., a full-service investment banking and brokerage firm registered with FINRA and the FSA. Laidlaw has institutional and retail distribution through its 100+ member sales force and focuses its investment banking in three domains; healthcare, metals and mining, and social media. In any given year, the firm raises up to $100-$150 million via retail private placements from its high net worth clients. Mr. Seth has 20+ years experience in merchant and investment banking, equity research (Cowen & Co., Bear Stearns, Commonwealth Associates) and in the pharma industry (Pfizer, Warner-Lambert, SmithKline) in strategic planning, business development and R&D project management. Mr. Seth’s financial services experience includes 50+ completed transactions via which $4+BN in capital was raised. Transactions included venture investments, private placements, IPOs, FOs, PIPEs, Convertible and High-Yield Debt. Mr. Seth was also involved with various strategic initiatives such as mergers and acquisitions, leveraged and management buy-outs, and licensing and joint ventures, including the $100BN merger of Pfizer and Warner-Lambert and the $20BN merger of Pharmacia & Upjohn with Monsanto.
Mr. Seth has an MBA in Finance from New York University; an M.S. in the Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Oklahoma Health Center and a B.Sc. in Chemistry from Bombay University. He has published several scientific articles and was awarded the University Regents Award for Research Excellence at the University of Oklahoma. Mr. Seth was designated as Regulatory Affairs Certified (R.A.C.) by the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society which signifies proficiency with U.S. FDA regulations.