J Andrew Towell

Current

• Informatics (Contractor) at Gilead Sciences

Past

• Project Manager (contractor) at Seattle Genetics
• Project Manager (contractor) at Seattle Genetics
• Business Development at Chiron Corporation

• Business Development Analyst at PathoGenesis Corporation
• Scientist - Pharmaceutical Chemistry at PathoGenesis Corporation
• Research Associate - Immunochemistry at The Biomembrane Institute

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Education

• Northwestern University

Connections

82 connections

Industry

Biotechnology

Websites

• My Website

J Andrew Towell’s Summary

Biotech professional with management and laboratory experience in the fields of antibacterial, respiratory, and oncology medicine. Management experience spans licensing, competitive intelligence, alliance management, project management, and business support (marketing, intellectual property, strategic analysis) for R&D projects. Broad laboratory background includes medicinal chemistry, automated chemistry development, informatics, immunology, biochemistry, and analytical chemistry. Seeking to leverage experience and skills to obtain position in a technology or finance organization that will benefit from this broad background at both the strategic and tactical level.

J Andrew Towell’s Specialties:

Management experience spans licensing, competitive intelligence, alliance management, project management, and business support (marketing, intellectual property, strategic analysis) for R&D projects. Broad laboratory background includes medicinal chemistry, automated chemistry development, informatics, immunology, biochemistry, and analytical chemistry.

J Andrew Towell’s Experience

• Informatics (Contractor)

  Gilead Sciences

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Biotechnology industry)

  May 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)

• Project Manager (contractor)

  Seattle Genetics

  (Public Company; 51-200 employees; sgen; Biotechnology industry)

  May 2007 — December 2007 (8 months)

  Provided assistance managing clinical development stage projects and formal portfolio review and valuation process.
  • Project management: Working with Project Leaders to develop agendas and record minutes for Project Core Team meetings. Working with Project Teams to assemble consolidated time lines in MS Project. Working with senior management, key project team members, and external resources on formal portfolio review process for development stage oncology pipeline.

• Project Manager (contractor)

  Seattle Genetics

  (Public Company; 51-200 employees; sgen; Biotechnology industry)

  September 2006 — December 2006 (4 months)

  Provided assistance managing clinical development stage projects and establishing business processes.
  • Business Processes: Collaborated with Project Management and key team members to map and analyze Project Team membership, structure, and information flow; identified discrepancies between teams; and highlighted potential communication problem areas. Helped to formalize and implement roles and responsibilities within Teams. Created web portal to share team membership information. Assisted with developing and implementing a formal Project Development Plan document and process for guiding clinical stage programs.
  • Project management: Worked with Project Leaders to develop agendas and record minutes for Project Core Team and CMC meetings. Created Gantt charts for use in presentations and as planning aids.

• Business Development

  Chiron Corporation

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; CHIR; Biotechnology industry)

  September 2000 — May 2005 (4 years 9 months)

  While working as the sole BD person based at the Seattle site, led BD activities in support of Chiron's global antibacterial and inhalation R&D efforts.
  • Licensing: Led effort to identify and negotiate research collaborations, in-licenses and out-licenses, including: preparing materials, identifying and targeting prospective partners, leading road show activities, coordinating and performing diligence, and negotiating and co-negotiating term sheets and contracts. Coordinated CDA/MTA work with legal department.
  • Competitive intelligence: Led multi-disciplinary opportunities review teams. Identified, led diligence, and presented antibacterial and Cystic Fibrosis in-licensing opportunities to senior management. Advised Chiron’s Anti-infective Therapeutic Area Team. Provided business support for antibacterial research programs. Served as subject area expert for antibacterial field throughout Biopharmaceutical Division and Corporate Development, Legal and Intellectual Property groups.

• Business Development Analyst

  PathoGenesis Corporation

  (Public Company; 201-500 employees; Biotechnology industry)

  August 1998 — September 2000 (2 years 2 months)

  Successfully transitioned from the laboratory to a business development environment. Provided business development support for PathoGenesis’ Cystic Fibrosis and Antibacterial franchises, including providing support for the major antibacterial collaboration signed with Chiron Corporation (completed in 1999.)
  • Licensing: Negotiated research and development contracts, CDA’s, and MTA’s in support of research projects. Assisted departmental licensing activities by providing business, market, and contract analysis, building financial models, and performing due diligence.
  • Competitive intelligence: Identified, researched, and authored reports on new business opportunities within the infectious disease and respiratory medicine fields. Provided commercial and intellectual property guidance to support research and development programs. Created “Business Development” database to track business opportunities and interactions.

• Scientist - Pharmaceutical Chemistry

  PathoGenesis Corporation

  (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Biotechnology industry)

  February 1993 — August 1998 (5 years 7 months)

  Core member of Pathogenesis’ antitubercular research effort that discovered PA-824, an antibacterial in Phase I clinical trials. Key member of chemistry automation effort that provided first commercial revenue.
  • Medicinal Chemistry: Synthesized novel compounds. Identified potential new series’ for antitubercular projects. Developed and analyzed SAR model’s for antitubercular compounds. Supervised work-study students and interns.
  • Automated Parallel Synthesis: Jointly developed RAM Synthesizer Automated Work Station with Bohdan Automation including designing, testing, proposing refinements to the technology, and making sales demonstrations. Developed and implemented ancillary technologies to enable process. Applied technology to drug discovery.
  • Cheminformatics: Identified problems and developed solutions or guided Informatics resources in tracking, integrating, evaluating, and storing data. Identified and evaluated new cheminformatics and computational chemistry technologies.

• Research Associate - Immunochemistry

  The Biomembrane Institute

  (Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Biotechnology industry)

  July 1989 — February 1993 (3 years 8 months)

  Provided biochemical, analytical, and immunological support for oncology and inflammation research programs.
  • Isolated, characterized, and biosynthesized cellular carbohydrates and transferases using chemical, enzymatic and immunological techniques. Developed and characterized monoclonal antibodies to cellular carbohydrates. Trained and supervised part time laboratory help; trained and assisted new postdoctoral fellows. Health and Safety Committee Biosafety Officer.

J Andrew Towell’s Education

• Northwestern University

  BA , Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology , 1985 — 1989

  Activities and Societies:

  Men's Volleyball

Additional Information

J Andrew Towell’s Websites:

• My Website

J Andrew Towell’s Interests:

photography, fly fishing, white water rafting

J Andrew Towell’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• expertise requests
• reference requests
• getting back in touch