Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative Appoints Onyx Pharmaceuticals President Pablo Cagnoni to its Steering Committee

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative (BAB) today announced that it has named Pablo J. Cagnoni, M.D., President of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., to its Steering Committee. Onyx, an Amgen subsidiary, is engaged in the development and commercialization of innovative therapies to improve the lives of people with cancer.

"Continuing to foster and promote innovation in the birthplace of biotechnology – the San Francisco Bay Area – is key to maintaining our region's leadership heritage," said Dr. Cagnoni. "I am pleased with the Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative's cross-disciplinary collaboration and focused efforts of turning promising ideas into viable healthcare solutions, further establishing the Bay Area as a preeminent bioeconomic hub."

The Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative, which brings together the biotech industry, universities, investors, medical centers, health insurers, the technology sector and government, has established three strategic imperatives to improve human health: increasing efficiency in clinical trials; accelerating the timeline of drug discovery, development and diagnosis in areas of significant unmet medical need; and expediting the implementation of innovative technological advances into the everyday practice of medicine.   

"We are pleased Dr. Cagnoni will be joining the Initiative as he shares our vision of sustaining and growing the Bay Area's bioeconomy," said Una Ryan, O.B.E., Ph.D., D.Sc., Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative Chairwoman. "He has demonstrated this commitment through his leadership of Onyx in South San Francisco, helping to bring much-needed therapies to patients with some of the most difficult-to-treat cancers and through his focus on improving and making drug development more efficient." 

The Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative Steering Committee represents members, Bay Area institutions and companies and other stakeholders when making major decisions for the Initiative. It is responsible for creating and implementing policies, activities and events that foster innovation and collaboration to strengthen the Bay Area BioEconomy. The Steering Committee also represents Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative to the community. 

Dr. Cagnoni currently serves as President of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, where he has global accountability for product development and commercial strategy for the Onyx portfolio. He joined Onyx in March 2013 as Executive Vice President, Global Research and Development and Technical Operations and was named President in October 2013, when Onyx became a subsidiary of Amgen.

Dr. Cagnoni was previously Senior Vice President and Global Head of Clinical Development at Novartis Oncology, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Allos Therapeutics and, prior to that, was Chief Medical Officer of OSI Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Cagnoni earned his medical degree from University Buenos Aires School of Medicine and completed his fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York and a fellowship in Stem Cell Transplantation at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

About the Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative
The Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative (BAB) is a non-profit organization committed to fostering an atmosphere of innovation and providing the means to enhance a vibrant BioEconomy in the Bay Area. BAB is currently working with industry, universities, investors, medical centers, health insurers/payers, high-tech, and government to advance several key strategic imperatives including: increasing efficiency in clinical trials; accelerating the timeline of drug discovery, development and diagnosis in areas of significant unmet medical need; and expediting the implementation of innovative technological advances into the everyday practice of medicine.

Media Contact
Cathy Nevolo
415-783-4474

SOURCE Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative