Gelesis appoints two new executives, gears up for product launch
Biotechnology company Gelesis named a new CEO and vice president of medical affairs as it prepares to launch Gelesis100, the company’s first weight loss pill.
Gelesis, based in Boston, develops weight loss therapies that improve glycemic control in obese and overweight patients, particularly those with diabetes.
David Pass will serve at COO and be responsible for commercial planning, business development and commercialization initiatives, the company said in a statement.
“David brings invaluable commercial, strategic and business development experience across a broad range of therapeutic areas and has a proven track record of building successful franchises,” said Yishai Zohar, CEO at Gelesis, in a statement.
Pass, who has worked in the industry for more than 20 years, was previously vice president of marketing at Boehringer Ingelheim for Diabetes, where he helped build a billion-dollar franchise.
William Aschenbach, PhD, MBA, who will serve at vice president of medical affairs, has 13 years of experience in research, development and medical affairs. He was previously the scientific director of U.S. medical affairs for German biopharmaceutical company EMD Serono and was the director of global medical research at Biogen Idec, another biotech company in Boston.
Just last year, Gelesis raised $31.5 million from private investors, money that helped fund the development of Gelesis100 and hire more staff.
Senior Writer
As a Senior Writer for TriMed Media Group, Katherine primarily focuses on producing news stories, Q&As and features for Cardiovascular Business. She reports on several facets of the cardiology industry, including emerging technology, new clinical trials and findings, and quality initiatives among providers. She is based out of TriMed's Chicago office and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Modern Healthcare, Crain's Chicago Business and The Detroit News. She joined TriMed in 2016.