At Botanix, our mission is to address the growing demand for innovative solutions for common, yet overlooked, skin diseases and infections. As a lean multi-disciplinary team of global leaders in dermatology, clinical research and commercialisation, we harness our expertise to deliver first-in-class treatments at the highest industry standards.
Executive Chairman
Vince Ippolito is the Executive Chairman of Botanix Pharmaceuticals and responsible for the company’s commercial operations worldwide. Mr Ippolito is based in Phoenix USA, where Botanix is building its commercial operations functions. Mr Ippolito is a leading pharmaceutical expert who has over 30 years of experience in the industry, including more than 20 years in dermatology. Throughout his career, he has launched more than 20 brands in dermatology and aesthetic medicine and played a leading role in two of the largest dermatology acquisitions completed in the past decade, with combined valuations of $7.8 billion. He served as the Chief Commercial Officer Executive Vice President of Anacor Pharmaceuticals, a dermatology based biopharmaceutical company, until September 2017, where he was responsible for developing marketing and sales functions, as well as strategising the company’s product portfolio. Previously, Mr Ippolito was Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Medicis, an industry leading dermatology and aesthetic company.
Executive Director
Matt Callahan is the founder of Botanix and a Board Executive Director. Mr Callahan is an experienced life sciences and health tech executive based in Philadelphia, USA and has been the founding CEO or Executive Director of a number of pharmaceutical and health tech companies, including iCeutica Inc, Churchill Pharmaceuticals, Dimerix Biosciences, Orthocell, Respirion Pharmaceuticals, Rumin8 and Emyria. He has led the development of several products that have received FDA approval and he has more than 25 years of industry and legal experience. Mr Callahan has also worked as an investment director for two venture capital firms investing in life sciences, technology and other sectors, and was responsible for the licensing programs that generated more than $120 million in revenue with QPSX/Nearmap (sold to Thoma Bravo).
Director
Dr Stewart Washer is a respected senior executive with more than 20 years of experience at Board and senior executive levels across medical technology, biotechnology and agrifood companies. He has an established track record and has overseen acquisitions and strategic partnerships in the pharmaceutical and cannabinoid medicine sectors, with some of the world’s leading companies. Dr Washer is currently active as an ASX board member with Zelda Therapeutics (ASX:ZLD) and Cynata Therapeutics (ASX:CYP). Previously, Dr Washer has been an Investment Director at Bioscience Managers, a leading life science investment firm and was a Venture Partner with the Swiss Inventages Fund, a €1.5 billion life science fund, funded by Nestle. Dr Washer has held a number of Board positions previously, including Chairman of Hatchtech, which sold for A$279 million in 2015, and as a Director of iCeutica, which was sold to US-based Iroko Pharmaceuticals in 2011.
Non-Executive Director
Dr Bill Bosch is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with more than 20 years of experience in the industry, focusing on applications of nanotechnology to drug product development. Dr Bosch worked with iCeutica Inc. as Chief Scientific Officer and is co-inventor of the SoluMatrix™ drug delivery technology, and has been instrumental in the development and scale-up of the platform and development of three FDA-approved products that use the SoluMatrix™ technology.
Before iCeutica, he was Director of Pharmaceutical Research at Elan Corporation, where he managed the development activities for four commercial products which incorporate nanotechnology. Dr Bosch was a co-founder of NanoSystems LLC in 1995 and a co-inventor of NanoCrystal® Technology.
Non-Executive Director
Danny Sharp is a respected investment banker with more than 30 years of experience and strong networks within global capital markets, institutional investment and private wealth. Healthcare and technology are his speciality areas of expertise.
Most recently, Mr Sharp was Corporate Finance Executive Director of Canaccord Genuity, and he has previously spearheaded the Corporate Finance departments at both Shaw and Partners and Lodge Partners.
He is currently a Non-Executive Director on the Board of health informatics Company Alcidion Corporate (ASX ALC) and on the Investment Committee of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Economics and Law, and is a CFA Charter Holder.
Chief Executive Officer
Dr McKibbon has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including working as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Anacor Pharmaceuticals; Senior Vice President, Worldwide Commercial Operations at Dermavant Science; and Vice President, Dermatology and Immunology at Medicis Pharmaceuticals. Dr. McKibbon has launched 15 products, including 11 in dermatology, and managed over 30 dermatology products. He also played a significant role in two of the world’s largest dermatology acquisitions with combined valuations of $7.8 billion. He holds a B.A. in History from the University of South Florida, an MBA from Mercer University’s Stetson School of Business and Economics and a Doctor of Pharmacy from Mercer University’s Southern School of Pharmacy.
Chief Business Officer
Boris Meyerson is a seasoned commercial executive with strong expertise in pharmaceutical business operations. Along with, and as a result of, starting up four pharma companies, Dr Meyerson has developed the skill of driving net sales and EBIT improvements through strategic business modification; a proficiency he turned into consultancy for pharma C-suites. His extensive experience encompasses numerous disease states, from acne and asthma to migraines and obesity.
Starting in academia, Dr Meyerson moved into pharmaceuticals, serving in senior operational management roles, mostly in the dermatology space. He has held Executive and Senior Vice President positions at numerous companies including Bioglan, Chester Valley Pharmaceuticals, Graceway, Precision Dermatology, and more recently Encore and Currax, which have provided him with invaluable industry insights. Dr Meyerson holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
Chief Medical Adviser
Dr Walker is a board-certified dermatologist specialising in medical and aesthetic dermatology. She is an industry expert and has served in various leadership roles, including President and head of R&D for Brickell Biotech; Chief Medical Officer for Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.; Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for Allergan Medical Aesthetics; and Vice President and Dermatology Therapeutic Area Head at Allergan. Dr Walker completed her medical degree and dermatology residency training at the University of Iowa College of Medicine. She also completed a research fellowship at the National Institute of Health’s Dermatology Branch.
Head of Corporate Affairs
David Morgan was an advertising agency principal for more than 30 years. His diverse client roster included Intel, Citibank, and Qwest (CenturyLink), among others. He has extensive experience in direct response advertising.
He founded and managed the in-house advertising agency at Medicis Pharmaceuticals for 13 years. Mr Morgan and his team launched a dozen products and line extensions, including Solodyn, which was the best-selling dermatology product in the United States at one time.
An award-winning creative director, writer, and designer, Mr Morgan’s clarity of vision leads him to discover the insights that reside at the heart of successful advertising campaigns.
Senior Vice President of Pharmaceutical Development
Dr Hoblitzell has over 30 years of extensive experience in leading world-class technical operations to manufacture and deliver branded, specialty and generic pharmaceuticals, previously holding senior leadership roles in the US with companies including Pfizer, King Pharmaceuticals, Ivax Pharmaceuticals and Teva Pharmaceuticals. This includes expertise in areas such as M&A due diligence, manufacturing technology transfer and integration, in addition to manufacturing for pivotal studies and regulatory submission documentation. Dr Hoblitzell has a depth of experience in supply chain management and operational excellence delivery, having successfully led sales and operations planning and distribution for both marketed and new products, including implementation and oversight of technical contract manufacturing and packaging. Dr Hoblitzell is a Registered Pharmacist and member of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), and International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (IPSE). He holds his PhD in Pharmaceutics and BS Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island.
Vice President, Managed Markets
John Schohl is a pharmaceutical executive who has spent over 25 years developing and executing formulary coverage programs with commercial and government payors in the United States that elevate prescription products to the next level of growth and profitability.
Through Evergreen Healthcare LLC, the managed markets consultancy he founded, Mr Schohl supported two of the largest dermatology product introductions in recent years—Eucrisa (Anacor) and Winlevi (Cassiopea)—and managed commercial and government coverage strategy for Qbrexza.
He previously spent 15 years at Medicis Pharmaceuticals and was responsible for managing payor formulary strategy, distribution channel fulfillment, field sales training, and customer service teams for the company’s product portfolio.
