Bio Tech Sector
Dr John Bonfiglio
Advisor
John N. Bonfiglio PhD MBA, is a seasoned well-respected biotech CEO with over 30 years experience in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology business. Dr. Bonfiglio started his career with Allergan pharmaceuticals as a scientist and moved into project management, strategic marketing and business development. Two of his projects while at Allergan are now marketed products- Tazarotene and AlphaGan. He spent 3 years at Baxter HealthCare before starting a career in small biotech companies. He rose to the position of CEO at Peregrine Pharmaceuticals where he turned around the struggling and financially strapped company by reducing the burn rate, licensing technologies and raising capital in the public markets and is a perfect fit as an advisor for Veritas Consulting Group and the companies they represent.
Dr. Bonfiglio was named COO at Cypress Bioscience while the company was struggling to reinvent itself as neuropharmaceutical company. He was responsible for in-licensing Milnacipran from Pierre Fabre which was subsequently commercialized in the US for fibromyalgia by Cypress and Forest Labs. He then joined the Immune Response Corporation as CEO and was responsible for raising over $50M and restarting clinicals in the HIV and MS areas. Recently he was the CEO at Argos Therapeutics a privately held autologous cellular therapy company and raised $35M through a series C financing. His tenure at Argos produced Phase 2 clinical data in renal cell carcinoma which led to an IPO and subsequent financings.
He also completed a successful stint as President and CEO at Oragenics in Tampa, Fl. Here he completed two strategic deals with Intrexon Corporation, raised $29M in three financings under very favorable terms, relisted the company on the NYSE:MKT and refocused the company on new novel and proprietary antibiotics – all while reducing the burn rate. He was also responsible for completing a strategic marketing and sales initiative with the company’s OTC probiotic product line.
Dr. Bonfiglio was the President and COO at TapImmune (TPIV) where he was responsible for starting up the Phase 2 clinical programs in Breast and Ovarian cancers, raising capital and relisting the company on NASDAQ. The company is now known as Marker Therapeutics (MRKR -NasDaQ).
Dr. Bonfiglio has held independent Board positions at GT BioPharma (GTBP) and Genprex (GNPX). He holds a PhD in organic chemistry from University of California San Diego and an MBA from Pepperdine University.