BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Christian de la Tour
Mr. de la Tour is Chairman of Ipsen UK Companies. He has more than 25 years of experience in various commercial and corporate business development functions at Ipsen. Mr. de la Tour is a founding member and served as Vice President of Ipsen’s Corporate Business Development department, which he led from 1998 to 2009. His efforts were instrumental in Ipsen’s emergence as a leader in global pharmaceutical partnering. Mr. de la Tour holds a degree from Institut Superieur de Gestion business school in Paris.
Keith M. Gottesdiener, MD
Dr. Gottesdiener is Chief Executive Officer of Rhythm. He joined Rhythm after 16 years at Merck Research Laboratories. Dr. Gottesdiener joined Merck early clinical development in 1995, helping to transition compounds from the bench to the bedside and through to proof of concept. He held positions of increasing responsibility, eventually leading the early clinical development/clinical pharmacology department at Merck from 2001 through early 2006. From 2006-2011, he was a leader of Merck's late clinical development organization, first overseeing the development of Merck's infectious diseases and vaccine products through pivotal trials, registration, and life cycle management, including Gardasil™ (HPV Vaccine), Rotateq™ (rotavirus vaccine), Zostavax™ (zoster vaccine) and Isentress™ (HIV integrase inhibitor), among others. In 2008, Dr. Gottesdiener was appointed Late Stage Therapeutic Group Leader, and in that role led the late-stage clinical development efforts of Merck across all therapeutic areas. After the merger with Schering Plough in 2009, he continued as co-head of late development; most recently playing a leading role in the regulatory activities leading to the approval of boceprevir for Hepatitis C. Dr. Gottesdiener received his BA from Harvard College and his MD from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency and fellowship at the Brigham and Women's Hospital-Beth Israel Medical Center-Dana Farber Cancer Institute Children's Hospital programs. After his fellowship, Dr. Gottesdiener did postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Jack Strominger at Dana Farber Cancer Institute working on the molecular immunology of the T-cell receptor. In 1986, he joined the faculty as an assistant professor at Columbia University, started an independent research laboratory with NIH RO-1 funding, focusing on gene transcription, and was Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the time he left to join Merck in 1995.
Ed Mathers
Mr. Mathers is a Partner at New Enterprise Associates (NEA), where he is focused on biotechnology and specialty pharmaceuticals investments. Prior to joining NEA, he most recently served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Venture, at MedImmune, Inc. In this role, he was responsible for the company’s licensing, M&A, and business development activities and led the company’s venture capital subsidiary, MedImmune Ventures, Inc. Before joining MedImmune, he was Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Licensing and Acquisitions at Inhale Therapeutic Systems. Mr. Mathers spent 15 years at Glaxo Wellcome (GlaxoSmithKline), where he held sales and marketing positions of increasing responsibility. He started his career at Ortho Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a division of Johnson & Johnson, as a researcher. Mr. Mathers currently sits on the boards of directors of Intarcia Therapeutics, Satori Pharmaceuticals, Liquidia Technologies, and Plexxikon. He earned his bachelor's degree in Chemistry from North Carolina State University.
Steven St. Peter, MD, MBA
Dr. St. Peter is a Managing Director of MPM Capital. His investment scope includes both venture and buyout transactions across the pharmaceuticals and medical technology industries. He has previous investment experience from Apax Partners and The Carlyle Group. Dr. St. Peter was previously an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Columbia University. Prior to his medical training, he was an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. He is currently a board director of EKR Therapeutics, MPM Acquisition Corp., PharmAthene, Proteon Therapeutics, Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, and the New England Venture Capital Association. Dr. St. Peter completed his Doctor of Medicine at Washington University and his residency and fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Chemistry from the University of Kansas.
Lou Tartaglia, PhD
Dr. Tartaglia is Chief Scientific Officer of Rhythm and a Partner at Third Rock Ventures. He has more than 20 years of scientific experience and therapeutic product project leadership and is a recognized thought leader in obesity and metabolic diseases. Dr. Tartaglia has published more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers, including first authorship on a manuscript selected by Cell as one of the 15 most important papers the journal has published in 30 years. Prior to joining Third Rock Ventures, Dr. Tartaglia was Senior Vice President and General Manager of GeneLogic. Previously, he was Vice President of New Ventures at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, where he also served as Vice President of Metabolic Diseases, with responsibility for discovery and development of a number of therapeutic programs. Before joining Millennium, Dr. Tartaglia worked at Genentech on the tumor necrosis factor receptors. He is currently a board director of Zafgen and Ablexis. Dr. Tartaglia holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
Christian de la Tour
Mr. de la Tour is Chairman of Ipsen UK Companies. He has more than 25 years of experience in various commercial and corporate business development functions at Ipsen. Mr. de la Tour is a founding member and served as Vice President of Ipsen’s Corporate Business Development department, which he led from 1998 to 2009. His efforts were instrumental in Ipsen’s emergence as a leader in global pharmaceutical partnering. Mr. de la Tour holds a degree from Institut Superieur de Gestion business school in Paris.
Keith M. Gottesdiener, MD
Dr. Gottesdiener is Chief Executive Officer of Rhythm. He joined Rhythm after 16 years at Merck Research Laboratories. Dr. Gottesdiener joined Merck early clinical development in 1995, helping to transition compounds from the bench to the bedside and through to proof of concept. He held positions of increasing responsibility, eventually leading the early clinical development/clinical pharmacology department at Merck from 2001 through early 2006. From 2006-2011, he was a leader of Merck's late clinical development organization, first overseeing the development of Merck's infectious diseases and vaccine products through pivotal trials, registration, and life cycle management, including Gardasil™ (HPV Vaccine), Rotateq™ (rotavirus vaccine), Zostavax™ (zoster vaccine) and Isentress™ (HIV integrase inhibitor), among others. In 2008, Dr. Gottesdiener was appointed Late Stage Therapeutic Group Leader, and in that role led the late-stage clinical development efforts of Merck across all therapeutic areas. After the merger with Schering Plough in 2009, he continued as co-head of late development; most recently playing a leading role in the regulatory activities leading to the approval of boceprevir for Hepatitis C. Dr. Gottesdiener received his BA from Harvard College and his MD from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency and fellowship at the Brigham and Women's Hospital-Beth Israel Medical Center-Dana Farber Cancer Institute Children's Hospital programs. After his fellowship, Dr. Gottesdiener did postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Jack Strominger at Dana Farber Cancer Institute working on the molecular immunology of the T-cell receptor. In 1986, he joined the faculty as an assistant professor at Columbia University, started an independent research laboratory with NIH RO-1 funding, focusing on gene transcription, and was Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the time he left to join Merck in 1995.
Ed Mathers
Mr. Mathers is a Partner at New Enterprise Associates (NEA), where he is focused on biotechnology and specialty pharmaceuticals investments. Prior to joining NEA, he most recently served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Venture, at MedImmune, Inc. In this role, he was responsible for the company’s licensing, M&A, and business development activities and led the company’s venture capital subsidiary, MedImmune Ventures, Inc. Before joining MedImmune, he was Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Licensing and Acquisitions at Inhale Therapeutic Systems. Mr. Mathers spent 15 years at Glaxo Wellcome (GlaxoSmithKline), where he held sales and marketing positions of increasing responsibility. He started his career at Ortho Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a division of Johnson & Johnson, as a researcher. Mr. Mathers currently sits on the boards of directors of Intarcia Therapeutics, Satori Pharmaceuticals, Liquidia Technologies, and Plexxikon. He earned his bachelor's degree in Chemistry from North Carolina State University.
Steven St. Peter, MD, MBA
Dr. St. Peter is a Managing Director of MPM Capital. His investment scope includes both venture and buyout transactions across the pharmaceuticals and medical technology industries. He has previous investment experience from Apax Partners and The Carlyle Group. Dr. St. Peter was previously an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Columbia University. Prior to his medical training, he was an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. He is currently a board director of EKR Therapeutics, MPM Acquisition Corp., PharmAthene, Proteon Therapeutics, Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, and the New England Venture Capital Association. Dr. St. Peter completed his Doctor of Medicine at Washington University and his residency and fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Chemistry from the University of Kansas.
Lou Tartaglia, PhD
Dr. Tartaglia is Chief Scientific Officer of Rhythm and a Partner at Third Rock Ventures. He has more than 20 years of scientific experience and therapeutic product project leadership and is a recognized thought leader in obesity and metabolic diseases. Dr. Tartaglia has published more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers, including first authorship on a manuscript selected by Cell as one of the 15 most important papers the journal has published in 30 years. Prior to joining Third Rock Ventures, Dr. Tartaglia was Senior Vice President and General Manager of GeneLogic. Previously, he was Vice President of New Ventures at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, where he also served as Vice President of Metabolic Diseases, with responsibility for discovery and development of a number of therapeutic programs. Before joining Millennium, Dr. Tartaglia worked at Genentech on the tumor necrosis factor receptors. He is currently a board director of Zafgen and Ablexis. Dr. Tartaglia holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
