Board of Directors

Gabriele M. Cerrone, M.B.A
Chairman of the Board of Directors. Non- independent Director
Since 2008
Gabriele M. Cerrone has served as our Chairman of the Board of Directors since July 2008. From March 1999 to January 2005 Mr. Cerrone served as a Senior Vice President of Investments of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., a financial services firm. Prior to such affiliation, Mr. Cerrone held the position of Managing Director of Investments at Barrington Capital, L.P., a merchant bank, between March 1998 and March 1999.  Mr. Cerrone was also a founder of FermaVir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, and served as Chairman from 2005 to 2007, when the company was acquired by Inhibitex, Inc., a biotechnology company.  Mr. Cerrone was also a founder of Xenomics, Inc., a diagnostic company, and served as Chairman from 2004 until 2006.  Mr. Cerrone currently serves as a director of Inhibitex, Inc. and as Chairman of Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Cerrone also served on the board of directors of SIGA Technologies, Inc.  Mr. Cerrone is the managing partner of Panetta Partners Ltd., a Colorado limited partnership investing in both public and private companies in the life sciences and technology arena as well as real estate. Mr. Cerrone graduated from New York University’s Stern School of Business with a Masters degree in Finance.

Thomas H. Adams, Ph.D
Independent Director
Since 2008
Thomas H. Adams, Ph.D has served as a Director of our company since July 2008.  Since June 2005, Dr. Adams has served as a director of IRIS International, Inc., a diagnostics company, and as Chief Technology Officer of IRIS since April 2006. Dr. Adams served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Leucadia Technologies, a privately held medical-device company, from 1998 to April 2006, when Leucadia was acquired by IRIS. In 1989, Dr. Adams founded Genta, Inc., a publicly held biotechnology company in the field of antisense technology, and served as its Chief Executive Officer until 1997. Dr. Adams founded Gen-Probe, Inc. in 1984 and served as its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman until its acquisition by Chugai Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. in 1989. Before founding Gen-Probe, Dr. Adams held management positions at Technicon Instruments and the Hyland Division of Baxter Travenol. He has significant public-company experience serving as a director of Biosite Diagnostics, Inc., a publicly held medical research firm, from 1989 to 1998 and as a director of Invitrogen, a publicly held company that develops, manufactures and markets research tools and products, from 2000 to 2002. Dr. Adams currently serves as a director of La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co. (NASDAQ: LJPC), a publicly held company that develops and markets novel therapeutics for antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases. Dr. Adams holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California, at Riverside.

John P. Brancaccio, CPA
Independent Director
Since 2008
John P. Brancaccio, a retired CPA, has served as a Director of our company since July 2008. Since April 2004, Mr. Brancaccio has been the Chief Financial Officer of Accelerated Technologies, Inc., an incubator for medical device companies. From May 2002 until March 2004, Mr. Brancaccio was the Chief Financial Officer of Memory Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biotechnology company. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Brancaccio was the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer of Eline Group, an entertainment and media company. Mr. Brancaccio is currently a director of Alfacell Corporation as well as a director of Xenomics, Inc. and Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Gary S. Jacob, Ph.D
President & Chief Executive Officer
Since 2008
Gary S. Jacob, Ph.D. has served as our President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director since July 2008 and as Chairman of Synergy from October 2003 until July 2008.  Dr. Jacob currently also serves as Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc..  Prior to his involvement with Callisto and Synergy, Dr. Jacob was at Monsanto/G.D. Searle, where he served as Director of Glycobiology and Monsanto Science Fellow, specializing in the field of Glycobiology and drug discovery. From 1986 to 1990, Dr. Jacob managed the G.D. Searle Glycobiology Group located at Oxford University, England. Dr. Jacob earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Missouri, and holds a PH.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Jacob also serves on the Board of Directors of Xenomics, Inc. .

Chris  McGuigan, Ph.D
Independent Director
Since 2008
Chris  McGuigan, Ph.D .  has served as a Director of our company since July 2008. Since 1995, Dr. McGuigan has been Professor, Welsh School of Pharmacy, Chairman of Departmental Research Committee and Director of Research, Head of Medicinal Chemistry. He is the Chemistry Editor for Antiviral Chemistry and Chemotherapy. Professor McGuigan is an Editorial Board Member for Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. He is the immediate past President and currently a Board member of the International Society for Antiviral Research. Dr. McGuigan received a B.S. and Ph.D. in Anticancer Drug Design from the University of Birmingham. Dr. McGuigan also serves as a director of Inhibitex, Inc.

Melvin K. Spigelman, M.D.
Independent Director
Since 2008
Melvin K. Spigelman, M.D. has served as a Director of our company since August 2008. Dr. Spigelman is Chief Executive Officer of the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, a non-profit organization which seeks to accelerate the discovery and development of faster-acting and affordable drugs to fight tuberculosis. Before joining the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, Dr. Spigelman was President of Hudson-Douglas Ltd, a consulting company, from June 2001 to June 2003. From 1992 to 2001, Dr. Spigelman served as a Vice President and head of R&D at Knoll Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical unit of BASF Pharma. Dr. Spigelman has been a director of The Medicines Company since 2005. Dr. Spigelman received a B.A. in engineering from Brown University and an M.D. from The Mount Sinai School of Medicine; and is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and preventive medicine.

Alan F. Joslyn,Ph.D.
Independent Director
Since 2009
Alan F. Joslyn, Ph.D. has served as a Director of our company since October 2009. Dr. Joslyn is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Edusa Pharmaceuticals, a privately held biotechnology company. Prior to his association with Edusa, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mt. Cook Pharma from 2007 to 2009, and as Senior Vice President of Research & Development at Penwest Pharmaceuticals from 2004 to 2007. From 1995 to 2004, Dr Joslyn held a number of leadership positions within Johnson & Johnson, focusing on development of gastroenterology products including Propulsid®, Motilium®, Aciphex® and prucalopride. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Joslyn was engaged in clinical research at Glaxo from 1988 to 1995. Dr. Joslyn received his B.S. in Medicinal Chemistry, B.A. in Biology and Ph.D. in Biochemical Pharmacology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.