Former Branford biopharmaceutical executive Muzammil M. “Muz” Mansuri has been named senior vice president of research and development strategy and corporate development for Gilead Sciences Inc., with operations in Branford.
Mansuri once ran CGI Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Branford — a Yale University spinoff — which Gilead Sciences acquired last fall for $120 million. He joined Gilead, of Foster City, Calif., as part of the CGI deal.
In his new role, Gilead says Mansuri will explore new business opportunities, drive strategic and portfolio management activities, and build and manage Gilead’s alliances, partnerships and acquisitions.
Gilead acquired CGI’s lead preclinical compound that could have applications for treating serious inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Fast-growing Gilead started out developing primarily drugs for treating HIV, hepatitis B and influenza, but has since branched into therapies for heart and lung ailments.
Like Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb and other drug makers, Gilead is under mounting pressure to fill its pipeline with new drugs to replace ones coming off patent protection, exposing them to generic makers.
Mansuri reports to John F. Milligan, Gilead’s president and chief operating officer, and to Norbert W. Bischofberger, executive vice President of R&D and chief scientific officer.
Mansuri was CEO or COO at CGI, BIKAM Pharmaceuticals, Sequoia Pharmaceuticals, GPC Biotech and Mitotix Inc. He also was a general partner with Flagship Ventures and served on the boards of CGI, AVEO Pharmaceuticals, BG Medicine and Adaptive Therapeutics.
Earlier in his career, Mansuri spent 10 years with Bristol-Myers Squibb, which has R&D operations in Wallingford, where he initiated antiretroviral chemistry efforts for d4T and led the project team that developed the compound for the treatment of HIV.
Mansuri received his bachelor and doctoral degrees from University College London, University of London, and completed post-doctoral fellowships at Columbia University and UCLA.
