Mathai Mammen, MD, Phd
Mathai is the global head of R&D for Janssen, the Pharmaceutical Division of J&J. His mission is to positively impact the lives of patients, their families and communities by working with some of the best scientists and physicians in the world to create transformational therapeutics. All those that share this strong sense of mission are welcome.
Prior to J&J, Mathai served as Senior Vice President at Merck Research Laboratories, responsible for a number of research areas, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, immunology, oncology and immuno-oncology.
Previously, Mathai was Head of Research and Development of Theravance Biopharma (NASDAQ: TBPH), a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to create medicines that make a difference. Mathai founded Theravance, Inc. (NASDAQ: THRX; now Innoviva, INVA) in 1997 based on his doctoral work at Harvard University, where he completed training in medicine and organic chemistry (MD, PhD program). His co-founders included George Whitesides (University Professor, Harvard) and Roy Vagelos (was CEO/Chairman Merck).
Mathai imagined, initiated and led various programs at Theravance from the bench, assumed senior roles in chemistry and biology, and came to lead Research then R&D. He has been intimately involved in the design of key development programs, and has presented at multiple FDA Advisory Committee meetings leading to now four drug approvals. Theravance spun out Theravance Biopharma in 2014, where Mathai led a team of approximately 200 in R&D. The potent teams at the pair of companies have created 31 development candidates in 17 years, with 16 active clinical stage programs and four approved medicines (BREO, ANORO, TRELEGY and VIBATIV).
Mathai earned a BSc, Chemistry and Biochemistry (Dalhousie), a PhD in Chemistry (Harvard) with George Whitesides, and an MD (Harvard – Harvard/MIT HST Program).