Acorda Therapeutics Inc., the Ardsley-based biotechnology company developing drug treatments for persons with multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders, has hired a 22-year veteran of the biopharmaceutical industry as its chief financial officer.
Michael Rogers today began his new position at Acorda, where he is responsible for the company”™s finance and investor relations departments.
Acorda”™s previous CFO, David Lawrence, has been appointed chief of business operations and will oversee technical operations and manufacturing, project management, information technology and facilities management.
Rogers most recently was executive vice president and CFO of BG Medicine Inc., a cardiovascular diagnostics company based in Waltham, Mass., where he led the company”™s successful initial public offering in 2011. He previously was CFO for 10 years at Indevus Pharmaceuticals in Lexington, Mass., until the company”™s sale in 2009 to Endo Pharmaceuticals.
Acorda officials said Rogers has led multiple private and public financings and had a central role in numerous mergers and acquisitions over the course of his career, which includes both in-house leadership positions and serving as an external financial adviser.
“Mike has a record of success as CFO at both commercial- and development-stage biotechnology companies, as well as a background in investment banking,” Dr. Ron Cohen, Acorda”™s founding president and CEO, said in the company announcement. “Mike”™s strategic insight and broad experience will help us capitalize on opportunities to expand Acorda”™s business and continue to deliver shareholder value.”
Cohen said Lawrence, who has been with Acorda for 15 years, takes on an expanded role in the company as chief of business operations, a newly created position.
Said Lawrence, “We”™ve grown rapidly over the past several years, and our internal operations need to keep pace with the demands of the business. I”™m excited to take on this new challenge at Acorda, overseeing and optimizing development of our business operations and infrastructure.”
Founded in 1995, Acorda markets three FDA-approved drugs used by patients with multiple sclerosis, spasticity and neuropathic pain. It is developing six clinical-stage neurological therapies and one preclinical stage therapy that address a range of disorders including post-stroke deficits, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, stroke, peripheral nerve damage, spinal cord injury, neuropathic pain and heart failure.
