TRENTON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dr. Stephen Ostroff, Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will serve as the featured luncheon speaker at the 3rd Annual BioNJ CEO Summit, Take It to the Top, scheduled for October 9 at the Bridgewater Marriott. Dr. Ostroff will participate in a fireside chat with Dr. William Hait, Global Head of Research and Development for Janssen, the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, entitled: Expediting Therapies and Cures to the Patients Who Need Them: The Evolving Role of the FDA.
"From 21st Century Cures legislation, which has changed the conversation and if enacted, will dramatically alter the landscape for drug approvals, to the increased involvement of Patients in the drug development process, the role of the FDA will never be the same," said Debbie Hart, President and CEO, BioNJ. "Given that New Jersey companies had more drug approvals in 2014 and to date in 2015 than any other State, having Dr. Ostroff at BioNJ's CEO Summit could not come at a more important time or place. And given Dr. Hait's storied New Jersey career and J&J's global innovation leadership, this will be an important conversation."
Prior to taking over the position as Acting Commissioner in April 2015, Dr. Ostroff was the FDA's Chief Scientist, where he was responsible for managing the FDA's cross-cutting scientific and public health efforts, while providing strategic leadership and support for the FDA's regulatory science and innovation initiatives. Before being named Acting Commissioner, Dr. Ostroff served as the FDA's Chief Scientist since January 2014. In this capacity, he was responsible for leading and coordinating FDA's cross-cutting scientific and public health efforts. The Office of the Chief Scientist works closely with FDA's product centers, providing strategic leadership and support for FDA's regulatory science and innovation initiatives.
Dr. Ostroff joined FDA in 2013 as Chief Medical Officer in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and Senior Public Health Advisor to FDA's Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine.
Prior to that, he served as Deputy Director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he was also Acting Director of CDC's Select Agent Program. While at CDC he focused on emerging infectious diseases, Food Safety, and Coordination of Complex Outbreak Response.
Dr. Hait heads Janssen Research & Development, LLC, the global research and development arm of Janssen, the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson. In this role, he leads the global R&D group in its mission to discover and develop innovative new medicines to address the world's most serious unmet medical needs.
Dr. Hait joined Johnson & Johnson in 2007 and assumed the role of Global Therapy Area Head, Oncology, in 2009.
Before that he was the founding Director of the (Rutgers) Cancer Institute of New Jersey, which he led to receive the National Cancer Institute's highest designation of Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2002. From 1993 to 2007, he was Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology and Associate Dean for Oncology Programs at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey -- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
The Summit will bring together influential leaders in the life sciences industry. The cutting-edge program will feature timely topics focused on opportunities and challenges facing the future of the sector as it works to discover and develop innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs.
"We expect more than 250 senior life science executives from global biotech and pharmaceutical companies, the funding community and entrepreneurs at this year's CEO Summit," said Hart. "Keeping to our theme, Take It to the Top, we have once again set the bar very high with an important program highlighting industry leaders, timely topics affecting the industry, as well as productive networking events."
Registration for the event is $575 for Members of BioNJ and affiliated organizations and $795 for future BioNJ Members. Click here to register. For more information, visit www.BioNJ.org or call (609) 890-3185. If you are interested in sponsoring the CEO Summit, please contact Edie Esposito at EEsposito@BioNJ.org.
About BioNJ
BioNJ, The Gateway to Health, is a powerful network of 400 Member Investors representing research-based life sciences companies and stakeholders dedicated to propelling a vibrant ecosystem where Science is Supported, Companies are Created, Drugs are Developed and Patients are Paramount. Because Patients Can't Wait, BioNJ is committed to the growth and prosperity of New Jersey's life sciences ecosystem to help accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies and cures that save and improve lives and lessen the burden of illness and disease to society. As the industry's voice in New Jersey, we fulfill our Mission to help our Members help Patients by driving capital formation and fostering entrepreneurship, advocating for public policies that advance medical innovation, providing access to talent and education and offering a cost-saving array of critical commercial resources. For more information about BioNJ, please visit www.BioNJ.org.
