Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Keith Dionne fills CEO role at Surface Logix

By Mass High Tech Staff

Drug development company Surface Logix Inc. has named Keith Dionne as president and CEO, filling a void left behind when former president and CEO Jim Mahoney resigned in May. Dionne will also serve on the biotech’s board of directors.

Prior to joining Surface Logix, Dionne served as CEO of Alantos Pharmaceuticals, spearheading its $300 million cash buyout from Amgen Inc. He also worked in senior-level roles at Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. and ALZA Pharmaceuticals. He was among the first four scientists at cell transplantation firm CytoTherapeutics Inc. and has also taught as an adjunct professor in Brown University’s biomedical department.

Dionne graduated from MIT with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and a M.S. in the Program for Technology Policy. Mahoney has continued to serve as a consultant for the company while pursuing other interests.

In January, Boston-based Surface Logix completed Phase 2a clinical trials of its drug candidate SLx-4090 for high cholesterol and its SLx-2101 for hypertension. The company landed a $52 million Series D round of financing in April 2007 to fund clinical development of its small molecule drug candidates.

Founded by George Whitesides of Harvard University, Surface Logix is focused on developing small molecule drugs that improve pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug features.