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Friday, February 13, 2009
The Mover
Lance Berman takes CMO role at CPEX Pharmaceuticals
By Amy Castor, Special to Mass High Tech
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Lance Berman saw his future in his hands — as a surgeon, that is. But when he discovered early on that he also had a passion for business, he decided to forge a career in drug development instead.
Now the 12-year big pharma veteran is making another switch by joining a startup. As the newly appointed chief medical officer for CPEX Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Exeter, N.H., Berman plans to shape the clinical strategy for the company’s intranasal insulin drug.
Berman, 38, grew up in Durban, South Africa, during apartheid, when blacks and whites were segregated. Despite that, he still carries a fondness for home. “I miss the culture and the music,” he said. “Since Apartheid fell, the country has exploded in creativity and opportunity.”
His choice to go into medicine was influenced by his grandfather, who was one of the most respected surgeons in South Africa. With every intention of becoming a surgeon himself, Berman earned his medical degree at the University of Cape Town.
But after doing hands-on hospital work, his interests shifted to business, and he decided to veer into pharmaceuticals. His first job in the field was as clinical research associate with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Johnson & Johnson unit in Johannesburg.
“I joined the pharmaceutical industry at the bottom, and I was happy to do that, because it provided a good foundation for my later work in managing large-scale clinical trials,” said Berman.
He stayed at Janssen for 18 months before going to work for Schering-Plough Corp., also in Johannesburg. A year later, the company offered him a post at its head office in New Jersey.
“I asked, ‘How far away are you from New York City?’ They said about an hour, and I said, ‘That sounds great,’ and accepted the job,” said Berman. “They transferred me to the States, and I lived in New York City and commuted.”
After three years at Schering-Plough, Berman wanted to learn more about prepping drugs for market, so he accepted an offer from Pfizer Inc. to help launch a new cardiovascular drug. When the company later reorganized, he took a lead role on the diabetes team.
Never one to shy away from adventure, in 2008, Berman spent six months as a Pfizer global health fellow in Ethiopia, where he also nurtured a growing passion for photography, snapping up pictures of everyday street scenes whenever he could.
When he returned to the U.S., CPEX offered him a job. The biotech’s entrepreneurial environment appealed to him. “It’s going to be a very different experience from working with big pharma,” he said.
Amy Castor is a freelance writer in Amherst.
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