Administrator Account posted on December 13, 2011 at 2:24 PM
MIAMI -- Jean-Marc D. Quach, a longtime leader in healthcare management and marketing, has been named executive director of The Alpha-1 Project, a subsidiary of the Alpha-1 Foundation.
Quach, of Englewood Cliffs, NJ, is not a newcomer to the world of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. From 1999-2004, he was vice president and general manager of Express Scripts Specialty Distribution Services, where he worked with AlphaNet and Bayer to create a "direct distribution" model for Prolastin®, then the only Alpha-1 augmentation treatment available. The business model is still used for orphan and other high-risk or shortage-prone drug products.
“Jean-Marc, with his record of leadership and innovation, is the perfect match for the Foundation’s initiative to speed the development of new therapies for Alpha-1,” said John W. Walsh, Foundation president and CEO.
The Alpha-1 Project (TAP) is a for-profit, wholly owned subsidiary of the not-for-profit Alpha-1 Foundation. “TAP is a venture philanthropy company,” said Marcia F. Ritchie, vice president and chief operating officer of both TAP and the Alpha-1 Foundation. “The goal is to accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of treatments and drug therapies for those with Alpha-1,” Ritchie said.
“We plan to invest directly in a few carefully-selected, promising new Alpha-1 therapies developed by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies,” said Walsh. “The new company has already evaluated several proposals from biotech companies and we are close to announcing our first investment in therapeutic development for Alpha-1.”
Quach was vice president, corporate strategic planning and market analysis, for Express Scripts when he left in 2006 to become vice president, managed markets, for Bayer Healthcare Diabetes Care in North America.
About the Alpha-1 Foundation
The mission of the Alpha-1 Foundation is to provide the leadership and resources that will result in increased research, improved health, worldwide detection, and a cure for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. For information, visit www.alpha-1foundation.org.
About The Alpha-1 Project
Mission statement: The Alpha-1 Project will work with patients, academia, pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the relentless pursuit of cures and therapies for COPD and liver disease caused by Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. For information, visit www.thealpha-1project.com.