About Us > Management

John A. Scarlett, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer
Dr. John Scarlett has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Proteolix since February 2009. Dr. Scarlett previously held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Tercica, a publicly-traded biotechnology company (NASDAQ: TRCA). As Co-Founder and CEO, he led the Company through the acquisition, approval and commercialization of two novel endocrine products (INCRELEXÒ and SOMATULINEÒ DEPOT), key partnerships with Genentech and Ipsen S.A., and multiple financing rounds including the IPO in 2004 and subsequent follow-on equity offerings. Tercica merged with Ipsen in the fourth quarter of 2008 in a transaction that valued the company at approximately $660 million.

Prior to Tercica, Dr. Scarlett founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Sensus Drug Development Corporation, which he led through a key partnership with Genentech, the acquisition, development and approval of an endocrine product, SOMAVERTÒ (pegvisomant), and the sale of the Company to Pharmacia in 2001. Dr. Scarlett also co-founded Covance Biotechnology Services, Inc. (CBSI), a 450-person contract biologics manufacturing and process development business, which was sold to Akzo Nobel’s Diosynth Division in 2001.

Before founding Sensus and CBSI, Dr. Scarlett served as Head of the North American Clinical Development Organization and Senior Vice President of Medical and Scientific affairs at Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and served McNeil Pharmaceuticals (Johnson & Johnson) in several positions, including Director of Medical Research and Services. Dr. Scarlett holds an MD with Honors from the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine and trained in Internal Medicine at the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania, and in Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of Colorado.

Craig C. Parker, Senior VP, Finance and Corporate Development & Chief Financial Officer
Craig was most recently the President of DCD BioConsulting LLC, a firm providing strategic, business development and finance related advisory services to the biotechnology industry. Before that, Craig was an equity research analyst at Lehman Brothers as well as with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and JP Morgan. During his career as an analyst, Mr. Parker was consistently rated one of the top analysts covering the biotechnology sector by Institutional Investor, Reuters, and Greenwich Research surveys and has also been a Wall Street Journal All-Star Analyst. Before joining Lehman Brothers, Mr. Parker was also a Senior Vice President at Immunex Corporation where he was General Manager of the Specialty Therapeutics franchise. In that capacity, he managed a business unit with more than $200 million in product sales that discovered, developed, manufactured and marketed oncology and neurology products.

Mr. Parker currently serves on the Science Advisory Board of the Life Sciences Institute at the University of Michigan and Chairs the Institute’s Leadership Council. He is also on the scientific evaluation board for the LSI’s Innovation Partnership Fund. Mr. Parker received his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Chicago, an MBA from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business, and attended the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Susan M. Molineaux, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Founder
Dr. Molineaux co-founded Proteolix in December 2003 and served as the Company’s Chief Scientific Officer.  From January 2006 until February 2009, she served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, at which time she transitioned back to the role of CSO with responsibility for all research, development and clinical affairs activities. Prior to joining Proteolix, Dr. Molineaux was Vice President, Biology at Rigel Pharmaceuticals from 2000 to 2003. Before that, she was Vice President, Biology at Praelux, and from 1994 through 1999, Dr. Molineaux served as Vice President of Drug Development at Praecis Pharmaceuticals. From 1989 until 1994 she was a scientist in the Immunology group at Merck, in Rahway, NJ.

Dr. Molineaux received a B.S. in Biology from Smith College, a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Johns Hopkins University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University.

Mark K. Bennett, Ph.D., Vice President, Research
Dr. Bennett has served as the Vice President of Research at Proteolix since January, 2006. From the company’s founding in December, 2003 through December, 2005, he was Director of Biological Research. Prior to joining Proteolix, Dr. Bennett was Director of Cell Biology at Rigel Pharmaceuticals in South San Francisco, CA from 1999 to 2003. From 1993 through 1999, Dr. Bennett was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Bennett received a B.S. in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Oregon State University, a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the California Institute of Technology, and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Stanford University.

Michael G. Kauffman, M.D., Ph.D. , Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Kauffman, previously a member of Proteolix’s Board of Directors, was a clinical developer of the proteasome inhibitor VELCADE® at Millennium Pharmaceuticals (now a subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company).  As CMO, he will be responsible for the advancement of carfilzomib, Proteolix’s lead anti-cancer proteasome inhibitor for the treatment of multiple myeloma and other cancers, through late-stage clinical development.  In addition, Dr. Kauffman will oversee the clinical development of Proteolix’s earlier-stage proteasome inhibitor programs, including PR-047, an oral proteasome inhibitor for the treatment of cancer.

Most recently, Dr. Kauffman was President and Chief Executive Officer of EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (previously Predix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) from 2002 to 2008.  From 1997 to 2002, he held a number of senior medical and program leadership positions at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  Dr. Kauffman also served as Medical Director at Biogen Corporation (now Biogen Idec). 
Dr. Kauffman received an M.D. and Ph.D. in molecular biology and biochemistry from Johns Hopkins and holds a B.A. in biochemistry from Amherst College.  He trained in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Christopher J. Molineaux, Ph.D., Vice President, Development
Dr. Molineaux has served as the Vice President of Development at Proteolix since July, 2004. Prior to joining Proteolix, Dr. Molineaux was Sr. Director of Drug Development at FibroGen, Inc.in South San Francisco, CA from 2000 to 2004. From 1999 to 2000, Dr. Molineaux was Research Manager of Toxicology at J&J Pharmaceutical Research and Development facility in Raritan, NJ. From 1994 to 1999, Dr. Molineaux was Sr. Director of Pharmacology at Praecis Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, MA and from 1991 until 1994 he held staff scientist positions at Enzon in Piscataway, NJ and Merck, in Rahway, NJ. 

Dr. Molineaux was an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City from 1985 until 1991. Dr. Molineaux received a B.S. in Zoology from University of MD, College Park and a Ph.D. in Immunology and Infections Diseases from Johns Hopkins University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Albert L. Kraus, Ph.D., Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance
Dr. Kraus joins Proteolix with more than 20 years of pharmaceutical industry experience in overseeing drug development and regulatory strategy, particularly for novel oncology products.  In his new role, Dr. Kraus will be responsible for regulatory affairs and quality assurance, including registration development strategy and the company’s interactions with the FDA and regulatory bodies outside the United States. Dr. Kraus joins Proteolix from Kosan Biosciences (acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2008), where he served as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Development while overseeing the clinical development strategy of Kosan’s oncology product portfolio. 

Prior to joining Kosan in 2006, he was Group Director, Global Regulatory Strategy, Oncology with Bristol-Myers Squibb.  While there, he led Bristol-Myers Squibb’s oncology regulatory strategy organization, with worldwide responsibilities for new drug development, licensing support, registration strategy and execution, and post-marketing support.  In his tenure with Bristol Myers Squibb, he also held positions of Director, Regulatory Science Europe and Associate Director, Worldwide Regulatory Affairs.  Previously, he held positions of Section Head, Toxicology, Human Safety and Regulatory Services for Procter & Gamble and Group Leader and Section Head of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Human Safety at Richardson Vicks, a Procter & Gamble company.   Dr. Kraus holds a Ph.D. in biochemical toxicology from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in biology and economics from Hamilton College.

Stephen R. Brady, J.D., LL.M., Executive Director, Corporate Development
Mr. Brady has served as Executive Director, Corporate Development of Proteolix since March 2009, prior to which he served as Executive Director, Business Development & Legal Affairs from April 2007 to March 2009. From 2001 until 2007, Mr. Brady served as Senior Corporate Counsel at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he served in business development, communications and corporate legal capacities. Prior to his tenure with Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mr. Brady was a Vice President with Lazard Venture Advisors, a division of Lazard Freres & Co., LLC, and an associate in the New York and San Francisco offices of Morrison & Foerster LLP.

Mr. Brady received a B.A. in English from the University of Oregon, a J.D. from the University of the Pacific and a LL.M. from New York University.