Mr. Anthony J. Giovinazzo, MBA, C. Dir. & A.C.C., has 43 years of total work experience, is an internationally recognized expert in intellectual property, drug development and commercialization, including numerous licensing agreements and M&A, with more than 25 years’ experience in Central Nervous System diseases. He was most recently, the co-inventor, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Cynapsus Therapeutics, a NASDAQ listed specialty pharmaceutical company that developed the first successful sublingual apomorphine thin film strip for Parkinson’s disease. The drug is approved for commercialization by the United States Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada. Mr. Giovinazzo was a co-inventor of the drug, built the leadership team, set the strategy, raised US $ 136 million including an oversubscribed IPO and NASDAQ listing. He led the negotiations with several pharmaceutical companies that resulted in the Cdn. $ 841 million all cash acquisition by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals (Dainippon Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals). A 120% premium to market close on the day of announcement.
He is currently the Executive Chairman of Kalgene Inc., a Canadian/American private specialty pharmaceutical company focused on Alzheimer’s disease. Kalgene’s lead program KG207 is currently being evaluated as a potential best-in-class drug candidate for early to moderate Alzheimer’s.
He is Chairman of the Board of Xortx Therapeutics Inc. (TSXV: XRTX) (NASDAQ: XRTX) a late-stage clinical pharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies to treat progressive kidney disease.
He is a Director on the Board of Titan Medical Inc. (TSX: TMD.TO) (NASDAQ: TMDI) a developer of a cutting-edge leading robotics assisted single port surgery system (the Enos System).
Mr. Giovinazzo has raised more than US $ 825 million in private and public equity. He was a Canadian finalist in Life Sciences for the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year (2014). In 2017 he was the recipient of the Finance Monthly Game Changers award as well as having been chosen as the inaugural recipient of the Bloom Burton Award, which honors the best of the best in Canadian Life Sciences as judged by a panel of US experts. He is a Chartered Director and Audit Committee Certified, both from The Directors College, a degree granting affiliate of Mc Master University, Hamilton Canada. He also has completed the Leadership and Strategy in Pharmaceuticals and Biotech, in 2006 from Harvard Business School, Boston, MA; a Master of Business Administration from IMD, Geneva Switzerland in 1986; a Graduate Certificate Studies in Canadian Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, ON. 1984; and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Accounting at McMaster University, 1978.
