Wendell Wierenga, Ph.D.

Director

Wendell Wierenga, Ph.D., has served as a member of our Board of Directors since February 2011.

From June 2011 to January 2014, Dr. Wierenga served as Executive Vice President, Research and Development at Santarus, Inc. From 2006 to 2011, he served as Executive Vice President, Research and Development at Ambit Biosciences Corporation. From 2003 to 2006, he served as Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. From 2000 to 2003, Dr. Wierenga served as Chief Executive Officer of Syrrx, Inc. (now part of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company). From 1990 to 2000, he was Senior Vice President of Worldwide Pharmaceutical Sciences, Technologies and Development at Parke-Davis/Warner Lambert (now Pfizer, Inc.). Prior to that, Dr. Wierenga spent 16 years at Upjohn Pharmaceuticals in research and drug discovery roles, most recently as Executive Director of Discovery Research. Dr. Wierenga has served on the Board of Directors of XenoPort, Inc. since 2001, the Board of Directors of Ocera Therapeutics, Inc. since December 2013, the Board of Directors of Apricus Biosciences, Inc. and Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since March 2014, and the Board of Directors of Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since September 2014. He also served on the Board of Directors of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 1996 to 2013. Dr. Wierenga holds a B.A. from Hope College and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University.