Corporate Governance

Dr. Kranzler joined our Board of Directors in February 2017 and became Chairman in March 2023.  Dr. Kranzler has been a Founder, CEO, Board Member, and Advisor to leading life science companies for over 30 years. He is currently acting as Chief Executive Officer of Regenovation, a regenerative medicine company, and is a Board Member of Methylation Sciences, Pastorus, and ImmunoBrain Checkpoint, all companies focused on developing therapeutics for psychiatric or neurological disorders. Dr. Kranzler started his career at McKinsey & Company where he established the Firm’s pharmaceutical practice. He served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cytel Corporation, a company focused on the development of immunomodulatory drugs. Following Cytel, Dr. Kranzler became the CEO of Cypress Bioscience, where he was credited for the development of Savella™ (milnacipran) for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Dr. Kranzler was also Vice President, Head of External R&D Innovation and Worldwide R&D Strategic Investments at Pfizer. During his career, Dr. Kranzler has developed drugs, medical devices, as well as diagnostics, and is the inventor on over 30 patents. Dr. Kranzler graduated from Yale University School of Medicine with MD and PhD degrees with a focus in psychopharmacology.

Dr. Rosenwald has been a member of our Board of Directors since inception and served as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors from inception to March 2023. He has been Chairman and CEO of Fortress Biotech since December 2013. Since November 2008, Dr. Rosenwald has served as Co-Portfolio Manager and Partner of Opus Point Partners Management, LLC (“Opus Point”), an asset management firm in the life sciences industry, which he joined in 2009. Prior to that, from 1991 to 2008, he served as the Chairman of Paramount BioCapital, Inc. Over the last 23 years, Dr. Rosenwald has acted as a biotechnology entrepreneur and has been involved in the founding and recapitalization of numerous public and private biotechnology and life sciences companies. Dr. Rosenwald received his B.S. in finance from Pennsylvania State University and his M.D. from Temple University School of Medicine.

Mr. Herskowitz joined our Board of Directors in December 2015. Mr. Herskowitz has served as the managing member of the ReGen Group of companies, located in New York, since 1998, which include ReGen Capital Investments LLC and Riverside Claims Investments LLC. He has also served as the President of its affiliate, Riverside Claims LLC, since June 2004. He also serves as Chairman of the board of directors of Starting Point Services for Children, a not-for-profit corporation. Mr. Herskowitz received a B.B.A. in Finance from Bernard M. Baruch College in 1978.

Dr. Alix MacLean was appointed as Avenue’s Chief Executive Officer in August 2022 and became a member of the Board of Directors in March 2023. She was previously an Entrepreneur in Residence at Fortress Biotech. She has a broad background in business development investments in multiple therapeutic areas in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Previously she served as General Partner and Principal at TVM Capital, an international life sciences venture capital firm. Prior to this she was Head of Licensing and Business Development at Imbrium Therapeutics and before that held medical affairs and business development roles at Purdue Pharma. Dr. MacLean also held leadership roles in the medical device industry with Plasma Surgical and Covidien. She began her career in the pharmaceutical industry at Merck & Co. in cardiovascular clinical development.

Alix received a B.Sc. in Physiology from McGill University and an M.D. from Columbia University. She completed her residency in general surgery at NYU Medical Center, fellowships in Trauma Surgery and Critical Care at the University of Miami Medical Center and vascular surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. She also holds a M.Phil. from Cambridge University and an MBA from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder. 

Mr. Oltmans joined our Board of Directors in April 2021. Mr. Oltmans, 57, is currently General Counsel of Fulcrum Therapeutics, Inc. and has over 25 years of experience in corporate law including senior management positions in legal departments at several leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Prior to Fulcrum Therapeutics, Inc, he served as Vice President, Head of Litigation at DaVita Kidney Care, Inc. where he led a 30-person team and was responsible for all litigation, workers’ compensation and employee safety matters. Prior to DaVita Kidney Care, Mr. Oltmans was Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Array BioPharma, Inc., where he oversaw all legal, corporate governance, patent and compliance matters. He previously served as Corporate Vice President and General Counsel for Novo Nordisk, Inc., North America. He was responsible for strategic support in areas including market access, government affairs, communications and product marketing. He has also served as Assistant General Counsel for Eli Lilly and Company after beginning his legal career supporting clients in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation matters. He served on the Board of Trustees for the Mercer County Boy’s and Girl’s Club. Curtis received a B.A. in political science from the University of Nebraska and his J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law.

Ms. Charles joined our Board of Directors in May 2022. Ms. Charles has been a corporate transactions and securities partner at the law firm of Thompson Hine, LLP, since 2010. She leads Thompson Hine’s Life Sciences practice and co-heads the securities practice, advising public and emerging biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. and internationally. Ms. Charles negotiates complex private and public financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, licensing transactions and strategic collaborations. Since March 2021, Ms. Charles has served on the Board of Directors, Audit Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Abeona Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing cell and gene therapies for life-threatening rare genetic diseases whose common stock is listed on the Nasdaq. From 2018 until October 2021, Ms. Charles served on the Board of Directors and as a member of the Audit Committee and Chair of the Compensation Committee of Entera Bio Ltd., a publicly-traded biotechnology company. She also serves on the Board of Board of Directors of several private life science companies. Ms. Charles founded the Women in Bio Metro New York chapter and chaired the chapter for five years. She currently serves on the national board of Women in Bio. Ms. Charles holds a J.D degree from The George Washington University Law School and a B.A. in Psychology from Barnard College, Columbia University. Ms. Charles is a graduate of Women in Bio’s Boardroom Ready Program, an Executive Education Program taught by The George Washington University School of Business.