Advisors

Harish Dave, M.D., M.B.A, Camino Partnership, LLC

Dr. Dave speaking in China on nichebusters, a term that describes the next strategic target for global pharmaceutical companies. 

Dr. Dave speaking in China on nichebusters, a term that describes the next strategic target for global pharmaceutical companies. 

Dr. Dave is an internationally respected oncologist and hematologist who is leading the integration of business and scientific efforts for our joint Global Biopharm Opportunity Fund-1, LP. As founder of Quintiles' Phase I/II business unit, he led or participated in the development of most of the current cancer blockbuster drugs. As adept at corporate leadership as he is in clinical environments, Dr. Dave is an essential partner in shaping and rolling out our fund strategy. 

Some of the pharmaceuticals Dr. Dave has helped bring to market include the following.

  • Zelboraf (Vemurafenib) is a B-raf enzyme inhibitor developed by Plexxikon and Genentech for the treatment of late-stage melanoma.  The drug received FDA approval in August, 2011 and was the first drug designed using fragment-based lead discovery to gain regulatory approval.  The clinical profile at the time of FDA approval demonstrated a 53% increase in overall survival rate (OS), a 74% increase in progression-free survival (PFS) and the best overall response rate (BORR) compared to dacarbazine.  The drug is expected to generate annual sales of $732m by the end of 2015.
  • Ribavirin is a guanosine analog that inhibits viral RNA synthesis and viral mRNA capping and was approved in June 1998 for the treatment of hepatitis C and viral hemorrhagic fevers.  It is on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines and is produced as a generic by a number of companies including Genentech, Merck, Sandoz, and Teva.  
  • Avastin (Bevacizumab) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that acts as an angiogenesis inhibitor and was developed by Genentech.  It received FDA approval in 2004 for combination use with chemotherapy for metastatic colon cancer.  It has since been approved for use in select lung cancers, renal cancers, ovarian cancers, and glioblastoma multiforme of the brain.  In colon cancer Avastin demonstrated an improvement in median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of 1.4 months and 1.7 months, respectively. Avastin sales were over $2.6b in 2008.
  • Erbitux (Cetuximab) is a chimeric monoclonal antibody that was approved in February 2004 for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, and head and neck cancer.  At the time of approval the clinical profile of the drug as a combination therapy demonstrated a reduction in tumor size in 22.9% of patients and delayed tumor growth by approx. 4.1 months vs. control.  The drug was developed by ImClone Systems and is co-marketed by Eli Lilly and Bristol-Myers Squibb.  In 2011 erbitux reached $703.3m in sales.
  • Pomalyst (Pomalidomide) was approved by the FDA in February 2013 for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma.  Phase III trials demonstrated significant extension of progression free survival (PFS) of median 3.6 months vs. 1.8 months with the control group.  Forecasted peak annual sales for Pomalyst are $1.1b.
  • Revlimid (lenalidomide) was originally approved in June 2006 for the treatment (MCL) as well as myelodysplastic syndromes.  Revlimid was developed by Celgene and sales in 2013 reached $4.28b.
  • Herceptin (Trastuzumab) is a monoclonal antibody that was approved by the FDA in September 1998 for the treatment of breast cancer.  Clinical studies showed a 9.5% reduction in post-surgery cancer recurrence and a decrease in absolute risk of death by 3%.  Herceptin sales were in excess of $1.3b in 2008.


Gael Griette, Research Director, Clarety Global Investments, LLC

Gael Picture.png

Gael brings close to 20 years of experience in Emerging Countries and a particular expertise in Fragile States. His competence includes economic recovery and development, disaster risk management; conflict and fragility analysis; political economy and rural development.

Before joining Clarety as advisor and research director, Gael spent three years with the World Bank as a Senior Consultant designing re-engagement strategies in Fragile and Conflict Situations and promoted links between natural disaster and conflict management notably in the Horn of Africa and in the Sahel. He participated to post-disaster appraisal and project identification missions to Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad and contributed to the design of various projects in response to disasters.

Previously, Gael spent six years with the European Commission in charge of recovery programs in the Horn and Central Africa. Based first in Nairobi, Kenya, and then in Kampala, Uganda, he was in charge of designing immediate response strategies to disasters as well as longer term recovery support in the region, identifying and developing partnerships with local stakeholders, and monitoring and evaluating funded projects.

Gael spent several years engaged in humanitarian aid in many countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, assisting civil populations in facing conflict and natural disasters.

Gael holds a PhD in macroeconomics from the Montesquieu-Bordeaux IV University focusing on post-disaster recovery, a master’s degree in international public policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a diploma in International Trade from the Ecole Supérieure du Commerce Extérieur (ESCE) in Paris.