July 10, 2020
The Chase Group, known for relationship building with proven success in life sciences executive search, was retained by Akcea Therapeutics, to identify and secure a Chief Medical Officer to lead the advancement of their mature pipeline of novel medicines. Tasked to procure the candidate with an expedited time frame, The Chase Group met the goal with success upon Akcea’s selection of Dr. William Andrews. An industry veteran, Dr. Andrews brings to Akcea two decades of life sciences experience in clinical development, medical affairs, and medical/commercial strategy, including more than 13 years in rare diseases and seven product launches. As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Andrews will oversee the product portfolio and provide innovative and visionary leadership to develop the medical and clinical strategy. He will also be a key contributor in the collaboration with Ionis Pharmaceuticals as they work to co-develop medicines using the ASO platform. Dr. Andrews is equipped to maximize Akcea’s potential for the future expansion of treatments for patients suffering from devastating rare diseases. He will be a critical addition to Akcea’s executive management team as he helps guide the development and commercialization efforts of their pipeline. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Harvard University and his medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine. Before transitioning to industry, Dr. Andrews practiced full-time medicine for seven years and part-time for 11 years in the Boston area as a board-certified Internist and an Attending Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and was on the Clinical Faculty at Harvard Medical School. The Chase Group understands executive search services can profoundly impact an organization’s future success and appreciates the dedicated collaboration with the Akcea executive team. Congratulations Akcea, on the successful appointment of Dr. William Andrews. For more information on how The Chase Group can identify high caliber leadership for your executive team, please contact karen@chasegroup.com.
