Karim Lalji

Biography

Mr. Lalji began his career with Merck & Company. While at Merck, he led the infectious disease new product portfolio from the commercial perspective, with responsibility for products such as INVANZ, CANCIDAS and CRIXIVAN. Mr. Lalji was a key member of the team that ultimately led to the discovery of the triple cocktail for treating HIV infections. Mr. Lalji subsequently undertook responsibility for driving the global franchise strategies for Merck’s two leading areas: cholesterol reducers and hypertension/heart failure treatments. His final role during his ten-year tenure at Merck was as an executive leading the worldwide osteoporosis franchise and its main product, FOSAMAX. Subsequent to Merck, Mr. Lalji worked at Sepracor, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was Vice President of Business Strategy and New Product Commercialization. Mr. Lalji was the primary architect of LUNESTA for the treatment of insomnia at Sepracor. In 2006, Mr. Lalji joined Cardiome Pharma Corp. in Vancouver, British Columbia as Senior Vice President of Commercial Affairs and an officer of the company. He played a pivotal role in driving Cardiome’s $1 billion worldwide licensing agreement with Merck & Company for vernakalant oral and IV for the management of atrial fibrillation. Mr. Lalji serves on the Board of Overseers of Harvard University’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, a leading academic teaching hospital. Mr. Lalji holds a Science Masters Degree in Health Policy and Management from Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. He also holds a BBA from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada.

Research Interest

Business Administration