Friedhelm Blobel

Biography

Friedhelm Blobel, Ph.D., has served as our President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director since June 2006. From July 2000 to 2006, Dr. Blobel was President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Gryphon Therapeutics, Inc., a South San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical company. Prior to joining Gryphon Therapeutics in July 2000, Dr. Blobel spent more than two decades as an executive with the Hoechst Group and the Boehringer Mannheim Group, including responsibilities in the areas of diabetes and in vitro diagnostics. His roles at these companies included Group President of several product divisions, Chief Technology Officer and General Manager in Tokyo, Japan of a marketing and sales joint venture between Boehringer and Yamanouchi Pharmaceuticals (now Astellas Pharma, Inc.), Senior Vice President of Research and Development Diabetes and Patient Care in Mannheim, Germany as well as in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dr. Blobel earned his doctorate degree (“Dr.rer.nat.”; a Ph.D. equivalent) with a dissertation in Biochemistry and Microbiology from the University of Hohenheim, Germany and holds an advanced degree in Chemistry from the University of Stuttgart, Germany. Dr. Blobel has spent his entire career in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry and brings to the Board experience in general management, research and development, and product marketing and distribution.

Research Interest

Biotechnology, Marketing, Business Management