Burkhard Blank

Biography

 Dr. Burkhard Blank, M.D., has been the Chief Medical Officer of Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. since July 1, 2016 and served as its Interim Chief Medical Officer from January 4, 2016 to June 30, 2016. Dr. Blank has been the Chief Medical Officer at Herantis Pharma Oyj since April 2014. Dr. Blank served as Head of Clinical Development & Regulatory Affairs at Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Blankhas more than 25 years of industry experience, holding senior leadership positions with responsibility for managing international clinical trial programs, as well as heading regulatory affairs, statistics, drug safety and related departments. Dr. Blank served as Senior Vice President of Medical and Drug regulatory Affairs of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation. He served as Global Head for Regulatory Affairs at Boehringer Ingelheim from 1999 to 2001, thereafter Chief Medical Officer at Boehringer Ingelheim US from 2001 to 2006. He served as the Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc. from January 2008 to March 27, 2009, Senior Vice President of Medicine, Regulatory Affairs and Project Management from June 8, 2006 to January 2008 and also served as its Senior Vice President of Development until January 2008. From October 2001 to June 2006, Dr. Blank served as Senior Vice President for Medicine and Drug Regulatory Affairs at Boehringer Ingelheim USA. In this role, he was responsible for clinical development, medical affairs, regulatory affairs and quality assurance as well as project management. Prior to his position, he held a number of positions with increasing levels of responsibility at Boehringer's head office in Ingelheim, Germany. While at Boehringer Ingelheim USA, he was responsible for a staff of 600 and an annual recruitment of 8,000-10,000 patients in the North and South America region of Boehringer Ingelheim USA. He joined Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH in 1986 and served as its Head of International Project Management and Drug Regulatory Affairs since 1993. Dr. Blank founded the International Project Management Department at Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. He served as Project Leader for worldwide development of various programs at BI from 1988 to 1993. Dr. Blank has been a Director of CeNeS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since July 1995. He serves as a Member of Advisory Board of RIEMSER Pharma GmbH. He holds a Medical degree and residency training in Internal Medicine from Universitaet Marburg, Germany and Postdoctoral Training at the Immunology Department of the Children's Hospital in Toronto. He is qualified to practice in both the United States and Canada.

Research Interest

 Neurochemistry & Neuropharmacology