Management Moves
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, 107 College Road East, Princeton 08540. 609-375-9900. Milan Kalawadia, CEO, North America. www.drreddys.com.
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, an international pharmaceutical manufacturing company producing medications and pharmaceutical ingredients, has appointed Milan Kalawadia as CEO, North America. Kalawadia will be based out of the Plainsboro office of the Hyderabad, India-headquartered company.
“I am excited to start this next chapter in my journey at Dr. Reddy’s,” Kalawadia said in a statement. “I have been fortunate to be a part of a remarkable team that has achieved significant milestones over the last 18 years. I now look forward to leveraging the relationships I have built over my years within the organization, as well as the industry connections I have made, to continue to lead the North America division to new heights.”
Kalawadia has most recently served as chief commercial officer but has held roles in finance, investor relations, corporate/business development, and marketing as well as heading two divisions over the course of his 18-year tenure.
“During the last three years, Milan’s efforts as chief commercial officer were instrumental in driving North America to three consecutive years of growth over the $1 billion revenue threshold and achieving record sales in FY24,” CEO Erez Israeli said. “His track record and deep understanding of the industry, coupled with his passion for innovation and customer-centric approach, make him the ideal candidate to lead the North America business unit into its next chapter of success.”
Kalawadia received a bachelor’s in management science and information systems from Rutgers and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.
Bristol Myers Squibb to Cut 863 Jobs in NJ
Pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb has filed paperwork with the state Department of Labor & Workforce Development indicating its intention to cut 863 jobs in New Jersey between June 28 and December 16.
The move, which the company attributes to a cost-cutting and restructuring effort aimed at reducing costs by $1.5 billion by the end of 2025, will affect BMS’ two Lawrenceville office, on Route 206 and on Princeton Pike.
These cuts come on the heels of 270 positions that have already been eliminated at BMS’ New Jersey locations this year. The announcement did not specify what roles would be affected by the upcoming cuts.
Expansion Underway for Carrier Clinic
Carrier Clinic, 252 County Road 601, Belle Mead 08502. 800-933-3579. Patricia A. Toole, MAS president & chief hospital executive. www.carrierclinic.org.
Hackensack Meridian Health’s Carrier Clinic, located in Belle Mead, has broken ground on a $40 million expansion that will increase the facility’s capacity to treat pediatric patients.
Currently, the behavioral health center is equipped to treat patients ages 12 and up. The 43,000-square-foot expansion will add 52 beds and enable the center to treat children as young as 7 years old.
Funding for the project was provided in part by $10 million in state funds as well as a $10 million donation from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation.
Grants Awarded
Henry J. Austin Health Center, 321 North Warren Street, Trenton 08618. 609-278-5900. Charles L. Davis, II, chief executive officer. www.henryjaustin.org.
The Trenton-based Henry J. Austin Health Center (HJAHC) has received a grant from the Community Center Digital Connect Capital Projects Fund, administered by the New Jersey State Library. This grant, part of the Community Center Digital Connect program, aims to address disparities in access to education, employment, and health services by investing in capital improvements at community facilities across the state.
The grant, totaling $1,435,000, will enable HJAHC to transform one site, modernizing infrastructure and expanding capabilities to meet evolving healthcare needs. These enhancements will support education, workforce and employment, and health monitoring programs, benefiting the Trenton community.
TAXIS Pharmaceuticals, 9 Deerpark Drive, Monmouth Junction 08852. Gregory G. Mario, president and CEO. www.taxispharma.com.
TAXIS Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage company that develops drugs to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, has received a $2.67 million grant from the from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.
The funding, to be awarded over three years, will allow TAXIS to “complete pre-clinical research on the first of its investigational efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) — compounds which, when delivered in combination with already-approved antibiotics, are intended to inhibit the bacterial cellular processes that cause antibiotic resistance, enabling the antibiotics to be effective in fighting off the bacteria they target,” according to a press release from the company.
Specifically, TAXIS is working to optimize its EPIs in combination with the antibiotic levofloxacin, which is used to fight the bacteria often responsible for hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia.
According to TAXIS’ statement, hospital-acquired pneumonia is “the most common healthcare-associated infection in the United States and can result in high morbidity and mortality rates and substantial healthcare costs.”
“This grant is an incredibly important milestone on the path to developing our EPIs and beginning first-in-human clinical trials. By harnessing the synergy between our compounds and existing antibiotics, we aspire to breathe new life into conventional treatments and, ultimately, save lives,” TAXIS president and CEO Gregory Mario said.
TAXIS Pharmaceuticals’ EPIs have shown in preclinical studies that they can resurrect the effectiveness of multiple classes of antibiotics, the release notes, with data showing promise for 28 antibiotics that have become ineffective or require high doses to work due to bacterial resistance.
“While the utility of EPIs has previously been explored in fields such as oncology, no such agents have thus far been FDA approved and very little was done to advance the science targeting prokaryotic infectious conditions,” said Ajit Parhi, chief scientific officer at TAXIS and principal investigator for this project. “We believe our novel approach to pairing EPIs with already-approved antibiotics shows great potential and overcomes previous EPI concerns relating to toxicity. The implications of restoring the potency and efficacy of antibiotics no longer viable in fighting diseases are huge — for patients, society, payers, and manufacturers.”
Westrick Music Academy, 231 Clarksville Road, West Windsor 08550. 609-688-1888. Lorraine Goodman, executive director. www.westrickmusic.org.
Westrick Music Academy has been awarded a $20,000 Capital Support Grant from The Presser Foundation. This grant will support a capital project aimed at enhancing the nonprofit’s music cataloguing system, ultimately improving the educational experience for its 300-350 young singers across nine different choirs.
WMA’s current music cataloguing platform is being discontinued this summer, and its replacement does not meet the organization’s needs and would require extra work from staff. The funding will enable the group to build a customized database/cataloguing system integrated into its existing PatronManager platform.
“We are immensely grateful to The Presser Foundation for this grant, which will significantly impact our ability to manage and enhance our music library,” said WMA executive director Lorraine Goodman. “This new system will streamline our operations, reduce staff workload, and allow us to focus more on what we do best — making music and educating young singers.”
