Gail Farfel

Gail brings more than 25 years of pharmaceutical development and regulatory rare disease experience in rare diseases with both large and small pharmaceutical companies. She has been executive vice president and global chief development officer at Zogenix, Inc., a rare disease company, since July 2015. At Zogenix, she leads all product development activities, including preclinical and clinical development, and regulatory strategy. Prior to joining Zogenix, Gail was chief clinical and regulatory officer of Marinus Pharmaceuticals, establishing and overseeing clinical, medical and regulatory strategies for adult and pediatric seizure disorders, including a pediatric epileptic orphan disease. Previously, she was vice president, therapeutic area head for neuroscience clinical development and medical affairs at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, where she oversaw a portfolio of products for multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Gail began her career in pharmaceutical drug development at Pfizer Inc., where she worked in clinical development and global medical affairs, directing programs through all stages of clinical development and regulatory submissions.

She has authored more than 50 scientific articles in the areas of neuropsychopharmacology and drug effects. Gail currently serves on the board of directors of DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX) and is a director on the Board of the American Society for Experimental Neurotherapeutics. She holds a Ph.D. in neuropsychopharmacology from the University of Chicago, where she received the Ginsburg Prize for Dissertation Excellence and is a director on the Medical and Biological Sciences Alumni Board. Gail also holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Virginia.