Geoffrey Nichol

Geoff Nichol, M.B., Ch.B., M.B.A., has nearly 30 years’ experience in drug development. His first successful drug development success was at SmithKline Beecham with the approval of Augmentin BID in 1996 for adults and children for all indications. As a VP at Novartis 1996-2002, he managed, successively, a clinical development therapeutic area, US Medical Affairs, and Global Project and Portfolio Management, with significant involvement in the Foradil and Xolair programs. Subsequently, 2002-2009, he was SVP of Development at Medarex Inc, where he was responsible for the foundational clinical development of the breakthrough cancer immunotherapy checkpoint inhibitors Yervoy (Phase 1 through Phase 3) and Opdivo (Phase 1) culminating in the acquisition of Medarex by Bristol-Myers Squibb and the award, in 2018, of the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology related to these programs.

From 2011-2016 Geoff was EVP R&D at Sangamo BioSciences, a zinc finger genome editing and gene therapy company. He managed the pre-clinical development of several genome editing IND candidates both in vivo and ex vivo in T cells and hematopoietic stem cells, and an AAV cDNA FVIII gene therapy for hemophilia A, all now in clinical trials.

In 2016, Geoff became CMO at BioMarin, managing an active portfolio of clinical development programs, including the development and approval of Brineura for CLN2 Batten disease, Palynziq for PKU and VOXZOGO for achondroplasia, and phase 3 development of BMN 270, a leading investigational gene therapy for hemophilia A. In 2021, Geoff transitioned from CMO into a Senior Advisor role with BioMarin, and remained active with the company until mid 2022.